Hangouts: what is this program - a full review of the application

Description

Download Hangouts for PC, an instant messaging and VoIP app designed for Google+ that allows you to message your friends, make phone or video calls, and share videos, photos, emojis, and other media easily and quickly.
The app supports multiple platforms, which makes it stand out from its competitors in the market. The biggest advantage of using this messaging utility is its ability to create groups and communicate with all members at once. You can also start a video chat with up to 25 participants at the same time. Video calls are a great choice if you ever feel like talking to your loved ones face to face.

Chats don't just mean direct messages, but the program has a wide range of emoji and the ability to share videos, photos and other media to make your conversations more interesting. Companies are increasingly taking on the enterprise when it comes to chat. Facebook, for example, offers Workplace, a mobile and web app that aims to keep your team members connected, while Microsoft has Teams, and then of course there's Slack, the app that started this trend in which businesses you now need specialized tools to help your employees communicate.

These tools are more popular than ever because, as Google noted, more than half of the workforce is expected to "contribute remotely by 2020." They need something to help them connect via video, and their chat needs to be collaborative. So, with this in mind, Google has turned Hangouts into two services, Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat, that focus on bringing teams together.

About the application

Hangouts is instant messaging and video conferencing software.
The age of information technology. It's time to quickly exchange information: both in text form and in audio and video format. It is not surprising that special applications are being mass-produced to make communicating via the Internet as simple and convenient as possible. This trend is actually a good one. Online communication is freer, both from the point of view of personal freedom and from the point of view of certain boundaries. Age, occupation, even geographic location - all this fades into the background, leaving only communication. The Hangouts application from Google LLC studio was created specifically for communication. It keeps you constantly connected with the people on your contact list, allowing you to call them, as well as send text messages, as well as photos, videos and audio. And all this is completely free. You only pay for using Internet traffic (and considering that most people now have unlimited data, you understand). You can download the Hangouts application on your PC using an emulator and on your mobile device from our website using official links. Below we will tell you everything in detail.

The application is regularly updated and works even on weak devices. It has a nice design and intuitive interface. It’s not surprising that they fell for him. To date, Hangouts has been downloaded by over a billion people. Great result, keep it up.

What is Google Hangouts?

Google Hangouts is a unified communications service that supports one-on-one or group text, voice, and video chats. Hangouts is built into Google+, Gmail, YouTube and Google Voice, and there are Hangouts apps for iOS, Android and the web. It is essentially a useful and cost-effective collaboration platform for the average person as well as enterprise clients.

hangouts.google.com

Google Hangouts is an instant messaging and video conferencing software developed by Google and released on May 15, 2013 during the Google I/O developer conference. It replaces three systems for instant messaging: Google Talk, Google+ Chats and the video chat service Google+ Hangouts, as well as online broadcasting via Youtube.

May be of interest: WeChat

hangouts.google.com

How do parties work?

Video conferencing

To start meetings, simply share the link. There will be no accounts, plugins, downloads, or hassles required. People can follow this link from Google Calendar, email invitations. mail or a special resource. And whether you dial a number, your laptop or a dedicated mobile app, Google said it will be "just a few clicks and you're in," although that's unclear in detail right now.

G Suite is a suite of cloud services that can give your company or school a new way to collaborate online. You get a domain name and access to Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and other core G Suite services like Google+, Blogger, and now Hangouts Meet. It integrates directly with G Suite.

Interface and functionality

In order to start using the program, you just need to launch it - you will find all the necessary functions already on the main screen. The application is highly specialized - you will not find anything here except buttons for creating a new conference and connecting to an existing one. But this does not mean that Google Meet does not have enough functions - it has everything you need to organize a video call.

You can configure call settings in a separate menu item. There is also the ability to share the screen, which can be extremely important, and also to communicate in a text chat. Everything is done very simply and quickly - you can create your first conference within seconds of launching the program.

The program also has a built-in Google Calendar service, through which you can schedule your meetings – that’s what conferences are called here. Give everyone interested access to your Calendar so they don't miss important meetings.

