How to use Hangouts on Google

Sign in to Google+. You will need a Google account, such as the Gmail account you currently use. Google+ is a social network designed specifically for Google account holders.

Locate the Hangout frame. Hangouts is positioned on the left side of your Google+ page. Here, you will find a list of Hangouts along with the recent email addresses you've interacted with.

Create a new Hangout. Click on the '+ New Hangout' field at the top of your Hangouts list. This will change the list to show your contacts and Google+ circles. Check the box next to the person you wish to add to the Hangout.

• Regardless of the platform you're using, clicking or tapping on a contact or an existing Hangout will bring up a dialog box. If the person is offline, they will receive your messages when they next open Hangouts.
• You can also search for a person or a circle by entering their name, email address, or phone number in the field at the top of the list.

Select your Hangout format. You have two options for starting a Hangout: video or text. You can also switch from text to video format at any time.

Add emojis to the conversation. When you click or tap the smiley face icon to the left of the chat box, a list of emoticons and emojis will appear. These are categorized, and you can navigate through the categories by selecting the icons at the top of the emoji screen.

Share an image. You can add images to your Hangout by clicking on the Camera icon located on the right side of the chat box. This will open the Select Image window on your computer, or a menu will appear on your mobile device.

• You can take and share pictures using your webcam or phone, or you can upload images from other sources, such as your computer or phone's storage.

Customize your chat settings. On a computer, click the Gear icon in the chat window to access settings. You can also block the person you're chatting with.

• If you're on a mobile device, open the menu and select the available options from the dropdown.

Switch from text chat to video chat. Click the camera icon at the top of the chat box. A notification will be sent to the other person, informing them that you'd like to start a video chat. Video chatting is available on both computers and mobile devices.

• Video chats don't require both users to have a camera. Only one person needs a camera, while the other uses a microphone, or one person can use the camera while the other continues the conversation through text.

Open Google+ page. A link to create a Hangout group will appear in the bottom-right corner of your window. This is a group video chat that can support up to 10 participants. A Hangout group allows everyone to connect through both video and text. You can also share YouTube videos and collaborate on shared documents.

• Mobile users can join Hangout groups, although they will be limited in some features such as sharing YouTube videos and Google Docs files.

Describe the meeting and invite participants. When creating a group on Hangout, you'll be asked to provide a description of the meeting and invite participants. The description you write will be included in the invitation.

• You can restrict the call to individuals aged 18 and above.

Start the conversation. If your webcam is correctly configured, you can begin the conversation right away. The area below the Hangout window shows all connected participants. The right side of the window displays the chat messages. If the chat content isn't visible, click on the Chat icon located on the left side of the window.

Capture an image. If you want to save something displayed on your screen, click the Capture button in the left menu. The Camera icon will appear at the bottom of the window, just click it to capture the screen.

Share a YouTube video. Click the YouTube icon in the left menu to open the Hangout YouTube app. You can add videos to the Hangout playlist, and they will play simultaneously for everyone. Press the blue “Add videos to playlist” button to search for and add YouTube videos.

• The video will play in the main Hangout window. Anyone in the group can modify playback settings or skip the video.
• The microphone will be muted during video playback. Click the green “Push to talk” button if you wish to speak during the video.

Share your screen. You can use Hangout to share your screen. Click the Screenshare button in the left menu. A new window will open showing a list of all your open windows and programs. You can choose to share a specific window or your entire screen.

• This feature is helpful when you need assistance from someone more experienced to solve a problem, or if you want to share something in another application with everyone in the group.

Add effects to your video. Click the Google Effects button in the left menu. The Effects menu will open on the right side of the window, replacing the Chat box. You can drag and drop various effects into the video chat screen, such as adding hats, glasses, or other fun symbols.

• Click the arrow at the top of the Effects window to switch between different effect categories.
• If you want to remove all effects you've applied, click the "x Remove all effects" link at the bottom of the Effects menu.

Collaborate on documents. You can add documents from Google Drive to your Hangout so everyone can work together on the same document. To access Google Drive, hover over the "..." button in the left menu. Click "Add apps." A list of available apps will appear. Choose Google Drive.

• Click the Google Drive button in the menu to view your documents. You can select a document to share or create a new shared folder.
• When you share a document, your email address is also shared. You'll need to confirm this action to continue.

Turn off your microphone or camera. If you need to mute your microphone, click the mute button at the top right. The mute icon looks like a microphone with a line through it. When the microphone is muted, the icon will turn red.

• To turn off your camera, click the camera icon with a line through it. This will disable the camera, but if you don't mute your microphone, people can still hear you speak.

Adjust resolution settings. If the video quality isn't good, lower the resolution by clicking the signal bars button at the top right. This will open a slider where you can adjust the quality of the Hangout. Slide it down to reduce video quality, or move it all the way to the right to switch to audio-only mode (for you).

Adjust webcam and microphone settings. Click the gear icon in the top right menu to open your input settings. A window will pop up showing your webcam options. Now you can choose the devices you want to use. This is useful if your computer has multiple cameras or microphones connected.

Exit the Hangout. When you're done chatting, click the Exit button in the top right corner of the window. The icon looks like a landline phone.

Download the app. Open the Google Play Store on your Android device or the App Store on your iOS device, then search for Hangouts. The app is free to download.

• Many Android devices come with Hangouts pre-installed. It replaces the old Talk app.

Launch the app. The first time you open the app, you'll be prompted to log into your Google account. Android users can select the account linked to their device, while iOS users will need to enter their username and password.

• Once the app is open, you'll see a list of your recent Hangouts.

Swipe left to create a new Hangout account. Add contacts from your list or search for someone by their name or phone number.

• If you prefer not to open Google+ to access your Hangouts, you can install the Hangouts extension for Chrome. Once installed, an icon for Hangouts will appear in your system tray. Click the icon to view your Hangout list, and you can add a new Hangout by selecting the '+ New Hangout' field.
• For easy access via a fixed URL, consider creating your Hangout through Google Calendar. Click the 'add video call' link. After setting up the video call options and saving them, the URL linked to the 'join video call' link will become a permanent URL. You can copy and paste this URL into your calendar's notes section for quick access.