Google Hangouts is reliable and easy to use, but will be phased out soon in favor of newer Google product
We use Google Hangouts as an informal, rapid communications channel. Because most of our software is in the Microsoft ecosystem, Google …
Google Hangouts (Classic)
Top Rated
Google Hangouts (Classic)
Overview
Reviews
Popular Features
View all 16 featuresMobile app for Android (72)
8.9
89%
Mobile app for iOS (74)
8.6
86%
Audio conferencing (80)
8.1
81%
Video conferencing (80)
8.1
81%
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What is Google Hangouts (Classic)?
The classic version of Google Hangouts is a communication platform that includes messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. It was part of Google’s G Suite offering and integrated with applications such as Gmail and Google+. Users of the classic version of Hangouts will be migrated to the…
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- No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://forms.gle/SnPTFmDM6osAHnMQ6
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- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting / Integration Services
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Alternatives Pricing
What is Google Voice?
Google Voice is a free IP telephony service that provides users with one phone number that can be forwarded to multiple phones or devices. It includes features such as call forwarding, voicemail translation, text messaging, and voice calls. Fees may apply for international calling.
Features Scorecard
Cloud PBX
7.8
78%
Call Management
7.1
71%
VoIP system collaboration
8.3
83%
Mobile apps
8.8
88%
Product Details
What is Google Hangouts (Classic)?
Google Hangouts is a communication platform that includes messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. This platform is part of Google’s G Suite offering and integrates with applications such as Gmail and Google+. Pricing for G Suite plans range from $5-$25 per user per month.
Callers can use Hangouts to:
- Start a chat conversation or video call.
- Make phone calls using Wi-Fi or data.
- Send text messages with a Google Voice or Google Fi phone number.
Hangouts sync automatically across devices. Hangouts started on a computer, can continue with chat on another device, like a phone.
- In March 2017, Google announced plans to evolve classic Hangouts to focus on two experiences designed to help bring teams together: Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet. Both Chat and Meet are available for G Suite customers and will be made available for consumer users as well. Google is planning to transition users from classic Hangouts to Chat and Meet after June 2020.
- Classic Hangouts is not available in China.
Google Hangouts (Classic) Video
What is Google Hangouts?
Google Hangouts (Classic) Technical Details
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
|---|---|
| Mobile Application | No |
Alternatives
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Hangouts (Classic)?
The classic version of Google Hangouts is a communication platform that includes messaging, voice, VoIP, and video call capabilities. It was part of Google’s G Suite offering and integrated with applications such as Gmail and Google+. Users of the classic version of Hangouts will be migrated to the new Hangouts Chat collaboration tool, and Google continues to support conferencing via the new Hangouts Meet.
What are Google Hangouts (Classic)'s top competitors?
Talkdesk, NICE CXone (formerly NICE inContact), and Cisco Jabber are common alternatives for Google Hangouts (Classic).
What is Google Hangouts (Classic)'s best feature?
Reviewers rate Mobile app for Android highest, with a score of 8.9.
Who uses Google Hangouts (Classic)?
The most common users of Google Hangouts (Classic) are from Mid-size Companies and the Computer Software industry.
Reviews and Ratings
(492)
Ratings
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November 25, 2021
Google Hangouts is reliable and easy to use, but will be phased out soon in favor of newer Google product
We use Google Hangouts as an informal, rapid communications channel. Because most of our software is in the Microsoft ecosystem, Google Hangouts allows us to minimize the number of Microsoft Teams windows, which can become cluttered during meetings with multiple, parallel conversations. Google Hangouts also helps to avoid accidental communications to Microsoft Teams presentation attendees.
- Fast
- Reliable
- Easy to turn history on/off
- Larger default chat window.
- Compatibility issues with Google Meets.
November 04, 2021
Best performance for calls and finding frequent contacts.
Google Hangouts (Classic) was used by a particularly small team in our organization, where we needed more of a legacy solution for a well-known client so that they could feel comfortable. It was the perfect communication tool since we already had a long-term relation, so using Hangouts was organic, simply moved our conversations from email to easy-to-find chats or calls.
- Easy to find frequent contacts
- Light calls
- Fast chats
- Handling multiple work-spaces
- Handling multiple accounts in the same window
Google Hangouts (classic) is part of a series of tools that sit in an in between space. They are not primary company tools, but they serve a niche function when other tools are not able to be used. In particular, some messaging needs or video conferencing needs that require connection with external parties informally are ideal opportunities to use Google Hangouts (classic).
