I like having the ability to start a Google+ Hangout from my Android Smartphone. It is especially nice when I am travelling, I can find a quiet spot and either start a new hangout or participate in an existing hangout.
A user must be using Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) or high to start or participate in a mobile hangout.
If you want to start a Google+ Hangout using the Android Mobile App here are the steps you must take:
- Open up the Google+ Messenger feature either through the Google+ app or via the stand alone Messenger app which also loaded onto your phone when you downloaded the Google+ app from the Android Market.
- You need to add the person or persons you want have a hangout with, as members of a conversation by tapping the word bubble icon with the + next to it. You can add individuals or add an entire circle.
- Then send a message to the users, such as “want to hangout” and presses the send arrow.
- From the message page, the sending user can touch the video camera icon to start a hangout with the individual or circle they sent a message to.
- Individuals who received the invitation or message via the Messenger conversation can participate in the hangout by touching the camera icon in their messenger app.
While the hangout feature works well, there seem to be an awful lot of steps and I am hopeful that starting a hangout can be improved and simplified in the future. It would be nice if the mobile Hangout feature worked like the desktop version of Google+.
Photo courtesy of Google
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