Hangouts

Step 1: Download Hangouts

Google Hangout is part of the Google Suite and will be already available on your phone if you’re using Android. Additionally, you can download it from Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Microsoft store.

Google Hangouts can be also accessed with your browser via the link: hangouts.google.com/

Visit it with your Google account and it will open a new conversation page that features a couple of options you can play around with. From here, you can download the phone app, or in case you want to download it directly, just visit your smartphone-associated app store and search by app name. Now, tap the Download or Get button and the app will start downloading on your smartphone.

Step 2: Install Hangout

If you’ve downloaded the app on your phone, now your only job is to use it (simple!). Google hangout will automatically integrate with your email and set up your account. If you’re using iOS or macOS, you have to manually log in with your Google account and enter your credentials.

And one more thing, Google Hangouts is very flexible in terms of usability. You can find it in almost every other Google app such as Gmail, Drive, Classroom, Meet, Chat, Contacts, etc. All of these apps are directly integrated with Hangouts. Because Hangouts is part of the Google ecosystem, you can easily pull contacts from your Google Contacts lists and add phone numbers with Google Voice. These small integrations not only save your time but also increases productivity.

How to use Google Hangouts

So, the working mechanism of Hangouts is the same across all devices. Of course, the User Interface will be a bit different in Android and iOS, but the main functionalities are the same.

With Hangouts, you can chat, voice, or video call with your already stored contact list or start a new conversation with a new group. The contact list you’ve stored will be already listed in your phonebook. To add additional people to your list, click on the “New Conversation” button, and in the search, bar enter your recipient name, email, or phone number.

Voice calls: Google Hangout allows you to make free voice calls if you have an internet connection. For this, just go to the person’s chat window and click on the phone dialer button. You can also make free phone number calls in the US and Canada but if you’re calling on someone’s international number, then you have to pay a small fee.

You can check the voice calling rates here: google.com/hangouts/rates

Video Calls: Just like voice calls, you can make HD video calls with Hangout as well and host up to 10 people at the same time. For this, all you have to do is go to the profile of the person you want to call and click the video button. You can also convert your voice call to video or video call to voice by clicking the “switch” button when you’re connected to the other person.

Furthermore, you can switch your camera. Use a selfie or rear camera by clicking the camera icon from your smartphone or tablet. Screensharing is also possible on Android and macOS devices. But to use it, you have to first grant permission to your phone Gallery.

Apart from this, options like muting your voice, closing video, resizing your images, and changing microphone and video settings are the same.

Text Messages: Both SMS texting and internet messages are possible with hangouts. The messages feature also works if you’re offline but charges a bit of a fee if you’ve connected your credits. Recently, Google Hangouts have introduced a group chat feature in which you can connect up to 150 people in a group conversation.

Apart from this, the rest of the texting features are the same we see on other platforms. You’ve got the media sharing option, you can send emojis, stickers, maps, status messages, animated GIFs, and much more.

All the texts you’ll send on Hangouts will be sync across all your devices. So, no matter if you use iOS, Android, macOS, or even the desktop application, your messages will be there all the time.

A good option if you like Google

Google Hangout is a good option if you really like the Google ecosystem and are a part of it. It offers some amazing new features, it’s integrated on almost all the major Google devices and has apps available on Play Store, App Store, and Microsoft store.

Now, the main reason why it’s not as popular or widely used as other communication channels is that it’s just another app Google wants to put in your phone. You see, Google already has a lot of apps on your smartphone (If you’re an Android user, of course). On the desktop version itself, if you’re using Google Chrome, you’ll get up to 29 Apps on the Menu section.

And Google meet, Chats, and Hangout is kind of the same. Plus, apps like WhatsApp, Skype, and Zoom already have a Goodwill amongst their customers, making them really hard to leave another platform.

So, in short, if you’re deep into Google and really like their GSuite program, Hangouts is a great option to have on your list. It can really make your conversations simple and effortless. As long as you can convince the other person to use it! We wish you the best of luck on that.