Hangout replaces Talk

[adamhos1234]

I say its too flashy, I want the simplicity of the original Talk app

 

[Droidunited]

I don't know. I have to disagree, I really like hangout and I use it all the time to speak with friends/co-workers.

 

[mydian]

It's terrible. Google Talk was my primary messaging app.. This new app is a mess. My most talked to contacts are hidden at the bottom some 200 contacts down. It doesn't show who has videos. Or audio calling available anymore. I hate it and un installed it.

 

[adamhos1234]

I havent used video yet, but I just don't care for the feel if it, maybe once I use it a little more

 

[funkylogik]

Can WP and Blackbery phones get Hangout?

 

[saptech]

I'm trying to figure out if I like it or not!!! Still deciding.

 

[gtbarry]

I havent used video yet, but I just don't care for the feel if it, maybe once I use it a little more

The video on mobile data was fantastic. It's not perfect, but I used it yesterday inside of Target on mobile data and it slowed down only once or twice. Otherwise, it was flawless - though bandwidth hungry.

 

[adamhos1234]

Can WP and Blackbery phones get Hangout?

Idk its the new google talk... It said I had an update today, and that's what it was.

 

[gtbarry]

Can WP and Blackbery phones get Hangout?

"Today Google will offer new free iOS and Android Hangout apps, the Google+ integration, and you can upgrade from Google Talk to Hangouts by clicking on your photo in the Gmail chat list. There are currently no plans for other platforms like Windows Phone or Blackberry"

http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/15/google-hangouts-messaging-app/

 

[gtbarry]

It's terrible. Google Talk was my primary messaging app.. This new app is a mess. My most talked to contacts are hidden at the bottom some 200 contacts down. It doesn't show who has videos. Or audio calling available anymore. I hate it and un installed it.

I agree with a lot of what you say: contacts are indeed a mess, lack of voicecall, not knowing who is on and if they have a camera, etc.

But I like the new interface better overall.
- I think once the first "hangouts" screen gets populated you are just meant to go there to chat with those you chat with most often and will probably go to contacts very little.
- I think the actual messaging screen is better. You can see where they have read up to. The contact icon fades when they are away and you can see when they are typing.
- In recent months (due to lack of resources or will cause they were moving on to Hangouts) Talk was getting glitchy and I would see messages pop up on my desktop then an hour later on my phone
- the chats are archived in gmail for you. Complete with pictures and the ability to search for key words.

One trick: I have decided that Hangouts does indeed have voice calls. I just make the other person stare at the darkest recesses of my ear canal.

 

[funkylogik]

In one of the many announcements yesterday it was specifically mentioned no windows mobile and no blackberry. I hope that changes, but how big is that combined marketshare?

Ive watched the parts of IO that ive had time for but havent seen the Hangout part yet. So is it RIM and Microsoft that are stopping it or what?
Tbh ive never even used Talk, when most of my friends used BB it was Whatsapp i used but most folk i know now, although they arent as savvy as me, use android based phones. Theres still the odd straggler using oldskool BB though and some of my friends girlfriends use..... iphones

 

[DragonSlayer95]

According to the market I've got the hangout thing, but I still have the original gtalk as of right now.

Hopefully that doesn't change after hearing about it.

 

[gtbarry]

So is it RIM and Microsoft that are stopping it or what?

No one will ever know. Larry Page at the end stood on stage and said that Microsoft integrated Talk into their Outlook messaging and did not reciprocate (which may answer your question). But it was very very ironic that he talked about how Microsoft did not reciprocate and Oracle is hard to work with - about two hours after google announced a new messaging app locked to only two platforms.

it was Whatsapp i used but most folk i know now

If you ask me, the first iteration of Hangouts is aimed right at Whatsapp. And the forthcoming SMS iteration is aimed right at apple message.

 

[gtbarry]

According to the market I've got the hangout thing, but I still have the original gtalk as of right now.

Hopefully that doesn't change after hearing about it.

Have you launched Talk today?

I installed Hangouts and it deleted Talk during the install. But I had 1-2 Talk shortcuts leftover after the install. Though they said Talk, the shortcuts launched Hangouts

 

[funkylogik]

According to the market I've got the hangout thing, but I still have the original gtalk as of right now.

