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Google Hangouts Review

Google Hangouts is a free-to-use conference call service I recommend. It’s one of the most straightforward call services to set up and takes minutes to get started with—all users need is a Gmail account, which is effectively most people.

On the other hand, it doesn’t provide free users with any form of customer support, and there’s no call recording feature. These are drawbacks to keep in mind. Let’s go deeper into Google Hangouts and its features and offerings.

Google Hangouts Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Google calendar integration
  • Free
  • Intuitive interface

Cons

  • No call recording
  • No customer support
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How Google Hangouts Compares to the Best Conference Call Services

Google Hangouts is a functional and high-quality conference call service. It doesn’t offer many features, and the call quality isn’t always the best available. Without call recording and customer support on the free plan, things can feel lacking overall. With that said, it’s simple to set up and use, has excellent security and integrations, and it’s a reliable service. In most cases, it gets the job done perfectly well, and sometimes, that’s all you need.

We have spent hours researching and reviewing the best conference call services, and you can see our in-depth guide here to see how Google Hangouts compares to the other top seven picks. Google Hangouts did make the list as having the most effortless setup.

However, our top picks for conference call services overall are RingCentral and GoToMeeting. RingCentral provides top video, screen sharing, and messaging features, and it’s free for up to 100 participants. Meanwhile, GoToMeeting is another top-notch conference call service with HD video conferencing, 24/7 customer support, and Salesforce integration.

Check out the complete guide to see if one of the other services may be the best option for your business, and read on to see what Google Hangouts has to offer.

Google Hangouts Number of Participants

The number of participants a call service offers differs considerably. How important this is hinges on what you specifically need. For example, a small business entrepreneur will be happy with a smaller number of participants, allowing a team to connect successfully. It gets the job done, enabling resources to be saved for elsewhere. However, a larger business will struggle with a limited number of participants.

The second point to mention is that the duration of the calls you make can also be restricted. With Google Hangouts, you’re looking at 25 participants in a call at any one time. There is no known length or restriction in terms of the duration of calls, either—you can talk indefinitely.

It’s important to mention how quick the setup is with Google Hangouts. To set up a call, you can use your browser, chrome extension, or the mobile app, the latter of which I’ll talk about later. It’s as easy as typing the person’s name or phone number in and selecting them from the search results. Then you click or tap Call, and you’re good.

Google Hangouts stacks up well against its competitors in this area. The 25-person conference limit isn’t unreasonable and should serve most people for what they need to do. The uncapped call duration time is another strong point, and others, such as UberConference, limit this to 45 minutes on its free plan. The call setup couldn’t be simpler either, so it’s a good result all around.

Google Hangouts Video and Audio Quality

When it comes to the call quality, it’s essential to talk about both the video and audio. Of course, you might want to use one or the other, such as an audio call without video. That’s possible with Google Hangouts, and users have mentioned more issues with the audio quality than they have video. Audio calls tend to work well enough, and most users are satisfied with the quality on offer, but others have stated that the audio doesn’t always come through as clear as possible.

On the video side of things, Google Hangouts uses 720p. This is a solid resolution, and it’s to be expected with a free call service. That said, 1080p would be a natural improvement.

Users generally have few problems with their Hangouts video calls, but some have reported pixelation and choppy videos. It’s always wise to remember that your internet speed and quality can affect this, so be sure that you have a reliable internet provider. Generally, a rate of somewhere between 2.6 Mbps for two participants and 3.2 Mbps for five participants should be more than enough for stable calls. Hangouts will adapt to slower internet speeds too, which can sometimes cause the issues I’ve specified.

Overall, this is a good offering from Google Hangouts. It’s not the very best video and audio quality on the market—for that, RingCentral takes the top spot, but it will be enough for most users. Keep in mind this is a free service intended for small to medium teams at most and isn’t suitable for anything larger than that.

Google Hangouts Call Recording

The ability to record calls is a crucial feature of a conference call service. With call recording, you can confirm details you may have missed on a call and even use these calls as learning materials to train staff. Different services offer different capabilities here, but it’s fair to say users like to see call recording as part of a well-formed conference call package.

But several free conference call services don’t offer this functionality. Google Hangouts is one of them—there’s no sign of it. Users will have to use additional software or third-party apps to record their calls. I could say this is disappointing, but then I would be ignoring the fact that the service is free, and to see call recording here would be more of a surprise than anything. Luckily, you can get free call recording software or apps online. However, if call recording is an important feature for you, you might need to look for a paid conference call service.

Zoom, BlueJeans, UberConference, and GoToMeeting all offer great call recording features, and in the case of UberConference, this is on its free plan, too. So, it’s not impossible to see call recording offered for free, just somewhat unlikely. When a call service provides this as part of a free plan, it’s a significant bonus. This isn’t an area that Google Hangouts can claim a comfortable “victory” in.

Google Hangouts Messaging

While you tend to associate conference call services on an audio and video level only, it’s fair to say that a message will suffice in some situations. The advantage is that this form of communication requires less commitment than even a quick call. There are also times when you’re deep into your work and might not want to be disturbed by a video call.

In those situations, Google Hangouts offers a simple form of text messaging without audio or video. With the service, you can send messages one-to-one or in a group chat that would benefit a small team of people. All of the extras you need with messages are there, including the ability to send photos, GIFs, and emojis. A particularly useful feature is that you can sync your chats across multiple devices—essentially allowing you to continue your conversation on whatever device you want.

This messaging is another basic part of Google Hangouts, but it’s good to see it there and with little effort to get it working. Almost all other conference call services provide similar functionality, so it’s certainly not something you couldn’t find elsewhere. For instance, GoToMeeting has video, screen sharing, and messaging functionality all in one place. Nevertheless, this is a solid and valuable part of the overall package.

Google Hangouts Mobile App

Google Hangouts is available on iOS and Android devices via their respective app stores. This brings Hangouts’ functionality to mobile devices and retains the same modest and effective setup as it does elsewhere.

Launching the mobile app couldn’t be simpler, and once you’re inside it, initiating a chat is fast and easy to do. During a video call, the app automatically displays the individual talking on your screen and uses smaller live shots of the other background participants. At the bottom of the app are buttons that allow you to switch between your mobile cameras, turn the camera off completely, or mute your microphone. Everything here is straightforward.

Of course, you’ll also be able to initiate messaging, too, allowing you to message a single individual or group wherever you may be. All you need to ensure is that you have a stable internet connection or that your mobile data is capable enough to handle the demands of calls.

Overall, Google Hangouts’ mobile apps are respectable and well-designed. They aim to give users an even greater sense of convenience by bringing Hangouts’ simplicity into a more mobile setting. Not all conference call services offer an app that works as well as Hangouts does, and some may not feel like fully-fledged products. Google Hangouts succeeds here.

Google Hangouts Interface

Across all platforms, whether computer, tablet, or mobile, Google Hangouts is designed to look as streamlined and practical as possible. This isn’t going to be a call service that “wins” for its stunning design—it is far more about getting the job done.

Contacts are displayed on the left-hand side, and starting a new conversation with people is as simple as clicking or tapping. Users can click on names as required to see existing discussions, and the conversation history will snap into view—there’s no lag or waiting around, a result of an effective interface that has few things to process.

All of the primary buttons are located along the bottom of the window, and you can access and adjust settings using the button in the top left corner. It’s as simple as that. Some would call it bare-bones, but it’s more of a case of helping the user perform their task and minimizing the waiting time involved at all stages.

Compared to other call services, you won’t get much simpler than Google Hangouts. Depending on what you’re looking for, that might suit you perfectly.

For instance, RingCentral’s interface would appear to be complex in comparison, and while that may be accurate as a result of all the features it provides, it’s not a shortcoming. RingCentral delivers far more features than Google Hangouts does, but for some, all they’ll need in the first place is a smart way of communicating with their team. It’s not a case of which is best—it’s more a case of which is suitable for what you need.

Google Hangouts Integrations

As a Google product, you’d naturally expect Hangouts to integrate seamlessly with the company’s other products. And I’m pleased to say it does.

For example, you’ll be able to access Hangouts inside your Gmail while checking your emails. From there, you can message other users as you would inside the app. You can even call others directly from Gmail. What’s especially notable is how quick it is to do all of that with a few clicks.

Google Hangouts automatically connects with the contacts of a Gmail account too and also integrates with Google Calendar. The Google Calendar integration means you’re able to schedule calls and meetings with other users with ease.

All of this adds up to give Google Hangouts a rather ubiquitous feel. It’s reachable and quick to load and initiate chats, no matter where you use it. Of course, comparing this to other conference call services comes with the consideration that Google products dominate most of the internet, so expecting the same level of integration from others would almost be unfair.

