Because Google offers many overlapping messaging apps, you might have completely forgotten about Hangouts. It's a flake similar Google's version of Skype, as it offers video and audio calling, plus text conversation, over the net.

While Hangouts was once the default video chat app on Android, Google has phased it out in favor of Duo. However, Hangouts is even so live for both desktop and mobile. Below, we reply common questions about the service and show you how to utilize Google Hangouts.

How to Use Google Hangouts

To utilise Hangouts, you need a Google business relationship. You already accept 1 of these if you use Gmail, YouTube, or one of Google's many other services.

To get started, head to the Google Hangouts homepage and click the Sign in button in the top-right corner. Log into your Google account hither, or click Create account to brand one.

Google Hangouts Home

Once you've logged in, you'll see options for contacting your friends. Employ the tabs on the left side of the screen to bandy betwixt Contacts, Conversations, and Phone Calls. At the top of any listing, click New conversation and enter a contact's proper noun or email address to start chatting with them.

When you open a chat with someone, you'll come across it in a panel similar to Facebook Messenger. Apply the text field at the lesser to send a message. You can also ship emoji or attach a picture using the respective buttons.

Using the icons at the pinnacle of a chat, y'all tin quickly start an audio or video call with your contact, or get-go a group conversation with them and others. You lot tin can as well minimize or popular out chats using the toolbar buttons at the top. Click the Gear icon to archive or delete the conversation, as well as toggling notifications.

Hangouts Options and Chat

How to Prepare a Google Hangouts Video Telephone call

Sending instant messages with Hangouts is easy, simply the service makes video calls simple too. On the homepage, click Video Call to first a new video session. If y'all prefer, you lot tin also click the Video call button in whatever conversation to call that person or group.

When you lot click the Video Call link, Hangouts opens a new window and asks yous to invite some people. Blazon a friend's name or e-mail address to invite them, or click Copy Link to Share. You can them transport that link to friends via any method (text message, e-mail, etc.) and clicking it will allow them bring together your Hangout.

In one case in a Hangout, you'll see whoever is speaking in the center of your screen. If you adopt, you can click someone's thumbnail in the bottom-right to always show them. Click the Message icon in the bottom-left corner to transport an instant message to all phone call members.

Google Hangouts In Call

To invite more than people to the Hangout, click the Add icon in the upper-right. Here y'all'll also see the Settings icon, which lets you adjust the camera, sound, and bandwidth settings. Nether the three-dot card, you'll find options to share your screen or become fullscreen.

Click the Microphone or Photographic camera icons at the bottom of the screen to mute your sound or video. When y'all're done with the call, simply click the cherry-red Hang up button to leave.

Past the manner, check out our list of artistic ways to use Hangouts if you lot demand some ideas for your side by side go-together.

How to Record a Google Hangout

Hangouts once had a feature called Hangouts on Air that made it piece of cake to broadcast your video calls and record them. However, this is no longer an selection, nor is a workaround that involved YouTube streaming.

Officially, Hangout recording is only available for G Suite Enterprise users. This is because when you click the Video Call option in Hangouts while using an enterprise account, y'all're redirected to Google Meet.

Google Meet, forth with Google Chat, serve as the enterprise replacements for Google Hangouts. Google Meet video calls are like to the Google Hangouts experience, but with a few extra features.

To record a Google Meet call, simply click the three-dot button at the bottom-correct of the window and choose Record meeting.

If you're a home user, Google announced in Apr 2020 that it plans to make Google Meet available free for anybody. At the time of writing, this is still rolling out, so y'all may non be able to start your own meetings on the Google Meet homepage. Check back for updates; chances are that Google may retire Hangouts in favor of Meet for all users.

In the meantime, if y'all need to record a Hangout and can't look for Meet, y'all tin can endeavour using a screen recorder app to record conversations locally.

How to Schedule a Google Hangout

Yous can't schedule a Hangout using the app, just you lot can achieve the same upshot by creating an issue in Google Calendar.

Head to Calendar's homepage. Click the Create push at the top-left to brand a new event, then choose More options to testify the full set of controls. Fill out information like the meeting title, location, and time, then click the Add together conferencing box.

Select Hangouts hither, and so utilise the Guests panel on the right to invite people from your Google contacts or via email accost.

Google Hangouts Schedule Meeting

Striking Save when y'all're done, and y'all'll get a prompt to transport invitation emails to guests. If yous do this, your guests will receive an email about the event with a Join video telephone call link. Once they click that, they'll bound right into the scheduled call.

Y'all don't need any special tools to share your screen during a Hangout. In a Hangout phone call, click the three-dot Carte push button at the top-correct and cull Share screen. You'll see a prompt to choose what you'd like to share: pick either a monitor or a single app.

Hangouts Share Screen

Once you start screen sharing, everyone in the telephone call will be able to run across what's on your screen until you click Cease.

How to Block or Unblock Someone on Google Hangouts

If someone is bothering you on Hangouts, you tin easily block them. To do and so, open Hangouts and select the conversation with the person you lot want to cake. Click the Gear icon on their conversation, then choose Block & written report.

To unblock someone subsequently, click the hamburger Card button in the upper-left of Hangouts. Choose Settings, and so select Blocked people. You'll run into everyone you've blocked and have the option to unblock them.

Hangouts Block People

How to Delete Google Hangouts

Yous can't fully delete your Hangouts account unless you lot delete your Google account. Yet, you lot can remove old messages if yous like.

Select any conversation and click the Settings gear at the top. Choose Delete conversation to delete all letters with that contact. You tin't do this for group chats; your only choice is to leave the group.

If y'all'd like, yous tin can also disable the Conversation history pick here. Turning this off prevents Hangouts from saving your letters, so they'll disappear subsequently a short fourth dimension.

How to Sign Out of Google Hangouts on Your PC

Google Hangouts Sign Out

Signing out of Hangouts signs yous out of your Google business relationship in the current browser, then you'll have to sign back in to access Gmail, YouTube, and other services.

To sign out of Hangouts, just click your contour motion picture in the upper-right corner of Hangouts and choose Sign out.

How to Use Google Hangouts on Android and iPhone

We've covered Hangouts on the spider web in this guide, but you tin use the app on Android or iPhone as well. It functions nearly the same on those platforms, allowing you to instant-bulletin friends and start video or audio calls.

Download the app for your platform and sign into your Google business relationship to access your chats. Similar most messaging apps, Hangouts includes emoji, stickers, photo uploads, and more. In any conversation, y'all can tap the Video or Audio calling buttons to starting time a telephone call with the other person.

Download: Google Hangouts for Android | iOS (Costless)

Set up to Hang Out With Google Hangouts

Hopefully, this Google Hangouts tutorial answered your questions nearly the service. As of this writing, it seems that Google Hangouts may exist on its last leg, with Google Meet set to supersede it. For at present, Hangouts is still a usable service, but don't be surprised if Google kills it off before long.

For an culling, bank check out how to use Google Duo for easy video calls on any device. Nosotros've also rounded up other corking free conference call apps if yous want a not-Google solution.

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