Google Hangouts Getting Started and Basics

Google Hangouts is a versatile communication platform that allows you to connect with friends, family, and colleagues in a variety of ways.

To get started, you'll need to download and install the Google Hangouts app on your device. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Google Hangouts integrates with other Google services, such as Gmail and Google Calendar, making it easy to invite people to a hangout from your email or schedule a meeting.

Once you've installed the app, you can sign in with your Google account to access your hangouts history and contacts.

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To get started with Google Hangouts, you'll need to sign in to Google+ with a Google account, such as the one you use for Gmail. This is a social networking site designed specifically for Google account holders.

You can find the Hangout frame on the left-hand side of the Google+ page, where you'll see a list of your recent Hangouts and recently emailed contacts.

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To create a new Hangout, click the "+ New Hangout" field at the top of the Hangouts list. This will change the list to show your contacts and Google+ circles, where you can check the box next to any people you want to add to the Hangout.

You can choose between starting a video or text Hangout, and you can always turn a text chat into a video chat at any time.

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To start messaging on Hangouts, click on the Message icon and select the name of the person you want to get in touch with from the list of contacts.

You can also search for someone by typing their email address, name, or phone number in the search box at the top of the side-bar.

To initiate a chat, give a title to your chat invitation and click on Send Invite in the dialog box that pops up.

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The chat history is maintained, so you can pick up the conversation where you left off in the future.

You can also create a group chat by clicking on the icon of a person with a '+' next to it at the top of the conversation window, and then simply type the names of the people you want to add.

To create a Hangout, you'll need to sign in to Google+ with your Google account, which is the same account you use for Gmail. This is a social networking site designed specifically for Google account holders.

You can find the Hangout frame on the left-hand side of the Google+ page, where you'll see a list of your recent Hangouts and recently emailed contacts.

To create a new Hangout, click the "New Hangout" field at the top of the Hangouts list, which will change to a list of your contacts and Google+ circles.

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Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a new Hangout:

You can turn a text chat into a video chat at any time, giving you the flexibility to change your Hangout format as needed.

Google Hangouts is a feature-rich platform that makes staying in touch with friends and family a breeze. You can access it online through Gmail or Google+, or download the mobile app on Android or iOS.

Hangouts allows conversations between two or more users, and you can even perform a group video chat with up to 10 users at a time. In 2016, Google upgraded Hangouts to 25 concurrent users in HD video for Work/Education.

To initiate a video call, simply accept the call and you'll be connected. The main controls at the bottom of the screen allow you to easily mute the microphone, turn off your camera, or end the call with the red button in the middle.

Photos can be shared during conversations, which are automatically uploaded into a private Google+ album. You can also use color emoji symbols in your messages to add a personal touch.

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Hangouts allowed conversations between two or more users, accessible online or through mobile apps for Android and iOS.

To access Hangouts, you could use the Gmail or Google+ websites, or download the mobile apps. However, most third-party applications that had access to Google Talk did not have access to Google+ Hangouts due to its proprietary protocol.

Chat histories were saved online, allowing them to be synced between devices. This is a huge advantage for people who use multiple devices.

A "watermark" of a user's avatar was used as a marker to indicate how far they have read into the conversation. Photos could be shared during conversations, automatically uploaded into a private Google+ album.

Users could also use color emoji symbols in their messages. This feature adds a fun touch to conversations.

Group video chats allowed up to 10 users at a time. In 2016, Google upgraded Hangouts to 25 concurrent users in HD video for Work/Education.

The new Google Hangouts app on iOS integrated a Google Voice number to some extent. However, on Android, the SMS supported in Hangouts didn't fully integrate with Google Voice for calls or texts.

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To start a video call, you'll need to click on the icon for a Video Call, which will open up a new page. This will let you set up a new Hangout conversation where you can start a video conferencing call.

You can start a video chat by selecting the chatbox that you want to contact and clicking the camera icon in the top left corner. This will notify your contacts on the Hangouts app and through Gmail that you're calling them.

To get someone to join your call, hit the Invite People button, either in the middle of the screen or using the icon on the top menu. This will allow you to add the email address of the people you'd like to invite or search for their name if they're in your contacts already.

The main controls at the bottom of the screen work as follows: the red button in the middle allows you to finish the call, and you can mute the microphone with the button on the left, or turn off your camera using the button on the right.

You can also invite more people to the call by using the icon of a person with a ‘+’ next to it (top-right of the screen). This makes it useful for group chats and meetings, as you can host up to 10 people at once.

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Troubleshooting can be a real pain, but don't worry, I've got some tips to help you get back on track.

First, check if you've muted your mic, it's an easy mistake to make.

Make sure your microphone is connected properly to your PC, a loose cable can cause all sorts of issues.

Close any other programs that use your mic, they might be conflicting with Google Hangouts.

Go to Google Hangouts settings and ensure the correct microphone is selected, you can find this by clicking on the cog icon at the top-right of the screen.

Try restarting the call, it can sometimes resolve audio issues, and if that doesn't work, try having the other person initiate the call instead.

If all else fails, switching to a different browser or rebooting your PC might just do the trick.

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To access Google Hangouts, log in to your Google account and go to hangouts.google.com. You can also access it through your Gmail homepage, where you'll see your active and inactive contacts at the bottom left of your screen.

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If you're logged in, you can go to your apps and click on Hangouts. You can also drag and drop the app to the top of your apps menu if you use it frequently.

To download Google Hangouts, go to the app downloads section and click on the version that applies to your device. This way, you can access Hangouts on your computer.

You can also download the Hangouts extension and link it to your Google account, or download it as an app on your computer. This will give you easy access to Hangouts from your browser.

Once you've downloaded the app, you can start using it to set up and use Google Hangouts on mobile. Simply download the Google Hangouts app and open it on your phone.

To start a call, tap the "+" symbol in the green circle at the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, you can start a text chat, or hit the camera icon for a video call, or the phone icon for a phone call.

To end a video call, tap the red button in the middle of the screen. You can also mute the microphone with the button on the left, or turn off your camera using the button on the right.

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Google Hangouts has had its fair share of criticism, particularly from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who felt that Google was moving in the wrong direction by shrinking its support for the open standard protocol XMPP in May 2013.

However, in November 2014, Make Use Of hailed Google Hangouts as the "best messaging app on Android by far", showing that it's still a popular choice among users.

To access your Hangouts list without opening Google+, you can install the Chrome browser extension, which will add a Hangouts icon to your System Tray.

Google Hangouts received criticism from the Electronic Frontier Foundation in May 2013 for shrinking its support for the open standard protocol XMPP, making it difficult for multi-chat clients to support the service.

In 2014, Make Use Of praised Google Hangouts as the best messaging app on Android by far.

Google Hangouts was given a score of 2 out of 7 on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Secure Messaging Scorecard in December 2015, missing points for various security concerns.

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Here are some key issues with Google Hangouts' security:

If you want to access your Hangouts without opening Google+, you can install the Chrome browser extension. This will add a Hangouts icon to your System Tray, allowing you to start a new hangout by clicking the “+ New Hangout” field.

To create a hangout with a fixed URL for easy access, create the hangout via Google calendar. This will generate a permalink that you can copy and paste into the notes field of your calendar appointment.

You can also use the Hangouts extension to access your hangouts list and start a new hangout, all from the convenience of your System Tray.

Here are some ways to access your Hangouts: