Damon Mcknight
Google Hangouts is a cross-platform instant messaging service developed by Google. It was originally a feature of Google+ but became a standalone product in 2013. Google Hangouts is available for free for receiving and making calls and video conferencing. It is accessible from almost any device. Google Hangouts allowed conversations between two or more users. It also offers the capability to call domestic phone numbers from computing devices for free. In 2022, Google announced that it would be shutting down Google Hangouts and migrating all users to Google Chat. This paragraph introduces the topic of Google Hangouts, its features, and its availability in Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cost | Free |
| Number of users | Up to 10 people at once |
| Compatibility | Works across all devices |
| Features | Video and audio calling, instant messaging, SMS, GIF support, location sharing, recording, breakout rooms, transcribing capabilities, document collaboration |
| Integrations | Google Drive, Google Voice, Google Workspace, Gmail, Google+ |
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What You'll Learn
- Google Hangouts is free for voice calls to other Hangouts users
- Google Hangouts is free for receiving and making calls and video conferencing
- Google Meet is a free communication solution for global users
- Google Chat is free for Google users, paid accounts for organisations start at $6 per person per month
- Google Hangouts' predecessor, Google Talk, was discontinued in 2016
Google Hangouts is free for voice calls to other Hangouts users
Google Hangouts is a cross-platform instant messaging service developed by Google. It was originally a feature of Google+ but became a standalone product in 2013. Google Hangouts is free for voice calls to other Hangouts users. It also allows users to make free domestic calls from their computing devices.
Google Hangouts was integrated with text message sending and receiving functions in Android 4.4, becoming the default SMS app on the Nexus 5. For other Android phones, users could choose to open the SMS function when they downloaded the new version of Hangouts via Google Play. SMS conversations were shown in a drawer on the left side. The update also added GIF support and a new location-sharing button, which allowed users to send their GPS location to their contacts.
Google Hangouts offers chat, voice, and videoconferencing features. It can accommodate up to 10 people at once, with room for others to watch. It can be particularly useful for overcoming problems of distance or mobility and for including all community members in discussions. Users can invite anyone from around the world to talk to their group. Google Hangouts can also be used to collaborate on documents during meetings. Google Drive allows users to work on documents while meeting so that they can draft and then discuss them face-to-face.
Google has since developed two separate enterprise communication products: Google Meet and Google Chat, which are part of its Google Workspace office suite. Google began transitioning Workspace users from Hangouts to Meet and Chat in June 2020. In April 2020, in response to COVID-19, Google Meet became free for all users. Google also announced that Hangouts will remain a consumer-level product for people using standard Google accounts. In October 2020, Google announced that Chat would also be made free to everyone and replace "classic" Hangouts by 2021.
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Google Hangouts is free for receiving and making calls and video conferencing
Google Hangouts is a cross-platform instant messaging service developed by Google. It was originally a feature of Google+ but became a standalone product in 2013. Since then, Google has integrated features from Google+ Messenger, Google Talk, and Google Voice into Hangouts.
Google Hangouts can accommodate up to ten people at once, with room for others to watch. It can be particularly useful for overcoming problems of distance or mobility and including all community members in discussions. Users can invite anyone from around the world to talk to their group.
Google has since developed two separate enterprise communication products: Google Meet and Google Chat, which are part of its Google Workspace office suite. Google Meet is a free communication solution that allows users to stay in touch with clients and teams globally. It offers similar features to Hangouts, including video and audio calling, recording capabilities, breakout rooms, transcribing capabilities, and great video quality. Google Chat is also free and supports video and audio calling via Google Meet. It offers standard communication tools and additional features such as bot assistants and threaded messaging.
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Google Meet is a free communication solution for global users
Google Meet offers a range of features such as the ability to present, collaborate, and live stream meetings to up to 100,000 viewers at one time. It also provides live captions powered by Google's speech recognition technology and translated captions in 65+ languages. Additionally, users can watch YouTube videos, listen to music, and play games with Meet live sharing.