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Summary

Google Hangouts does what it says and no more than that. With few advanced features and no customer support, it isn’t going to be suitable for everyone. The lack of call recording could be a significant factor in deciding whether to use it.

With numerous other conference call services vying for users’ attention, not to mention Google’s own Google Meet, which is effectively more advanced in almost every way, Hangouts is left in a bit of an odd place.

That said, it’s effortless to use, it’s free and intuitive, and can be suitable for small or medium-sized teams or for early-stage entrepreneurs that need to be careful with their resources. One-to-one meetings also work well with the service, and calls are lightning-fast to get going.

Everyone with a Gmail account has access to Hangouts which further increases the accessibility of it too. Just don’t expect anything in the way of additional features and extras.

The best conference call services for most people will still be RingCentral and GoToMeeting, but Hangouts might be the call service that fits your needs best.

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The Complete Guide to Google Voice Conference Calling

We find ourselves in unique times. Outsourcing manpower and remote workforces have become the very lifeline for businesses to continue uninterrupted operations.

Amidst all this chaos, conference calls have quickly become the need of the hour.

As well as for client meetings, you can use conference calling to stay in contact with your team members and ensure the smooth functioning of the daily activities of your business. Whether your employees are from abroad or around the country, there are plenty of amazing free and paid conference call services for you to try out.

In this guide, though, we’ll focus on an excellent cloud-based phone solution called Google Voice.

Read on as we show you how to set up Google Voice conference calls for professional and personal use, alike.

What is Google Voice Conference Calling?

A conference call is an audio or video call involving multiple participants. You can hold and attend conference calls on Google Voice.

People can join the meeting by dialing a number, which will connect them to a conference bridge. This bridge consists of virtual rooms where multiple people can host or join meetings.

Google Voice uses Google Hangouts to complete conference calls, though it doesn’t require you to have a separate, dedicated conference line in either app to host or join the calls. So when you make a conference call via Google Voice, you’ll have a dedicated space within your account with anytime-anywhere access to host a conference call.

3 Tools to Improve Google Voice Conference Calling

Now that we’ve discussed the meaning of a conference call, let’s take a look at what you need to easily make the call.

Google Voice Account

If you’re one of the very few people who doesn’t have a Google account, make sure you get one right away.

Before setting up a conference call, you have to be signed in to your Google account. Once that’s done, you can proceed to make a Google Voice number for you.

Don’t have a Google Voice account? I got you. Simply follow the steps below:

  1. Visit the official Google Voice site. You can also type in https://voice.google.com/ in your web browser.
  2. From there, you can select two options: For Personal Use or For Business.

  3. If you click For Personal Use, you’ll see three options, namely iOS, Android, and web. On clicking on these options, you’ll have to set up a Google Voice number for your account, for which you’ll have to choose any nearby location from the dropdown menu.
  4. Choose any of the numbers from the list. You now have to verify your existing phone number, so click on Verify on the next screen.
  5. Type in your number on the prompted box, and then verify it by providing a six-digit code you receive on your phone. The inbound call will then be directed to your provided number.
  6. Once the verification is over, click on Claim to allow the call forwarding to your phone.
  7. Finally, select Finish to wrap up the whole process.

On the other hand, on clicking For Business, you’ll be redirected to a page with a Get Started button.

Once you click on the button, you’ll see three different pricing plans: Starter, Standard, and Premier. Select one that seems the most appropriate for your business requirements.

You can then sign up using your Google email address.

Any Device to Make the Google Voice Calls

You can use iOS and Android devices for Google Voice conferencing calling. It can be either a mobile phone, computer, or tablet.

A Stable Internet Connection

Although it’s not a tool per se, having a reliable internet connection to make and attend calls via Google Voice is incredibly important.

You see, Google Voice itself is cloud-based, which essentially means all its functions are held over the cloud, a.k.a over the internet. It’s why even you need the internet to use Google Voice.

I also recommend getting a strong internet connection to make sure your conference runs smoothly. This goes for everyone joining the call because if any participant has a weak connection, it’ll result in audio and visual lags, which, in turn, will affect the call quality.

The Basics of Google Voice Conference Calling

Let’s now dive into the core components of making a conference call through Google Voice.

No Holds Barred Conference Calling and SMS

With subscription plans starting at just $10 per user per month, Google Voice is one of the most cost-effective conference calling solutions you can get your hands on.

If you compare this price to the standard cell phone or landline packages, you’ll find Google Voice to be way cheaper. Plus, you don’t have to worry about any minute restrictions or overcharges either! It’s included in the base rate.

