In 2016, Google announced Google Allo and Duo apps for Android and iOS users. The company quietly shifted the Hangout branding to the enterprise users and retained Allo and Duo for the consumers. Unfortunately, Google Allo never gained traction among the users, and the search giant scrapped the project in 2018. The focus switched back to Google Hangouts again.

Unlike Google Allo, Google Hangouts has a capable web version, it’s perfectly integrated with Gmail service, and the feature list is good enough to keep the users in the loop.

Download Google Hangouts 2019.411.420.3 for Mac. Fast downloads of the latest free software! To download and install the Google Hangouts desktop app: Download and install the Google Chrome web browser. See this help article on Google for instructions on how to install Google Chrome on your device, including download links and system requirements. (If you already use Google Chrome, skip this step.). Hangouts Plus is a native desktop Mac client for Google Hangouts that support Hangouts Video and Hangouts on Air & Chat. You are able to receive notifications for chat messages and video calls via the OS X Notification Center.

Google Duo offers video and voice calling, but it misses the important chat function. And here is where Google Hangouts comes in. It has chat, stickers, voice, video calling, and some fun elements too. And the service’s web availability makes it a solid rival to some of the popular options out there, including Skype and Zoom.

In this post, we are going to talk about eleven best Google Hangout keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac. You can memorize them, and I’m sure your Google Hangouts experience will further improve to the next level.

1. Close Chat Window

Google Hangouts displays a different chat window to showcase conversation. Unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, the service opens the chat pop-up at the bottom when you start a conversation. You can minimize them, and you can use the ‘Esc’ shortcut on Windows or Mac to close the chat window.

2. Hangouts Settings Menu

Google offers a bunch of settings on the Hangouts web. Users can tap on the hamburger menu at the upper left corner and then go to Settings. Alternatively, you can type H (for the hamburger menu) followed by M keyword to open the Settings menu.

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3. Open Invite Menu

Google Hangouts lets you invite other users to the platform. Google offers a dedicated invitations menu to handle the invites. Open the hamburger menu and go to invitations. Also, you can type H-word followed by I key on the keyboard to reveal the menu.

Mac

4. Open Search Bar

Google offers several ways to contact a user on the Hangouts. You can search for them using the phone number or the email ID. For that, you should open the search bar on the Hangouts. Use the keyboard shortcut of H followed by Q on the Hangouts, and it will open the search bar. From there, you can search the users and even create a new group.

5. Access Archived Chats

Google Hangouts offers the ability to archive a chat from the main menu. Right-click on the conversation and tap the archive button. To access those chat threads, one can type letter H followed by A on the keyboard to open the archived chat menu.

6. Open Phone Menu

Do you know you can place a call with Hangouts? For that, you need to navigate to the phone menu and then call the users. Use the keyboard shortcut H followed by P to open the phone section.

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7. Move to First Conversation

Google Hangouts offers a bunch of options and settings menu in the web app. From any screen, you can move back to the first conversation in the chat menu using the keyboard shortcut. I use it all the time. Type H followed by C and Google Hangouts will move to the first chat thread.

Now, let’s talk about some of the keyboard shortcuts to improve the chat experience.

8. Move Dancing People in Chat

For fun parts, Google Hangouts offers several options. You can send emojis, stickers, but my favorite part is a bunch of keyboard shortcuts to pop-up lively fun elements in the chat. During a conversation, you can type /pitchforks, and it will move a group of dancing people in the chat.

9. Add a Live Ponies in a Chat

Want to highlight a live pony in a chat? You can type /ponies, and it will display live ponies running through the chat screen. Google desperately wants to change Hangout’s image here. They are adding more keyboard shortcuts for such fun parts. Let’s dig a couple of more keyboard shortcuts.

10. Change Chat Background Color

Google Hangouts lets you customize the chat background for each conversation. By default, it uses the boring grey background. But you can change that by typing /bikeshed in the conversation. If you don’t like the revised background, then re-type the keyboard shortcut to change it.

The change reflects in the current chat only. And when you refresh the page or open the Hangouts again then the chat background moves back to the default grey one.

