Hangouts is a messaging and video-conferencing service by Google Inc. It lets you create one-on-one and group chats, and create group video chats for multiple participants registered in any Google services. The app offers a competitive set of free features and has one of the simplest interfaces amongst all similar services in the category. You can use the app right in your browser on Mac or PC or download Hangouts for iOS, Android, or Chrome OS. 

Set of Functions 

The Hangouts app lets you communicate with up to 150 people via group chat rooms. Here you can exchange instant text messages and share a wide range of files, including images in BMP, HEIC (iPhone), GIF, JPEG, and WBMP. The file size is limited to 200MB so that you can send basic document types and videos directly. If you want to send something bigger, you can share the downloading link directly from your Google Drive or any other cloud storage service. 

If you want to use Hangouts for video calls, be ready that one conference room can include up to 10 participants. If you need more than that, you have to purchase the paid plan that will unlock the ability to chat with up to 25 users simultaneously. 

All your conversations and chats are protected by SSL and AES-256 encryption. These protocols make it impossible for third parties (including Google) to decipher your conversations. The only way to get in is to steal your device when it’s unlocked, so the chances for data breaches are almost equal to zero. 

Design 

Hangouts looks almost the same on each platform, so it’s easy to get adjusted to the interface design on all your devices. The app has a neat white and green style that looks good enough for both private everyday use and all sorts of business purposes. 

Price

The basic version of the app is available for free, independently from the platform you are using. If you want to obtain more features, such as 25 meeting participants, you have to purchase one of G Suite plans. The prices in 2020 vary from $5.40 for the basic plan to $10.8 and $25 for Business and Enterprise accordingly. Even if you can find meeting services that cost less, there’s no other ecosystem that offers you such a large number of additional services for a similar price. 

The basic account lets you use extended versions of 11 more Google Services, while the Enterprise includes a list of as many as 17 extra items, including unlimited cloud storage for your company data. It’s a nice way to save funds. 

Likes 

• •  Straightforward interface design;
• •  Up to 25 participants for group video calls;
• •  Convenient instant messenger with file-sharing;
• •  Encrypted communication;
• •  Loads of addons for paid plan owners. 

Dislikes 

• •  Only 10 participants per call in the free version;
• •  Minor bugs occur.