You can make unlimited free calls to the United States from any country, as well as from the US to Canada. Unlimited free SMS messaging is another benefit available to United States citizens.

As mentioned previously, you have to use Google Voice with Google Meets or Google Hangouts as the service doesn’t offer video chat and conference calling as standard features.

Incoming Calls Screening and Filtering

You can filter incoming calls through Google Voice—just like you set up filters and rules when emailing.

The filtering feature can be particularly useful to manage the incoming calls more efficiently, which, in turn, will allow you to boost productivity.

Whether it’s an old colleague you’d rather not talk to, receiving solicitation calls from spammers, or simply warding off unwanted numbers, Google Voice lets you send your calls to voicemail as well as block them altogether. You can also have a special voicemail message assigned to a specific number if you want.

The call screening feature is where a caller introduces themselves before the call is put through you. This way, you’ll have a better idea about who you’re going to talk to before actually picking up the phone.

Effortless Compatibility With Any Device

You get a free phone number from Google Voice that gives you unrestricted access from any device.

You can use your Google Voice number to make and receive calls through iOS, Android, or web applications, ensuring everyone on your team can stay connected from anywhere.

Bear in mind that you don’t get a desktop application for Google Voice, unlike other VoIP phone providers. Aside from the mobile apps, everything else is web-based.

Strong Scalability

Google Voice offers some fantastic scalable plans.

The Starter plan, for instance, is best for teams of up to 10 members where you’ll be limited to 10 domestic locations. However, if you upgrade to the $20 per user per month Standard plan, you’ll get unlimited users and unlimited domestic locations.

In addition to this, you get several other useful features like ring groups, eDiscovery for calls, SMS, and voicemail records, and multi-level auto attendants, to name a few.

The Premier package, starting at $30 for use of a month, is more suitable for people who operate internationally. This plan supports unlimited international locations in addition to the unlimited users and unlimited domestic locations offered in the Standard plan.

You can select a plan that suits your business requirements best, irrespective of how big or small your team is.

5 Tricks for Google Voice Conference Calling

You can use a few tricks and tips to optimize your conference calling experience on Google Voice. While there are many others, here are my top five:

Make Sure Everyone Knows About the Conference Call

Conference calls often take longer, which is why everyone needs to clear their schedules before hopping on a call. It’s also why you must ensure everyone knows about the conference call beforehand.

Moreover, participants will know when to call your Google number and at what time as well. When you’re on a call, you can press 5 to add every subsequent call.

You can create a Google Calendar invite, where you add Google Voice Conference Calling as an event before sending out invites to your guests. Or you can send a message or email telling them about your intent to hold a conference call.

The choice is yours.

Customize Day-to-Day Workflows

Google Voice can be great for customizing daily workflows around scheduled conference calls. It has an admin control center that lets you customize number assignments, porting, auto attendance, call forwarding, and reeling from a single location.

You can assign one of your Google Voice numbers to different users with just a few clicks.

Remember, the platform isn’t compatible with third-party software outside of the Google family. So don’t expect integrations with a CRM, helpdesk, or other apps.

Link More Phone Numbers

Google Voice users can use any other phone number to make and receive calls and texts. While you can link up to six different phone numbers, you can’t link numbers that have already been linked to a different Google Voice account.

Here’s how you can link a new phone number in Google Voice:

  1. Open your account, and go to Settings.
  2. Select New Linked Number from the Linked Number menu, and enter the new phone number you want to link here.
  3. Google will send a six-digit code to that number. You’ll receive a text for a mobile number and calls for a landline number. Enter that code in Google Voice
  4. Hit the Verify button.

And that’s it! You’ve now linked a new number to Google Voice.

Detect and Deflect Spam

Nobody likes spam calls—not me, not you.

However, they’ve become an everyday occurrence with an increasing number of scammers and spammers using spam to get your personal information. Not only does spam expose your team to potential scams, but it also kills productivity.

Luckily, you don’t have to worry about spam when making conference calls through Google Voice.

The service utilizes artificial intelligence technology to automatically filter spam calls. You can also view your spam calls, texts, and voicemails from another section of your Google Voice app.

Think of it as your Gmail junk folder.

Record Calls for Future Use

Google Voice has a useful call recording feature that works with a single click.

All you have to do is press the number 4 on your dial pad once all the participants are on call. An automated announcement will play for all call participants, explaining that the call is being recorded.

