Since a couple of days the rumored messaging tool from Google has been available to all terminal users Android and iOSHangouts, which is as it is finally called, instead of Google Babel, it is an application to estay in touch from anywhere and at any time , also extending to computers, which adds a degree of multiplatform more comfortable All this being able to send messages instantaneous, images and photographs and even take video calls or Hangouts, from which this tool has inherited its name.
And it is that Hangouts comes directly from the union of the previous communication tools of Google That is, from the messaging component of Google Talk and Google+meetings However, this has all been brought together under a new application, looking something like Google Talk but quite more complete and useful Questions that make you wonder if you will not have enough incentives to compete against WhatsApp Even more so when it is completely free and has more possibilities such as video calls Although not everything is good, and it is that yourcontact system can be somewhat frustrating at first if you don't get sorted with the Google circles+
The first thing, as soon as you start the application, is to know that its installation supposes the replacement of Google Talk, therefore both its icon and Conversations become those of Hangouts. An icon that, by the way, has several similarities with WhatsApp . Thus, Android users who will already use this messaging tool and have their account entered no prior configuration should be carried out For their part, users of iPhone and iPad will need to enter your Google account in order to gain access. After that, a message is displayed to confirm the telephone number associated with said account Help to find other userswithout the need to make such information public, being able to confirm or not said telephone number
After that it is possible to start using the application. Although it reminds WhatsApp and Google Talk, Hangout has its own style. Thus, it has a main screen where the conversations or active chats are collected. Conversations that can be archivedas emails from Gmail and that, in addition, can be consulted until the moment they were created , without limits. To start a new one, just choose the contacts you want to add to it, thus creating a normal conversation or a group depending on the user number. All you have to do is scroll to the screen on the right where users who use Google+ will find, in addition to the list of phonebook contacts , the list of circles where they have added contacts.This means having photos and profiles of friends sorted by circles and those with whom try more frequently, as long as these circles are properly sorted on Google+ Onlyis necessary mark those you want to start a conversation with, whether they belong to Google+ circles or not , and select the messaging button or the video call button, depending on what you want. In addition, it is possible to send invitations to use this service to the desired contacts in the phonebook by means of a SMS text message
Already within the conversation, the minimalist style of Google stands out already seen in Talk , but in Hangouts looks more attractive thanks to the animations to the send messages and indications that contact is typingThus it is possible to know how far a user has read just by looking at the height of their profile photo. And, if it is typing, a ellipsis appears right next to it, indicating that action. In these conversations it is possible to attach images and directly make a video call just by pressing the button the camera. However, it seems that even iOS terminal users cannot download the images received in conversations, only view them on the screen.
To spruce up these conversations a bit more, we have included a full collection of Emoji emoticons Exactly the same as the one that can be used inWhatsApp, except that in Hangouts these drawings have a somewhat different style A curious fact is that the emoticon of the smartphone is clearly a terminal Android on these, and a iPhone in the case of using a Apple device Issues that, taken together, make using this tool very pleasant and comfortable
But what does news this tool mean compared to the great varietyalready available in different markets? In Hangouts the user can keep active several accounts, switching between them with thedropdown at the top of the screen. This means, for example, having a professional profile and a personal one in the event that you have well-differentiated emails and contacts in both. It also has quite interesting privacy options. Although it is now impossible to select different states such as busy or invisible, it can be configured from the menu Settingswho has permission to request a chat with the userThus, it is possible to block those users who are not in a specific circle, filtering their messages as a request to make a Hangout, being able to reject it if it doesn't interest you.
But not everything is good. Hangouts is poor in terms of personalization, being only possible to set a profile photo from the menu Settings In this way, the minimalist style of the conversations is respected, but it also remains as a sterile style Something that doesn't help in group conversations, where to differentiate one's messages and another can be almost impossible if they don't have a profile photo Also, it seems that notification synchronization when you have an active iPhone and iPad in Hangouts is not yet fully tuned, remaining alert messages of conversations that have already been read on one of the devices.
In short, Hangouts is a good communication tool, with much potential and possibilities that make it a very useful application, although it can still be completed and improved. A key point would be to extend to other platforms to allow more users to communicate. We will have to wait to see what direction Google Hangouts can now be downloaded free from Google Play and App StoreIt also has a browser version Chrome
