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Google Hangouts (Classic)

Google Hangouts (Classic)

Overview

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…

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Recent Reviews

Love this!

8 out of 10
September 01, 2022
Incentivized
I use Google Hangouts for meetings! We are a hybrid company so a lot of our meetings are done virtually with multiple team members. One …
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Pretty good deal

10 out of 10
April 13, 2021
Incentivized
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 …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 16 features
  • Video conferencing (79)
    9.3
    93%
  • Audio conferencing (79)
    9.3
    93%
  • Mobile app for iOS (73)
    8.7
    87%
  • Mobile app for Android (71)
    8.2
    82%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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N/A
Unavailable

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…

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://workspace.google.com/pricing.ht…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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What is Google Meet?

Google Meet, formerly Hangouts Meet, replaces the former Google Hangouts as the company's G Suite integrated web conferencing tool, allowing users to join meetings directly from a Calendar event or email invite from a computer, phone, or conference room. G Suite's Enterprise edition also creates a…

What is Zoom?

Zoom helps consolidate communications and collaboration in the boardroom, classroom, operating room, and everywhere. Zoom is an intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic. Zoom technology facilitates collaboration through solutions like Zoom…

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Features

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Customized phone system settings

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VoIP system collaboration

Team collaboration via cloud phone system

9
Avg 8.3

Mobile apps

Apps are compatible with mobile devices.

8.4
Avg 8.3
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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 SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Reviewers rate Video conferencing and Audio conferencing and Instant messaging highest, with a score of 9.3.

The most common users of Google Hangouts (Classic) are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(523)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(26-50 of 91)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
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
I really only have good things to say about Google Hangouts (Classic), at least in the way we implement it in our business. When a client is in the office and a question needs to be asked, it allows us to communicate without interrupting the meeting. It also allows us to pass things along while they are fresh in our minds.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have been using Google Hangouts for a long time now, I find it very reliable because first of all it is easy to use, and while emailing you can sidewise have chat with your colleagues, friends, etc. Other then this you can send files, documents, images, and videos as well. You can do screen sharing and video calling with the clients, colleagues, friends, and family members.
  • Screen sharing.
  • Video conferencing.
  • Chatting.
  • Emojis.
  • Sending documents.
  • They should allow you to connect more than 100 people at a time.
  • A news feed should be there.
What I most like about Google Hangouts is its simple features which are easy to learn and use. With just one link you can connect to a large number of people overseas. You can send files, images, and videos, etc. What I dislike or the feature that I see as less appropriate is its representation. There should be a news feed that will make it more effective.
Ignacio Cruz | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We were using Google Hangouts across all the organization. The idea was to communicate with our teammates easily with questions and doubts that didn't have to be delivered by mail. It was intended to be for more casual conversation and maybe some questions that just required a confirmation. Discussions and important topics were done within mail or meetings.
  • Casual chatting
  • Promoting conversation between teammates
  • Images, gifs and emojis.
  • Group chat
  • Topic conversation
  • Search for some message
Google Hangouts is well suited when you are using the Google suits platform in all the organization. This way you can connect all your employees in one platform so that they can communicate easily. The problem is that it does not work well when you are trying to talk with a big group about a specific topic. The Google chat application is good for this, and replaced the whole chat for the company.
December 30, 2019

Google Hangouts Review

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Our whole organization is using Google Hangouts for organization-wide communication between employees. It helps us to show demos from offshore locations to customers by sharing the screen. This is a good and much-needed product.
  • Google Hangouts extension is available. It provides a separate window to see the messages.
  • Video quality is great.
  • Video/voice call recording feature.
Google Hangouts provides seamless connectivity between people for communication. If you need the ability to record conversations, this is unavailable due to a lack of screen recording.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Gmail as our email server, hence Google Hangouts is available to all in the company. It is a good communication device. We use it to message each other and schedule meetings as employees are located in different sites. Many employees have a Gmail account, so most times there is no learning curve in training employees how to use the app.
  • Easy to use. Little to no training required.
  • No set up required as we use it with Gmail server.
  • Google Hangouts can only be used if you have a Google account. This is not much of a problem as many people have it.
  • It lacks advanced features like a waiting room for participants that join early.
Google Hangouts is very useful in setting up meetings within the same organization but less suited in cases when people do not have a Google account. Since the app lacks advanced features, it is more suitable for informal meetings or to set up a meeting with someone you know well. When I want to meet someone who is new, I would use another application. In spite of that, it is very useful while communicating within our team and department.
Sierra Schubach | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Google Hangouts for communications outside of our internal network. It solves the problem of communicating with people outside our network without having to leave our desktop.
  • the interface is user friendly
  • the use case is to the point
  • it is easy to add and remove contacts
  • file sharing isn't the greatest
  • history deletion
  • connecting different accounts to the interface
I believe Hangouts acts as a second text message platform, other than that it doesn't really work for groups or video calls or work-related communications all that well. I enjoy the platform for the functionality of using it to communicate with people outside of my company network.
November 15, 2019

Great instant messenger.

