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Make Phone Calls with the New Hangouts

2 minute read

General Google Apps Blue

One of the biggest complaints we heard about the new Google+ Hangouts was phone calls were no longer supported. Because of this, many people decided to hang on to the old Google Chat interface until Hangouts supported more features.

Well today that major update was finally announced, and users of Google+ Hangouts can once again make phone calls in a number of different ways. Phone calls are now supported in Gmail, Google+ and the Hangouts Chrome Extension.

The new Google+ Hangouts

 

Since Google waited to release this important feature, you’d assume they’d give us some additional features for our patience, right? Some of the new features include adding “multiple phone numbers and video participants to the same call” and playing “sound effects (like applause or laughter) with the Google Effects app.”

This hasn’t rolled out to everyone as of yet, so keep an eye out in Gmail, Google+ and the Chrome Extension for the update. In Gmail, a phone icon will apear to notify you of the new feature, while Google+ and the Chrome Extension will feature “call a phone” text.

The new Hangouts in Google+

 

If you’ve been waiting to try out the new Hangouts, this definitely seems like as good a time as any to get familiar.

(via the Official Google Enterprise Blog)

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