Google Hangouts

Put Skype, WhatsApp, and Messenger together in one chat service, and you will have but a glimpse of what Hangouts can do for you.

This video chat service developed for Google+ allows you to send messages to your contacts even if they’re not online, create groups, talk to them on the phone or through a video call, and share YouTube videos, photographs, emojis and other media easily and quickly.

The possibility of creating groups and of chatting with all the participants at once is one of the program’s biggest assets. You can do this using your keyboard, a voice call, or your webcam, and set group video chats in no time for up to 10 people. Another feature that makes this chat tool stand out from most of its competitors is its multi-platform support – you (and your friends) can install it on your computer and on your Apple and Android mobile devices, and use any of those platforms to communicate with your contacts just as easily.

Chats do not need to be a flat succession of messages anymore. With the program’s wide set of emojis and the possibility of sharing photographs, videos, and other media files in a snap, Hangouts may turn your previously not-so-lively chats into more engaging conversations. Voice calls is another option. You can call a single person or a whole group of people, and talk to them for free (in the US and Canada) and for a very low fee anywhere else. Video calls (also on a one-to-one basis or to one of your groups) is an excellent alternative, especially when only hearing the voice of your loved-ones is simply not enough.

Hangouts works seamlessly with Gmail, and now it’s also available for iOS devices, such as iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Thus, with just one chat tool, you can have all the advantages that the most widely used communication utilities offer you separately. Its flexibility, the ubiquity of Google’s products and accounts, and its multi-platform support make Hangouts a serious contender in the field of online chatting.