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Google Hangouts like texting as a quick way to communicate with our backend in the next city over.
  • Hangouts is great for instant messaging.
  • I use Hangouts to get an answer from our other office while I'm on phone with a client. It's instant like text but accessible from the browser.
  • Rarely, I use Hangouts to make phone calls. It's also good for this.
  • Hangouts does everything I need it to and I cannot think of anything it needs.
Hangouts is a good way to talk to our other office while on the phone with a potential client. I can get an answer without losing a potential sale.
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Google Hangouts can be utilized to have others join by video. It oversees other programs by being able to have a lot of multiple users on the same hangout. Other programs only allow a few. It is great that Google Hangouts is free and useful in that manner. It is easy to use for Google users.
  • Easy to use with a Google Account.
  • Multiple users can join via email.
  • Sending out invitations to email and having the user reminded of the upcoming hangout.
  • Sometimes a little too basic for sharing screens.
Google Hangouts is great as an open option for users when communicating. However, in business, I would like a more secure option such as Zoom or GoToMeeting. Google Hangouts is great for spur of the moment video conferencing or perhaps a free alternative for small businesses when they need to video conference.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I had used Google Hangout several times in the last 6-7 years. I didn't use them officially in my work organization. I had used it in my friends circle to connect with friends. The best part about this Google Hangouts is multiple people can do video calling. It is one of the first free software to provide this feature.
  • Group video call
  • Call history
  • Status updates
  • It is very easy to use, but for some reason it is not very popular
  • Marketing can be improved
  • Users Privacy can be improved - that could be one reason why many do not use
Google Hangouts is well suited when you have a group you would like to stay connected with. Let it be group messaging or video call, once you install the app in your smartphone, you can connect with the group within seconds. It can be made more simple to use. It is not as easy as iPhone FaceTime feature.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We implemented Google Hangouts as a result of migrating to Google GSuite which included it as a part of the service. We use it across the whole organization, and it resolved communication issues that we had previously had. Our users were able to establish meetings with other users without leaving the office.
  • Ease of use
  • Excellent video/audio quality
  • The Chrome plugin sometimes does not show updates
  • Google Hangouts and Google Meetings should just be one platform
If you need to communicate with a lot of people, then Hangouts is the right for you. You can communicate with 3rd parties, they just need to have a free Gmail account which a lot of users already have. When used as a professional paid service through GSuite, you can manage to have a backup of every and they have a lot of admin security rules you can set.
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it for inter office communication and out of office. Easier for people to reply from the computer or setup a quick screen sharing or web conference.
  • Chatting
  • Copy and paste of documents or images
  • Easy to video conference platform
  • Lack of integration into business services
  • Mobile app doesn't always give same experience
  • Would like to keep as a tab in chrome vs pop out
Google Hangouts is well suited for inter office quick communication, but we have used less since deploying Dialpad. Personal seems like only area this will survive. The phone messaging integration used to be great, but missing that now.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use this product across the organization, mainly for internal meetings to speak to each other. When we have to speak to anyone externally we will use Zoom, but considering that the entire company uses the Google Suite for most products, this is the easiest way to communicate with each other.
  • Ease of access
  • Easy to understand how to first use
  • Syncs well with other products
  • Blurry quality happens more with Hangouts than other apps
  • Sounds like a small note, but better sounds and ringtones
  • Sometimes the hangouts chat vs video feature can be confusing
If your company uses almost everything already in the Google Suite (such as Gmail, the Google Calendar, Drive - which almost everyone uses - and more of the software items like that) then Google Hangouts will be a well suited product for you and your company to use because it is in sync with other products.
Vivian Vassar | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We have been trying to use Google Hangouts to conduct help sessions with people that we can not meet with in person. We would like to add it to our customer service options so our customers can have their questions answered with a visual or demonstration. This will enhance the personal touch and outreach to our customers.
  • We can open up Google Hangouts and have a face to face meeting.
  • It's fairly easy to use once you've done it a couple of times. You do have some back and forth with each user/session until it gets set up and going.
  • It sets up communication in real time, faster then chat. And you have the visual.
  • The quality of the internet connection is very important. A bad connection is frustrating and a time waster. And there's no way to tell in advance how the connection will be until you start the hangout.
  • More instructions on the home page or a section that opens up with answers to common problems would help.
  • The camera that each side uses is also crucial. Any improvement in that or having a way to evaluate how the image will be or could be improved would be useful.
The idea is great - setting up a face to face with a customer to share information, show a product, and build personal trust. Getting Google Hangouts to work is hit or miss and we are still in the testing stage until it gets better. We don't want to launch it with customer service until it has improved and quality is consistent. We do occasionally use it for meetings of 2 or more people because in some cases it's better than a conference call. Seeing someone 'in person' gives you visual cues and you can see their reaction that might not come across on a phone call.
Jason Kelly | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Google Hangouts is used as a communications platform across all departments of the organization. It allows users to chat with one another, make audio and video calls, and even host webinars. It is integrated with the organization's Google Suite account and all users within the company are given access to these features.
  • Ease of use -- all features are user-friendly, even for non-technical employees
  • Integration -- Hangouts integrates seamlessly with all other Google products
  • Improvements -- as a Google product, the software is continuously updating and improving
  • Video quality -- the video quality is not as high as some comparable products
  • Support -- nearly all support is handled through documentation and forums
Google Hangouts is well suited for companies of a small to medium size to handle inter-office communication and discussion. It is easy and fun to chat with coworkers throughout the day and create groups to discuss projects as a team. The audio, video, and recording features allow remote employees to participate, as well.
September 23, 2019