How does Hangouts chat work?

Virtual Room Downloading Hangouts for Windows features a dedicated, virtual room for each project your team can have - and they consist of: discussion, so your employees can chat and follow the progress of the discussion; Deep integration with G Suite so you can share content from your drive and documents, or you can view photos and videos directly from the conversation; filtering and searching so you can search for old discussions.

Hangouts chat is also a platform, so you can expect third-party integration in the form of bots, allowing your teams to do more with their conversation. Google said it has already teamed up with companies like Asana, Box, Prosperworks and Zendesk. The interface is simple and minimalistic, so you can fully focus on the most important part, i.e. the chat. The home screen displays a list of contacts and a search area for quickly finding contacts. When you start a video call, a large window appears that gives you access to all the important options related to the video call.

Hangouts review: what is this program and what is it used for

Hangouts is a standard application for Android smartphones. In this regard, many users want to know what kind of software it is and what it is intended for. In general, the application is not complicated and is quite easy to understand for the average user. But still, let's figure it out, Hangouts - what kind of program it is and who will need it.

Hangouts what is this program

First, let's figure out what kind of software this is. This is the official Google application for exchanging various types of messages. In simple words, this is a messenger from Google. The functionality of the application fully corresponds to its standard affiliation; thanks to the program, you can send a text or voice message, or make a video call.

The development of Hangouts was planned in order to combine the capabilities of disparate services and obtain a single communication product that meets the basic needs of users. In order to be able to work with Hangouts, you just need to register an account in Gmail.

Application features

Let us clarify exactly what capabilities this software provides the user. It is worth noting that Google rarely releases low-quality software, so you should count on good functionality. However, performance problems often arise, as confirmed by active users of the application.

Main features of the program.

• Sending and receiving text and multimedia messages is the main function of any messenger.
• Ability to form interest groups and private chats for 150 people.
• Making video calls, which within the messenger are called “video meetings”.
• Creation of video conferences with a maximum number of participants of 10 people. You can create a video chat directly from a text chat.
• Free calls to smartphone numbers of application users (calls are paid for third-party subscribers).
• Quickly add photos and videos from the gadget’s memory to the chat.
• Using emoticons and stickers that add an emotional touch to the conversation.
• Use the device's standard camera directly from the application.
• Regular synchronization with all devices connected to your Google account (regardless of iOS, Android or web client).
• Storing all data on a remote web server with the possibility of recovery in case of loss or breakdown of the device.

With all its numerous capabilities, Hangouts is not a resource-intensive application at all. It also takes up minimal space in the smartphone’s memory. In addition, we can note the stability of operation without unexpected crashes.

Based on the advantages described above, we can assume that the messenger is the optimal pre-installed option for communicating within your own system. If people from the user’s contact list also have accounts in the application, then there is no need to look for an alternative; it will cover all needs.

How to use Hangouts

So, we answered the main question: Hangouts, what kind of program it is and what capabilities it has. Now you need to figure out how to use this application.

As mentioned above, the software is pre-installed for smartphones on the Android platform. But if you don’t find it in your gadget, you can always download it from the device Market. To start using it, you need to go through minimal authorization: indicate your phone number and enter a code to confirm it.

Then the user will see a standard interface familiar to users of official Google applications.

• To start a text or video chat, just click on the corresponding button in the lower right part of the screen and select the interlocutor.
• To start group communication with several users at the same time, just click the appropriate command - “create group”.
• Swiping across the screen from left to right opens an additional menu area. In it you can set or change the current status, select a contact for communication, or simply go to the application settings section.
• In the settings, the user can manage the Google account to which the application profile is linked. You can also set a profile photo, a message or incoming call signal, and set restrictions for communication with the account owner of other users. You can immediately add a contact to the black list or, conversely, remove it from it.

Setting up Hangouts is also available through the program's web interface. To do this, just go to https://hangouts.google.com and open settings in a similar section of the menu.