- Ad-hoc video conferencing / meetings with external collaborators
- Mobile video conferencing
- Integration with other Google-based tools.
- Security
- Integration into the formal corporate toolset
- Integration into Office365
Hangouts is used by nearly all employees in the company as a quick, easy communication tool. It comes in extremely handy as a way to keep from having to track people down to ask them questions face to face, especially given the pandemic; it is great for things that are not quite as time sensitive, as people have some time to respond; and it prevents employees from needing to use their personal phones all day. It works as well, if not better, than most paid communication platforms for intraoffice messaging that I have used, and given the (lack of) cost, it is perfect.
- Can set up different user groups with various personnel. In our case, we have different groups for different vehicle brands, one group for service advisors, one group for management, etc. Information can then be tailored to the correct people.
- It is a contact less form of communication in an environment where various different people NEED to interact with one another throughout the day. Very helpful given the covid.
- Setup and implementation are incredibly easy. Especially if work domain for email is attached to gmail like ours is
- Ability to use Gmail search bar to search through chat history is very handy
- I would like to see improved video support, so that saved videos can be sent back and forth via Hangouts more easily, without having to start a separate meet chat
- More pronounced notifications of messages would be helpful; pop up notifications are good, but once there is one, additional messages do not pop up
- Custom muting times would be great, so that if I am in a 90 minute Zoom meeting, I can set it for that time; right now, it is 1 hour or 2 hours. Easy to forget.
April 02, 2021
Google Hangouts delivers easy of use
I love Google Hangouts [(Classic)] for the ease of use for meetings and to talk to individuals in various ways. Google is so dominant and so many have access to it. It's the easiest way to hop on a meeting to chat via video or audio.
- Video chat
- Easy to connect
- Easy to set up and use
- There's audio/video problems once in a while
We have been using Google Hangouts within our company for interaction with clients & colleagues. It's being widely used within our KPO segment for the purpose of internal meetings & also sometimes for interaction with our clients. Since we are in a google ecosystem where all the applications we use are mainly from G-suite, it was very natural that would use google hangouts as our instant messaging platform.
- Easy to setup platform especially if the organization is already in Google ecosystem.
- User interface is very easy on the eye & minimalistic.
- All the Gmail events are properly synced up with google hangout.
- Very good & versatile mobile application.
- Call & video quality connection becomes very unstable when on low latency network.
- Could improve on its sending invite option & make it more easy.
- Automatic away status can be implemented if not active on platform.
It was used as a messaging app to communicate between staff / teams with the purpose of discussing work related matters. It can also be used to communicate with customers / clients. It is surely a useful software / app to use for communication across the organization. However, there are still improvements needed when it comes to organizational chart and contact list.
- Friendly user interface, sometimes it does not feel like you are chatting about work
- It comes in all devices and all have slick UI. Not like some other messaging apps which are inconsistent between desktop / mobile version
- Amazing alternative option for sms / mms
- Lack of organizational chart if you are in a big organization
- Some concerns regarding to privacy
- Cannot communicate with other messaging softwares
We hold most of our internal meetings on Google Hangouts, both team-wide and also 1-on-1.
Even before Covid, we were a remote/work from home kind of organization, so it enabled us to connect without having a physical office where we all worked the same hours.
Even before Covid, we were a remote/work from home kind of organization, so it enabled us to connect without having a physical office where we all worked the same hours.
- No Software Installation (no local client needed)
- Integration with Google Calendar (meeting links generated seamlessly)
- Mobile client is lightweight and fast
- Users cannot rename themselves, or you cannot rename users (for labelling users or adding additional information)
- No breakout rooms
- No poll or interactivity features
April 08, 2021
Easy IM feature for organizations who use G Suite
Google Hangouts (Classic) is currently being used for instant messaging with colleagues while we are in the Gmail interface. Occasionally it's used as a mobile app. Since we are using G Suite, it is a convenient way to communicate while we are in the Gmail interface.
- It is convenient for sending quick messages to contacts who have Gmail accounts.
- It is available as an app and is a good instant messaging alternative that uses data, not minutes.
- The interface is not as slick as other apps. It feels like it has been abandoned by the developer.
- You cannot customize the look and feel of it, in case that is important.