Hopefully that doesn't change after hearing about it.

I sideloaded the Hangout apk from somewhere and it turned Talk into Hangout mate

 

[DragonSlayer95]

Have you launched Talk today?

I installed Hangouts and it deleted Talk during the install. But I had 1-2 Talk shortcuts leftover after the install. Though they said Talk, the shortcuts launched Hangouts

Just launched talk, still the original here, no hangout

 

[gtbarry]

Just launched talk, still the original here, no hangout

Some people, in this very thread even, admire you for that.

 

[DragonSlayer95]

Some people, in this very thread even, admire you for that.

Just curious, is it more like a social network app now? Or is it still a messaging only app?

However though me still having gtalk, could have something to do with me using a modded/inverted gtalk

 

[chanchan05]

I checked it out too. No update on my end, and I can't push it to my phone either. Opening Play link says its installed and the phone options are grayed out. I just checked out the article though, still says no SMS. So no go.

 

[gtbarry]

Just curious, is it more like a social network app now? Or is it still a messaging only app?

I would call it messaging only.

If you ask me it is a blend of google Talk, Whatsapp and (I'm just gonna say it...) google Wave.

Imagine most of the functionality of google talk (of course you don't get the same interface, voice calls etc.) in a more modern UI that is reminiscent of Whatsapp (a screen for previous conversations, a screen for contacts, etc.) and the messaging interface of Wave (you can see the person is typing, drop in photos, etc). Add in a very solid looking interface for video that is basically just the Hangout interface.

If you ask me, people will like it a lot more if:
- SMS
- a better way to handle contacts (now the contact fades in or out. Fade in means on. But I THINK fade out means away. Or fade out might mean offline. Or fade out could mean they don't have a Hangouts interface and a message to them would get lost in the ether?)
- voice calls (which can be accomplished now via a video call then turn off the camera. So, don't whine about this.)

Also, they already pushed out one update this evening. So, there are definitely bugs being worked on and a few people have said they can't get it. Yesterday while watching the keynote I went to get it and it took ten refreshes and 60 minutes to get it. Meanwhile, my friend put it on her nexus 7 clone (aka apple pad mini) via the apple tunes store within minutes of me asking her to. (Of course, I lied to her and said I was able to install it just as quick.)

 

[mrpnut]

Its pretty sick I have the note 2 with sprint and I have it....

 

[mathewparet]

Now that I got my Google Talk updated to Google Hangout, could someone please tell me what is the difference between Google Hangout & Google+ Messenger. I think both of them are fairly same.

Oh by the way, I thought of leaving a small tip. When my Google Talk updated to Google Hangout it had an issue. It would not work and always showed the message "Couldn't sign in because we couldn't connect to Google. Try again.".

I found a workaround / fix for the same:

1) Use some app to take backup of Google Play Services (ES File Explorer can do it for you) and save the apk locally. This is recommended because after the next step you may not be able to connect and re-download the update over Mobile Data. It would work on WiFi however.
2) Go to Manage Apps > Google Play Services
3) Do "Uninstall" / "Uninstall Updates" for Google Play Services
4) Google Hangout will automatically ask you to Install or Update Google Play Services.
5) If you "Uninstalled Updates", then the app would update over Mobile Data when you click on update in Google Play. After this go to Step #8
6) If you "Uninstalled" the app completely, you wouldn't find it in Google Play. So install it from the backup created in Step #1.
7) Now go to Google Play and install any updates for Google Play Services.
8) Now open Google Hangout. It may still show you a connection issue for a couple for times.
9) Don't lose your heart. It should work after you try for a maximum of 1-2 times.
10) Thank me and go ahead to chat with your girlfriend

 

[gtbarry]

Now that I got my Google Talk updated to Google Hangout, could someone please tell me what is the difference between Google Hangout & Google+ Messenger. I think both of them are fairly same.

G+ messenger will also be replaced by Hangouts. Don't know why both didn't go the same day.

 

[herecomesmaggi]

It replaced mine 2-3 days ago. However on my other phone using cm10 in which i flashed gapps manually, no such update is pushed.

 

[funkylogik]

Whats the G+ video chat called now? I remember that was called Hangout and the messanger was called Huddle. Google is gettin me lol