How to install and uninstall a program

When telling Hangouts what this program is, we mentioned that you can install the software from the device Market. This does not require any special action from users. Just open the application store, find the desired program in it and download it to your gadget. The installation will take place in the background and upon completion of the process, a messenger shortcut will appear on the screen.

Most Android smartphones already have the software pre-installed. In this case, it is enough to go through a short registration and start using the messenger. If we move on to the issue of deletion, then in this case this is only possible if you have superuser rights. Without rooting your smartphone, you will not be able to remove standard programs. Before activating root rights, consider whether Hangouts is bothering you that much; it may be enough to simply disable it so that it does not waste system resources.

If Hangouts is not one of the pre-installed applications, then uninstalling it is easily done through the application manager, like any other installed program.

Alternative applications

Not long ago, Google released a new product similar in capabilities to Hangouts, which prompted users to question what would happen to the current software. According to the developer, the messenger will continue to function, but will attract users of the corporate segment. Whereas the new Allo messenger is suitable for everyday use.

What other alternatives are there to the current product:

• Viber;
• WhatsApp;
• Skype;
• Telegram.

These are the most popular instant messengers among users, which provide similar opportunities and delight with the quality of communication.

It is worth noting that Hangouts has not gained much popularity among users. Most likely, it was the frequent freezes and low speed of the program, as well as the aggressive imposition of the product on Android device owners. In this regard, most likely, developers will repurpose the product for the corporate segment, since it is for this segment that it provides extensive integration and switching capabilities.

Today, the Hangouts app still has its audience and is supported by developers. After reading the article, questions about Hangouts, what kind of program it is and how to use it, will not arise. In this regard, we invite all readers to participate in discussions, tell us which messenger you use and why it attracted you? Do you have enough of its capabilities and under what conditions would you change it to Hangouts?

Pro

• Conducting video conferences with up to 25 people simultaneously. The screen automatically focuses on the speaker
• People can join the same conversation from their desktop, tablet, laptop or smartphone
• Built-in screen sharing allows you to give remote tutorials and then send useful links in chat
• Integration with a calendar for planning important tasks within the program
• Customizable controls for group admins so they can add or remove members and disable chat history
• All audio and video streams in Hangouts are encrypted to ensure privacy

How to use Hangouts on your computer

Let's start with the first launch of the service. On a PC, you can use the Web version and the Hangouts browser extension. How to use Google Hangouts, log into the Web version:

• Enter “Hangouts” into the search engine.
• In the smart bar prompts (if there is one), select “Hangouts.google.com”. Or click on the first line in the results.

• A new Google Hangouts service tab will appear in the search engine window.

To launch the browser extension of this service, you need to left-click on the icon (green circle, to the right of the smart line). After this, another window will appear on the screen (on top of everything).

Please note: both options, Web version and extensions, have the same functionality, capabilities, location and name of buttons. Therefore, the following instructions apply in both cases and practical use is accordingly no different.

If you are an iPhone user, we advise you to read the information about the built-in messenger - iMessage.

How to login

What you need to do to log into Google Hangouts messenger:

• When you first start the service, you will be taken to a page/window with a “Login” button. Click on it.

• An authorization form will open. Here you need to enter your email address. Google mail or phone number linked to your account in this search engine*.

• Click on “Next”.
• Enter the password in the special field and click on “Next”.

Ready. You will now have access to the system.

*If you are not yet registered with Google, select “Create an account” and then follow the system prompts.

Do you know what WeChat is and how to use it? No? Then follow the link and read the entire bajhvfwb. about the Chinese messenger.

How to use

All functionality of the service is concentrated on the left side of the window, plus in the center there are buttons for the main actions “Video call”, “Call” and “Message”. Below we provide a table with instructions for the most basic steps. How to use Google Hangouts on a computer:

How to download and install Google Meet: step-by-step instructions

To use Google Meet, you must have a personal or corporate Gmail account. If you don't have one yet, you need to get one.

You can use Google Meet online in your browser or download the application to your phone.