If you want to stop the recording, press the number 4 again. You can also directly end the call to stop the recording.

All the call recordings can then be accessed and played back in your voicemail tab. This can be useful for future reference where you can go back to it in case you forget an important point that was discussed during the conference call.

Note: The call recording feature is only available for personal use and not for business use or workspace accounts.

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Taking the “human” out of “human resources”: How chatbots can help streamline HR strategies

I work for a small PR firm, but chatbots have always been a fascination of mine; how do they work? How are they able to generate human-like responses? Why are they so helpful on some websites and so frustrating on others? Lately, I’ve been doing some of my own research, specifically into what it would take to make my own bot and do some trial and error. To my surprise, I was able to find a bevy of helpful resources at my disposal. Amazon recently launched a bot information site that answered all my bot questions and walked me through the process, and there are countless websites out there that can help with bot hosting and building. Once I started to learn more, I started to get the bot itch – I wanted to build my own, and I wanted to test it out on my coworkers. Never one to ignore my own great ideas, I did just that.

Essentially, the bot I built was pretty basic. For a small fee, I was able to construct an extremely simple chatbot named Chaz, who would pop up in the Google Hangouts chat window of my coworkers and ask them simple questions throughout the week. Thankfully, my coworkers agreed to this little experiment, despite the slight annoyance of having an automated system hurling queries at them. The questions all related to personal experience and company culture: How are you feeling this week? What do you think of the current state of things in the office? How is your workload? The results came back to me at the end of the week, totally anonymously. With each question, the user would be able to choose from four possible responses. For example, if the question was “How are you feeling this week?” the possible responses would be something along the lines of “Great, good, below average, bad.” Not super in-depth, but at least it would serve as a decent tool to take the temperature of the overall mood of the office.

The response was overwhelming. To be totally honest, I really only expected a few people to participate. Sure, the chatbot annoyed you until you answered, but you could easily close the window and go on with your day’s work. Judging by the results, it seemed like people actually wanted to respond and vent a little about how they felt, despite the rather limited response options offered by my bot. I think the reason for this is simple – the bot represented an opportunity to unload with some distance. Let me explain a little more, as that probably doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Imagine you’re at the water cooler (or your more modern office’s equivalent) and there’s an issue that’s been bothering you. The culture around the office has taken a dip, as people’s workloads have increased and overall mood has declined. You want to bring it up to your coworkers, but you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or make it seem like you are the resident complainer in the office. What’s a better outlet than a human-like chatbot, which allows you to let out your frustrations in an anonymous manner?

While this small experiment was certainly interesting, I think that there are wider HR implications here. For one, there are wider implications at my company, as I plan on implementing this chatbot permanently due to the overwhelmingly positive response. It also got me thinking – if I could accomplish so much with just a simple bot I built using guides on the internet, what else could be streamlined? There are a thousand moving components that require constant maintenance for a human resources department to function effectively. What if, and I know this is going to sound sacrilegious, some of the more basic components could be automated? I’m not suggesting that we take the “human” out of “human resources,” at least not totally. I am suggesting giving employees a little bit of space to vent and complain to someone (or something, in this case) that they feel they can be totally honest with. An extremely important aspect of any HR department’s workload is hiring, which may seem a little bit difficult to automate from the outset. However, I think even this process can be streamlined with chatbots.

While this might not be as relevant to smaller companies, chatbots can be a great tool during large-scale hiring campaigns. Candidates will invariably be sending in follow-ups and questions by the dozen, swamping the already heavy workload of the average corporate HR representative. Here’s where the chatbot comes in – it can be scripted to provide the answers to frequently asked questions, taking some of the correspondence weight off of the human reps who would normally be taking care of them. On top of this, in many cases, the candidate might be nervous and, despite having an important question, wouldn’t want to email HR and bring it to their attention. This way, they can get their questions answered in a low stakes environment, and everyone comes out happy. Bots can also be put to use in the onboarding process, or to help employees (especially new hires) with basic scheduling issues and other simple inquiries. From my small experiment, I was able to conclude that people aren’t afraid of bots in the workplace. Why not put a good thing to use?

If you’re looking for a key takeaway here, it’s that you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment a little with new ideas, especially when it comes to office culture and the way that things are currently being run. Chatbots might not be the answer for you, but keep an open mind – sometimes things that might sound a little odd at first can actually turn out to be valuable solutions.

This is a guest article by John Van Duyn.