Online communication has gone a long way since the chat rooms of yesteryear. Today, we have mobile instant messaging (IM) apps that can integrate with desktops, allowing users to share text, voice notes, videos, and other file types. Google, the world’s most popular search engine, offers an online chat service that is unified throughout its websites and apps. This is Google Hangouts, and it packs a punch when it comes to conferencing and sharing data. Let’s have a look at what Google Hangouts is, how you can access it, and a few benefits of using the Google service:
Google Hangouts in a nutshell
Do you have a Gmail address? Who doesn’t, right? Google offers too many amazing services to remember, but one that isn’t soon forgotten is Hangouts. It’s a free add-on to certain Google services – one of which is Gmail. Open up your emails and look to the bottom-left of the screen. Google Hangouts allows you to instant message Gmail users in your address book, instead of having to formally email them which fills up inboxes. An active chat appears as a pop-up window at the bottom-right of a computer screen when showing the Gmail home screen.
Google Hangouts is even better on mobile devices, and acts similarly to WhatsApp, WeChat, and similar instant messaging and file-sharing mobile platforms. Google Hangouts has over 1 billion downloads on the Google Play app store, proving its popularity. So, to answer the main question which prompted the development of this article, a Google Hangout is simply the IM chat or video call that someone facilitates. Users can set up a Hangout with multiple team members, allowing for online conferencing.