On computer

There is no separate application for the computer; we use the service online in one of two ways:

1. We go to our mail on Gmail, in the left panel the Meet tab is installed by default - click “Start a meeting” to start your conference or “Go to a meeting” to become a participant in someone else’s. After that, we are redirected to the service website.
2. Or go directly to the service’s website using the direct link meet.google.com and click “Start a meeting.”

PS Google Meet does not work with all browsers - only Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

To phone

We find the official application. For Android - in Google Play, for iPhone - in the Apple Store and click “Install”. We install it like any other application.

Open it, skip the welcome windows (click “Next” everywhere).

The application immediately connects to Gmail mail, that is, you do not need to enter your email/password. In the application, you can disable/enable the microphone and camera, enter other people’s meetings - to do this, click “Meeting Code” and enter the code that the conference author sent us. To start your conference, click “New Meeting”.

Let's briefly list the functionality of the mobile application - each function is described in more detail below in the section “How to use Google Meet for work”:

• switching the camera from front to regular;
• subtitles;
• screen sharing;
• turning the microphone on/off;
• list of participants;
• chat;

You can also view completed meetings in the application. The app has fewer features than the online version.

Why use Google Meet:

• the service is free;
• can be used online or through a mobile application;
• unlimited number of meetings;
• conferences lasting up to 1 hour with a capacity of up to 100 people;
• there is extended functionality for corporate clients, organizations and educational institutions (paid tariff);
• automatic subtitles (currently only English is supported);
• encryption during data transmission and in standby mode;
• Can be synchronized with Google calendar.

How to delete Hangouts?

This question worries those who have not experienced the delights of Hangouts functionality and are extremely dissatisfied with the fact that an unnecessary application wastes valuable RAM, albeit slightly. The fact is that if “Hangouts” was a pre-installed program, this cannot be done without obtaining root rights , and how to get them is a topic for a separate review. Therefore, we are sharing instructions for minimizing the harm from an unnecessary application:

1. We go to the settings of the smartphone and look for the section with applications. This could be “Application Manager”, “Applications and Notifications”, etc.
2. Select “Hangouts” and tap. Before shutting down, it won't hurt to clear the cache and memory.

1. We are looking for the “disable” or “stop” button. After this, the application will not consume device resources until you launch it. Accidentally started it - you'll have to turn it off again.

What you need to use Hangouts

It is worth paying attention to three points.

1) You need a computer or smartphone with a microphone and camera. You can communicate by voice without turning on the camera. It will be necessary in case of video communication.

2) Internet connection required. For video communication, unlimited Internet and no speed restrictions are desirable.

3) Each Hangouts participant must have a Google account. That is, everyone is required to have or register a gmail.com mailbox. To do this, you need to register with Google, if this has not been done before. By the way, such registration provides access to other free Google services: gmail.com mail, your channel on Youtube, Google Drive, Hangouts, Google Documents and others.

Next, we'll look at four options for using Hangouts: three of them for a computer and one for a phone. For a computer, suitable options are using gmail.com email, through the official Google website for Hangouts, or using an extension for the Google Chrome browser.

You will need to install the appropriate official application on your phone. It is possible that Hangouts was initially installed on an Android smartphone, then the application does not need to be installed.

What is the application?

Hangouts was introduced by the IT giant Google back in 2013. Anyone who frequently changes smartphones may have noticed this application in the arsenal of pre-installed programs, replacing the once popular Talk Back. And if no one paid attention to these quotes in a green circle before, today they remembered Hangouts again - it remains to find out why.

So, 3 facts about Hangouts:

1. The goal is to provide the user with various types of virtual communications, including text and voice messages, audio and video communication.
2. “Hangouts” combines not only GoogleTalk, but also Google+Chat with Google+Video Meetings, becoming a new product on the market with its own advantages and features.
3. Google Messenger not only combines all the useful functions of its predecessors, but also inherits the entire arsenal of capabilities of the listed programs. And all that was required to work with it was just a Google account.