Good for small orgs

Becky Jewell Laughton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We utilize Google Hangouts for team meetings and 1:1 calls. Most of the organization uses it. It does connect our team quickly and, usually, easily.
  • Click to join
  • Video
  • Chat
  • Connection sometimes the connection is dropped.
  • Sound quality and sound features.
  • Single link meetings and meeting start and end times.
It's good for smaller organizations or quick internal phone calls. For larger organizations with stakeholder calls and more important calls, a more thorough solution is needed.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
This service by Google is used by the whole organization when other software fails to establish communication. We use it for text messages and video conferences. It keeps everyone connected on the go whether they are on office premises or traveling somewhere. Can be used either on desktop or on cellular phones.
  • Video conferencing
  • Audio conferencing
  • Text messaging
  • There is nothing that needs to be improved.
  • I am pretty much happy with all the services.
Very well suites for inter and intra organization conferences. You can use it for audio or video conferencing or both of them simultaneously. Works on all kinds of platforms and all kinds of operating systems. You can use it on desktops or cellular phones whichever is suitable. You can also share documents, images, videos, etc.
September 23, 2019

Works like a charm

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Hangouts is a great tool that is used across the whole organization, internally and externally. It solves most of our communication needs as we can use it for IM as well as calls and video calls with clients and remote offices. The product is free and it integrates perfectly with the rest of Google's suite which makes it extremely convenient.
  • Audio and video quality very good, best in the market
  • It's free
  • Works on any device, seamlessly
  • You can't edit sent messages.
  • Could be better integrated with a project management tool.
  • It would be great if the product allowed you to somehow get a stored record of past calls.
Hangouts is an excellent product. Not only is it free, but it also integrates perfectly with the rest of Google's suite of products. I recommend it for all use cases, big and small firms, and even for your personal life. I really like the fact that it works across all devices because it gives the users a lot of flexibility.
Matthew Gardner | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Used for 1-on-1 comms that are more personal than business. We previously used it for all business communication until Slack was introduced but now usage has fallen. It is still used because it is free but we know it will eventually be deprecated or charged for, and at that point we will retire it, as Slack is incredible.
  • Gifs.
  • One on one communication.
  • Push notifications.
  • Desktop UX.
  • Mobile app reliability.
  • Group communications.
  • Integrations.
  • History.
  • Search.
It's amazing for personal, one-to-one chats, but falls very flat compared to any enterprise messaging system. I would not waste time deploying it unless you need a free solution (but even then I would use a free Slack plan instead). It's past its prime and will be sunset by Google soon. Avoid besides for personal use.
Raphael Sanguinete | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Google Hangouts is used by our team to do virtual meetings. We use Google Meet more than Google Hangouts, because we have GSuite and we feel like Google Meet is slightly better. But, many times some of our freelancer employees (that are not in GSuite) start a meeting by Google Hangouts and we use it with no problem, as it is too a great tool for non-presencial meetings
  • Google Hangouts is easy to use.
  • Google Hangouts is a well known tool, so most people already know how to use it.
  • Usually I don't have any problems with the connection, and the meetings take place perfectly.
  • Google Hangouts don't have all the functions of Google Meet.
  • Sometimes it's complicated to understand how to enter a meeting, even one that you were invited.
  • It's confusing that Google has communication tools that are slightly different, but with the same purpose.
I recommend Google Hangouts for anyone who needs to use a solid online meeting communication tool and doesn't want to pay for it. Google, of course, has one of the better infrastructures and security in the world. But if you do a lot of online meetings and some of Google Hangouts limitations start to get on the way, I recommend going with Google Meet (through GSuite) or another online meeting tool.
Stephen Wittmaak | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Allows face to face conversation to help build a rapport with clients and colleagues.
  • Multiple users at once
  • Multi-platform support
  • Low learning curve
  • No desktop implementation
  • Lack of analytics
  • No low bandwidth setup
Brainstorming and project discussions work great with GH. You can screen share, discuss, and implement live.