11. Move Multiple Ponies Run Across Screen

Loved the above keyboard shortcut to run the ponies on a chat screen? Then you will appreciate this shortcut even more. Type /poniestreams and Hangouts will run a group of ponies through the chat screen.

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Use Hangouts Like a Pro

As you can see from the list above, Google Hangouts offers some of the best quick shortcuts to move around the app on the web. And the best part is, it’s usable on every desktop OS, including Chrome OS, Windows, Mac, and even Linux.

Next up:Skype also offers some of the productive keyboard shortcuts for navigation. Read the post below to find more about that.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next11 Best Skype Keyboard Shortcuts to Use It Like a ProAlso See#google #macos

Did You Know

The Microsoft headquarters has around 35 cafeterias.

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Now that we’re done with the introductory part of our course on Google Hangouts, let’s get started using it! The first thing that you will need to do is download and install the Google Hangouts app.

There are actually a couple of different ways that you can get Google Hangouts. For example, if you have an account on Gmail, Google’s email client, then Google Hangouts comes built into it! You can also install Google Hangouts as a small add-on feature to many common web browsers.

The two most accessible versions of Google Hangouts, though, are the app for mobile devices and the computer desktop program. To get the computer desktop version of Google Hangouts, though, you will need to have Google Chrome (Google’s web browser) installed on your computer as well. This lesson will show you how to get both of these versions of Google Hangouts.

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(NOTE: The instructions for downloading and installing Google Hangouts on mobile devices are based on a device running the Google Android operating system. We’ll provide hints as to how the process may differ on devices running Apple’s iOS operating system, such as iPads and iPhones.)

Hangout Download For Windows 10

To download and install Google Hangouts for mobile devices:

  1. Turn on your mobile device. Find the Play Store (or App Store on iOS devices), and tap it to start it up.

  2. You should see a search bar in the top-middle portion of the screen (or top-right, on iOS devices). Tap it, and then use your device’s (virtual) keyboard to type in “google hangouts”. A list of suggestions should appear, tap the one that says the same as what you typed in. (On Android devices, the Google Hangouts logo should appear to help guide you right to the app’s page.) If you don’t find the app right away, you may just find it under “Hangouts”. Look for the logo of a single set of quotation marks inside a green speech bubble.

  3. Once you find the Google Hangouts app, tap Install to start the process of downloading it and installing it on your device. (On iOS devices, you may need to tap Get first, and then tap Install.)

    (NOTE: some devices that run the Google Android operating system have Google Hangouts as a built-in application. If this is the case, you will not have the option to install or uninstall Google Hangouts; merely to update it / roll back updates, or open it. In this situation, simply skip to step 4 if you wish to update Google Hangouts by tapping Update, or step 5 if you don’t wish to update it right now and simply Open the program.)

    You may be asked to log into your Google account or Apple account before continuing. If there’s no way around it, do so. However, you don’t need to pay any money just to download and install Google Hangouts, so you may be able to skip or back out of that screen.

  4. You will be informed of the additional functions on your device that Google Hangouts may need access to. If you’re okay with that, tap Accept.

  5. Google Hangouts will begin downloading and installing on your device. When it finishes, tap Open to launch the app.

Download Hangouts App For Laptop

To download and install the Google Hangouts desktop app:

  1. Download and install the Google Chrome web browser. See this help article on Google for instructions on how to install Google Chrome on your device, including download links and system requirements. (If you already use Google Chrome, skip this step.)

  2. Open your Google Chrome web browser and go to the page for Google Hangouts in the Chrome Web Store. You can find it at this link.

  3. Click Add to Chrome in the top-right corner of the page. (As you can see here, the Chrome Web Store will tell you whether or not the Google Hangouts desktop app is compatible with the device that you are currently using.)

  4. The Chrome Web Store will notify you of parts of your computer that the Google Hangouts desktop app may need to access. If you’re okay with that, click Add App.

    The Google Hangouts desktop app will be downloaded and installed on your computer; you can do a quick file search to find it.

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Alright! You now have Google Hangouts on your desktop, or on your mobile device. Our next lesson will show you what you can do with Google Hangouts!

Google Hangouts Download For Mac

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