Google Hangouts

Have voice and video conversations from your computer with Google Hangouts plugin that is free and installs in seconds. Talk face to face from your computer and make free video calls with up to 25 people. Start a video call right in Gmail or instantly go from an email conversation to a group video call. Connect from any device Start and join video calls from your computer, smartphone or tablet. Learn more. Send text messages with your Google Voice or Google Fi phone number. Hangouts at hangouts.google.com or in Gmail.

Hangout works with:

• Mac OS X
• Windows
• Chrome
• Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux distribution
• Google Chrome: Download
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 (IE): Download
• Safari: Download

Start a video call

• Broadband connection to the Internet.
• USB web camera. Other devices, like virtual cameras, may not work.
• Any quad-core processor.

It is not just about video marketing, it is also about saving costs and improving processes:

• Employee engagement: Connecting with employees, particularly those who might work remotely.
• Client Consultations: An easy way to speak ‘face-to-face’ with clients.
• Product Demonstrations: Not only is video a great way to show product benefits, but the results can be recorded, saved and published elsewhere.
• Customer Support: Solve problems one-to-one or one-to-many, and be able to save and re-publish those answers to cut support costs in the future.
• Interviews: Share live video interviews with prominent people within your company or externally, again being able to utilize the results on YouTube, your website etc.
• Webinars: Whether you’re offering a forum for potential customers, information or training.
• ‘Behind the Scenes’ Content: If your business is comfortable with the idea of sharing behind the scenes content, you can broadcast idea sessions, design proposals or anything that gives an insight into your company and brand, and get help and feedback from your audience.

Google Hangouts are live video conferencing and incorporates messaging available on an app on your phone or tablet. Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.

If you would like a link to the Google Hangouts and Meet site as a “how-to” document, just click here.

Both Chat and Meet are available today for G Suite customers and will be made available for consumer users, too. Also, a recent Google Meet update in December 2019 now allows people that use Internet Explorer 11 to access the program! We have not announced an official timeline for transitioning users from classic Hangouts to Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet. We are fully committed to supporting classic Hangouts users until everyone is successfully migrated to Chat and Meet.

To access Screenshare during a Hangout, move your cursor to the left edge of the video call window to reveal the menu, then click the Screenshare button to share your screen with other participants. The benefits to using Hangouts with your students are able to find answers from other students before relying on the teacher for an answer, students receive real-time feedback even when they are away from the classroom, You can monitor the conversations of many groups from your one device, and You can share announcements and important information with your students even after they have left the classroom. The mobile Hangouts app gives you the opportunity to mute conversations so that you are not constantly receiving notifications. When you delete a Hangouts conversation in your Hangouts list, the conversation is still visible for any other person involved in the conversation until they also delete the conversation from their Hangouts list.  Click on the other person’s name in your Gmail chat list to initiate a Google Hangout.

HANGOUTS

• Accessibility: There are relatively few people who don’t have a Google account of some description, and joining Hangouts as a guest is relatively simple. It also works across computers, Android and iOS devices.
• Connections: Video conferencing is a great way to build connections with customers, other companies and potential business partners.
  • And due to recent health-related events, it’s also a great way to stay safe if employees are told to work remote!
• Content: Not only does a Google Hangout provide fresh content, but you can integrate it directly with YouTube. As a result, you not only get the potential audience from both properties, but also have a hosted archive video which can then be edited and shared externally on your own website, social networks etc.
• Low Cost: To run a Google Hangout simply requires a device with a webcam and microphone.
• Promotional: By providing information, demonstrations and training you can promote your business without needing to give discounts or free products.
• Text Chat functionality for speakers and attendees: Useful for organizing who will speak next and answering private problems/questions as well as general ‘behind the scenes’ discussions.

Involve attendees in the learning process during a training session with Google Hangouts. By opening a group chat in Hangouts, the audience can post questions and share resources, allowing them to interact with each other without interrupting the flow of the training. Also, it helps teachers forge connections, contribute ideas, and build a learning community of their own. Offer the ability to do live video chat with up to 25 people for free.  SEO Hangouts are great for learning SEO.  Using Hangouts is fun and both convenient for talking to people across the globe.  See the Google Help Resource page for learning more. You can host on Hangouts Meet to give you the ability to hold a live video event, live stream it to the world, record it, and get the recording for free.  Hold a live press conference, a live talk show with an unlimited audience, live stream your next class, provide live customer support, give instant expert interviews, start vlogging, or live stream a keynote address.

A video-based Google Hangout is not broadcast publicly, does not save, and is not visible to anyone outside of the participants. You need to have a Google account set up for Google Hangouts to work. One best practice for hosting a Google Hangouts Meet is checking media permissions for student participants. Make sure all participants know how to join the Hangout, have an outline or agenda for the Hangout, and a quiet location with good lighting. All of these things make for a successful Hangout!