Horacio Carcamo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Google Hangouts is perfect for communication platform which eases up internal meetups or meetings. Very convenient for small issue discussion. Overall the performance that this software has is satisfactory. The user interface is friendly without any complications.
  • Web meetings.
  • Conference record feature.
  • Great screen sharing system.
  • Set up is a bit confusing.
  • Google App suite might be not so convenient to a non-tech person.
  • Camera controlling has flaws.
The main scenario where we use Google Hangout is for conference calls. This might be with or without video, it all might depend on the type of meeting. Also, this is very helpful for a chat between internal peers, it can be useful when email might not be needed in a topic of conversation.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is used throughout for quick video conferencing. Most employees have Google accounts and it's easy to start up and get people connected. Mostly used for working with people working remotely when an email isn't sufficient.
  • Good quality in meetings
  • Show camera view of all participants and you can easily identify who is speaking.
  • Tracks history of calls which is nice for record-keeping.
  • Screen sharing capabilities help getting your points across.
  • UI to get a call going is a little confusing via the web browser.
  • Not really the popular choice which is why we mostly use Zoom or go-to-meeting.
Well suited for video conferencing when one needs to communicate between employees or clients that are not physically in the same location.
September 21, 2019

Lightweight and easy to use

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Hangouts for quick and easy calls without the implementation hassle. Audio only and video calls are easy, especially on mobile. Love this little tool!
  • Mobile calls.
  • Audio-only calls.
  • Video calls.
  • Lite operation.
  • The ability to call people without a Google account would be great.
  • Dedicated call room URL.
Google Hangouts is great for light-weight operation, especially fast calls. There's no transcription available, but I bet that's coming. It is easy to join on mobile.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I'm using Google Hangouts daily to communicate with employees I hire. I've been using previous old Google "Talk" version as well. Very easy and intuitive. Most of the times or maybe even always, the person I hire has gmail account and can message with me immediately. This is a big deal that I don't need to require installing anything new. Time saving.
Chat archives can be easily searched, images can be sent as well, but the problem is that other files cannot be sent through it. The latter can create issues and can be irritating but you can always use the same e-mail account to send those other files.
Additionally I like that I can immediately share the screen or make a video call. No problems here. Also mobile app is very useful.
  • Uses gmail account which most people have. No need to install anything new (unless you want a mobile app).
  • Video conferencing with multiple people works well and allows screen sharing.
  • Instant messaging is fast and reliable. Sound notifications are not irritating.
  • For me missing file sending is a missing functionality that should be implemented. Only images can be sent.
  • Sending images using the desktop gmail website interface could also be improved, takes too long to add the image.
  • More privacy settings would be useful.
Google Hangouts is a great alternative not only for businesses but also if you don't want to have a Facebook account to use their Messenger for private purposes. Google account is required, so if you dislike the company you will have to look for other solutions. However registering with google gives the ability to use additional apps such as Google Drive and they complement each other.
September 20, 2019

Amazing product

Gabriela Band | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Hangouts is a great communication tool. All of us in the organization use it. It is very fast, easy to use, works on any device, and best of all, is free. We communicate internally via Hangouts because even as a video conference provider, it works better than Skype and other alternatives. Audio and video quality is better than on other platforms.
  • Audio and video quality is very good, better than the competition.
  • It works great on any device.
  • It integrates perfectly with the rest of Google's suite of products.
  • You can't edit or delete a chat after it has been sent. That's a feature they should implement.
  • The interphase on the email can be improved. It's easy to miss incoming messages.
  • It does not have a desktop software.
Hangouts is almost perfect. They have a few things to improve here and there, but other than that, the product works really well. It is suited for big organization and small orgs as well. I even use it to talk with friends, and if you have the app installed on your mobile device it can replace your traditional phone calls.
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