Google Hangouts (Classic) has been deployed across the entire organization. It is a convenient way for staff to have virtual meetings and integrates well with our other Google Workspace/G Suite products. It is a convenient way to have informal meetings either scheduled or on the spot. The ability to launch directly from Gmail is also convenient.
- Videoconference
- Google Workspace/GSuite Integration
- Screensharing
- Webinar features
- Recording available at all levels (not just higher tier)
- Improve video sharing experience
Google Hangouts Classic was a GSuite centric chat program that was easy to deploy and fast for users to pick up. Since it was default integrated into GSuite, any user could freely and easily use the product. It allowed users to have a real-time chat program for short communications and quick conversations.
- Real-time chat allows for easy conversations.
- Quick deployment means users don't have to sign into other programs.
- GSuite integrations means SSO for free.
- Lack of third-party integrations/API prevents bots from being useful.
- Product has stagnated, looks to be deprecated soon.
- Voice and video features are not very stable, leading to downtime.
May 19, 2021
A great product for its time!
Google Hangouts (Classic) has now been superseded by the more modern Google Chat and is therefore not compatible with Google Workspace for Education. Prior to Google Chat being widely used, Hangouts was used at our school for inter-staff communications and well as a way for students to communicate with their teachers. This was particularly heavily used during the first lock down in March 2020. It offers a quick instant messaging service with the ability to make calls or video calls within the app.
- Has built in calling and video calling from within the app or web page
- Can be used by anyone with a Google account
- On Android phones, can be used to receive SMS messages as well
- Has now been superseded by Google Chat
- Does not work with Google for Education accounts
- No longer integrated with Gmail after the phase out completes
April 26, 2021
Google Hangouts - Good connectivity, audio/visual quality, and best of all ease of use within Gmail Calendar
Google Hangouts (Classic) is used by my entire organization. When people want to quickly connect with or without a webcam, we set up meetings within Gmail's scheduler with the link to the hangout.
- Google Hangouts (Classic) is embedded within Gmail's scheduler, so setting up the link is as quick as a click of the button. It's a one-step process.
- Google Hangouts (Classic) is user-friendly and [has] features to share screens easily.
- Google Hangouts (Classic) is much easier to use than its competitors.
- Google Hangouts (Classic) have [a] good connection time and there are few glitches.
- The quality of the visuals is not always great. Seems like what is displayed is always dark.
- We typically use Google Hangouts (Classic) with only a small group. For some reason, it's not the preferred choice for a long list of attendees.
- I am not aware of background feature[s] within Google Hangouts (Classic)(for example, overlay of pictures or backdrop of a city, etc.)
April 22, 2021
A great tool for instant messaging, not much more.
[Google Hangouts (Classic)] is used as the main form of communication between coworkers. It reduced the use of emails for short and quick communication between 2 people or small groups.
- Ease of use
- Ability to create groups
- File sharing systems
- Ability to use apps and web based
- It could use more integration with calendar
- Better notification setting for web based solution
- Should allow to have the ability to withdraw messages
Google Hangouts (Classic) is used mostly for intra-departmental communication, especially during the year-plus of remote work thanks to COVID-19. It is more efficient and quicker to use than phone calls or emails, and helps keep our team connected. Easy to see when colleagues are available and works well on both computers and mobile devices.
- Quick, casual chats
- Easy to use and non-intrusive
- Archived chats are searchable, for reference
- Seamless UX across all devices
- Wish it was easier to search previous chats on the mobile app
- Custom away messages would be helpful
- Occasionally face a lag with the mobile app, showing notifications at a delay
April 07, 2021
A tool of the past
We used to use [Google Hangouts (Classic)] to communicate across our team. It served its purpose well, although it is outdone by several other chat clients at this point in time. It is very responsive but lacks extra features that other clients provide.
- Shrug emoticon
- Notifications
- Sharing images and starting meets
- Gif integration
- Searching
July 25, 2021
Free and must have communication tool
In the last 15 months, Google Hangouts has become my personal favorite tool in my entire organization. With more than 80% workforce and departments working from home, the best go-to tool is Google Hangouts. It syncs with the calendar, sends timely reminders, the option to ping and sends DM. Being a marketing manager, I also need to interact a lot with external agencies, presentations, etc. All this has become so smooth with Google Hangouts. It feels like I am seating in my cabin and doing one-to-one interactions. I would heavily recommend this tool to everyone.
- It can be accessed smoothly with laptops, mobile and desktops.
