Google Hangouts is a software developed by Google for communication. It became a stand-alone product in 2013 when Google integrated features from Google+. It is currently a part of the G Suite line. But Google will shut down the G Suite version of Hangouts in June 2020 but will continue to support the consumer version of classic Hangouts.
Google Hangouts is a communication software that allows messaging and video chatting. It supports one-to-one chat as well as a conversation involving multiple parties. This software can be helpful if you are working from home or even to start a meeting between colleagues.
It is very useful software and easy to use. Below, we are going to provide a complete guide on using Google Hangouts. I am sure this article will help you to use Google Hangouts from the basics. Here we go.
Open Hangouts
The first step is to open Google Hangouts. You can open it by going to https://hangouts.google.com. Alternatively, you can add the Hangouts extension in the Chrome browser. You will need to sign in through your google account to get started.
Start conversation
To start a conversation through Hangouts, simply click on the Message icon and select the person from the list of contacts that appears. If the person you want to contact does not appear, enter their email address or phone number in the search box which is located at the top of the sidebar.
As you click on the relevant name, a dialogue box pops up. Now you can give a title to your chat invitation and can invite to initiate conversation. Once the person accepts your invitation, you can start your conversion.
Hangouts maintain the chat history so that you can pick up the conversation where you had left off. You can create a group chat by clicking on the icon of a person with the '+' sign at the top of the conversation window.
Make a video call
You can initiate a video call by clicking the icon for Video call. A separate window will pop up and you can invite people through email or name. The recipients will be alerted of your call and they can choose to answer or decline your call.
You can also copy the link by clicking on Copy Link to Share and paste it to the email of the person with whom you want to make conversation. If they clicked that link then they can join a conversation with you without signing to Google account.
After the recipient accepts your call, you will get into a video chat. Video calls can be controlled by the control buttons on the bottom of the screen. The red button allows you to end your conversation. The button of the left and right allows you to mute the microphone and turn off the camera.
Like Group Chat, it is possible to invite more people by using the icon of a person with a '+' on the top right of the screen.
Mic Issues In Video Call and Solution
Sometimes, your call doesn't appear to be functioning properly. One of the most common problems is mic issues which do not appear to be working.
The first step to follow is to check that you haven't muted your mic and ensure that you are not running any other program that uses the mic.
Now try making the selection of the correct microphone under Google Hangouts settings. You can access the setting by clicking on the cog icon at the top right of the screen or it can be under the button with three vertical dots.
If all the above methods fail try restarting the call or request the other person to initiate the video call. Sometimes it may be due to browser issues so, try switching your browser or rebooting your computer.
Interesting Functionality of Google Hangouts Video Call
Google Hangouts offers Screen Sharing. You can find this option as you click on the three vertical dots. If you click on to Share Screen option it allows you to share your entire screen or just the application window. After you click on the blue Share button, the person on the other end can watch you navigating around your desktop. This can be very useful for explaining to someone how to do something on the computer rather than trying to explain it verbally. Cool right?
Use Google Hangouts In Mobile Devices
You can use Google Hangouts with the Android and Ios apps on your mobile device. Simply download and install from app stores. After the installation, you can choose whether to give the app access to your contacts to find the people.
You can see a big green '+' button at the bottom-right of your screen. Simply click it to initiate a new chat session or video call. The basic controls remain the same as in PC.
Conclusion
Google Hangouts can be a very helpful tool that provides the total feature required for communication. Whether you use it through PC or Mobile devices, it is fun and exciting to use, isn't it?
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