Google Meet also offers security and privacy features to protect user data. The application undergoes regular rigorous security and privacy audits and complies with global regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, COPPA, and FERPA. Google Meet users can also enroll in Google's Advanced Protection Program, which provides strong protections against phishing and account hijacking.
While Google Meet is free, there are also paid Enterprise plans available that offer additional features. These include the ability to add up to 1000 participants, access to recordings and transcripts, and premium features such as studio lighting and stylized backgrounds. Google Workspace editions also provide the ability to dial out to phone numbers in the US and Canada at no extra cost, and organizations with a Meet Global Dialing subscription can dial numbers in additional countries and regions.
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Google Chat is free for Google users, paid accounts for organisations start at $6 per person per month
Google Hangouts is a cross-platform instant messaging service developed by Google. It was originally a feature of Google+ but became a standalone product in 2013. Over the years, Google has integrated features from Google+ Messenger, Google Talk, and Google Voice into Hangouts.
Google Hangouts is free for standard Google account users. It allows users to make free voice calls to other Hangouts users and charges a fee for international calls to landlines and mobile phones, except for calls to the United States and Canada, which are free. Hangouts also supports video conferencing and group chats of up to 10 people, with room for others to watch. It can be accessed from almost any device, including desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
Google has since developed two new products: Google Meet and Google Chat, which are part of its Google Workspace office suite. Google Meet is a free communication solution that allows users to connect, collaborate, and live stream meetings to up to 100,000 viewers. It integrates seamlessly with other Google applications and can be used across various devices.
Google Chat, on the other hand, is Google's business team messaging product. It offers standard communication tools and supports video and audio calling via Google Meet. Google Chat is free for all Google users, and paid accounts for organisations start at $6 per person per month. This paid account provides access to additional features within the Google Workspace environment.
Google has been transitioning users from Hangouts to Meet and Chat since 2020, and Hangouts was officially discontinued on November 1, 2022.
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Google Hangouts' predecessor, Google Talk, was discontinued in 2016
Google Hangouts is a free communication solution in Australia that allows users to stay in touch with clients and teams globally. It is available as a Chrome extension and can be used across all devices. Google Hangouts was preceded by Google Talk, an instant messaging service that provided both text and voice communication. Colloquially, Google Talk was referred to as Gchat, Gtalk, or Gmessage. It was available for Microsoft Windows, Android, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, and ChromeOS operating systems.
Google Talk was initially integrated into Gmail, allowing Gmail users to communicate with each other. However, in February 2015, Google officially stopped supporting Google Talk for Windows, and recommended that users migrate to Google Hangouts. While the application continued to function until February 28, connection attempts after that date returned an error message.
Google Talk for Android and the Google Chat tool in Gmail were discontinued on June 26, 2017, and no longer functioned. This was followed by the discontinuation of Google+ in 2025, which had been integrated into Google Talk, allowing Google+ contacts to appear in the contacts list.
Google has since introduced Google Chat and Google Meet as replacements for Google Hangouts. Google Chat is available on the web and as a standalone app for various operating systems. It offers standard communication tools and supports video and audio calling via Google Meet. Google Meet is also free and allows users to present, collaborate, and live stream meetings to up to 100,000 viewers.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Google Hangouts is free to use in Australia. It was discontinued on November 1, 2022, and all users were migrated to Google Chat. Google Chat is free to use even without a paid Google Workspace account.
Google Hangouts is a cross-platform instant messaging service that allows for group chats, voice and video calls, and video conferences. It can accommodate up to 10 people at once, with room for others to watch. It also has features like GIF support, location sharing, and the ability to call domestic phone numbers for free.
Some alternatives to Google Hangouts include Google Meet, Google Chat, Slack, Skype, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.
Google Hangouts could be accessed online through the Gmail or Google+ websites, or through mobile apps available for Android and iOS devices.