- Easy to sync calendar, reminders, and set up meetings.
- Not limited to internal users only. Mostly available with external vendors as well.
- I wish more compatibility with other apps like Dropbox.
- It is limited to typing only. If a voice message option can be added, that would make a lot of difference.
- Auto settings to mute/unmute other users is recommended.
June 09, 2021
Google Hangouts (Classic) Review
Google Hangouts was used across our organization, both for internal meeting purposes, as well as client-facing calls. It was a quick and easy solution (especially since our email is powered by Gmail) that allowed us to quickly connect with audio and video conferencing, with very few cases of technical issues.
- Audio Connection
- Video Connection
- Ability to quickly invite others
- Ability to Chat
- Tile layout for headshots used to be a tricky item
- I don't believe it had a recording capability in years past
- Conversations from chat were not archived / emailed to host
April 13, 2021
A good addition if you're already in the Google system, but far superior platforms exist for businesses.
We used hangouts across the small organization as a means of contact. It was a natural move as we also used Gmail for all our email services. Hangouts were primarily used for the chat function only, video calls, etc. we would leverage different programs. Before Covid-19, we'd use the chat function to communicate privately or ask specific questions without scheduling a meeting. We'd also have a lot of client calls where we could communicate in the background regarding the next steps and additional questions we should ask.
- Integration with Gmail for a full experience, everything is in 1 place!
- Ability to send/share images and files quickly via hangouts.
- Chat function and group chats.
- Emojis are difficult to use and not the best vs. iPhone.
- Slow video features, less attractive than other video platforms.
- The phone app is difficult to use, very easy to accidentally make a video call, and hard to back out of it. App can be very sluggish.
April 13, 2021
Pretty good deal
It is used for staff meetings company-wide. It is also used for meetings with clients and saves time as you can instantly chat with them and get to the point. The messages can be shared with others which helps with transparency. The ability to share an employee-client conversation with other employees helps with messaging.
- Use for impromptu meetings.
- Use as an open virtual lounge to drop_in on meetings.
- It’s user friendly.
- Accessibility.
- More capabilities for webinar meetings.
- Sleeker look.
April 07, 2021
Google Hangouts- Simple Solution for Quick Communication
We are using it across the organization for different types of communication- internal, external, chat, video conferencing and for screen share. This software helps us connect easily with each other from anywhere and also allows us to connect to individuals outside in an easy manner. We’ve used this for employees or students that are unable to attend in person.
- Simple screen share
- Minimal setup
- OS agnostic including mobile
- Works well with low speed connections
- Screen share on mobile
- Better chat extension on Chrome
- Better invite options
April 05, 2021
Google Hangouts (Classic) is awesome!
We use Google Hangouts (Classic) across the entire company for training sessions, lunch and learns, general meetings, and pop-up meetings. This solves so many business problems for us across the entire organization, from client sessions to internal sessions to general hangouts.
- Connecting people
- Ease of use
- Accessible
- Better interaction in the meeting
- Better ways to invite others
- Recording sessions
October 31, 2020
We love Google Hangouts (Classic)
We currently use Google Hangouts (Classic) for interdepartmental communication. As a wedding facility, we have a lot of brides, a lot of moving parts, and a lot of different hands in the planning process. Google Hangouts (Classic) allows us to communicate without having to go to another person's office. Especially in these COVID times, it allows us to maintain social distancing. Also, if someone is meeting with or on the phone with a bride, it allows us to quickly ask questions to someone else in another office.
- Allows for seamless interdepartmental communication
- Allows for continuity of conversations
- Allows for quietly being able to communicate when clients are in the office
- None
- None
- None
November 24, 2020
Great tool but still has room for improvements
Google Hangouts (Classic) was our internal communication tool including chats groups and audio video calls. Google Hangouts (Classic) helps us to connect to every colleague. Sometimes Google Hangouts (Classic) feels buggy, but overall it’s a good tool. After the introduction of Google Chat, our organization switched to Google Chat, and now we are no longer using Google Hangouts (Classic) is not being used
- Chats
- Group chats
- Audio/video calls
- Fun stickers
- Audio call
- Video call
- Stickers
- Mobile apps
November 03, 2020
Free Video Conferencing Tool
We use it internally and externally for virtual business meetings. It helps everyone connect online when we can not meet in person.
- Easy to set up
- Allows screen share
- Free
- Allow recording
- Access is not tied to email
- In some settings, it allows for more participants