10 Tricks to Master Google Hangouts

Google Hangoutshas been available for almost three years now , and while it still has a few minor issue , it ’s still a knavish and powerful messaging platform that works almost anywhere . fag a little deeper into the Google Hangouts app , and you ’ll find a clump of feature of speech you might not yet have come across , from underground codes to floating schmoose read/write head — here are our favorites :

1. Search your conversations from Gmail

you may find anything you ’ve said in the past on Hangouts from Gmail on the web . Type “ in : chats ” in the search measure , followed by a bent of keywords , and any matching conversation thread come out . It ’s also potential to apply adept and labels to your confabulation just as you’re able to to any Gmail thread .

This only work if Hangouts is configured to lumber all of your conversations though . From inside any chat windowpane , click the sprocket icon and then tick the box marked Hangout account . The same history option is available inside the Hangouts Chrome app and the mobile apps for Android and iOS .

2. Make it easier (or harder) to be found

Hangouts include a variety of preferences that regularize whether or not people can get in touch with you if they know data such as your electronic mail name and address and peregrine number . you’re able to pick off these options if you desire to make it easier or more hard for the great unwashed to receive you on Hangouts .

In Gmail , click the down arrow next to your name . In the Chrome Hangouts app , chatter the menu button in the top remaining corner . Select Customize invite setting to make changes . you’re able to prefer to allow conversations at any time , set aside invitations , or block everything ( if citizenry do n’t have your contact information ) .

3. Mute notifications

A Hangouts telling can be the high spot of your day or an unwelcome interruption , and there are a few different ways to mute them . launch the setting pane inside someone gossip window to stop notifications until further card ( it ’s behind the menu button or cog push button depending on where you are ) .

It ’s also possible to mute notification across the entire Google Hangouts app . tip the card button in the Hangouts apps for web and mobile , or the down pointer next to your name in Gmail , and you’re able to doze notification for anywhere between an 60 minutes and three days depending on which gimmick you ’re on .

4. Doodle on your messages

There is the option to send a scrabble to one ( or more ) of your contacts inside a conversation window , though it ’s not immediately apparent how to go about it . In your web internet browser , hover the computer mouse pointer over the picture icon in the lower proper - hand corner , then snap the pencil icon that suddenly appear .

When you ’re in quarter mode you get a alternative of colours and brush sizes , and even after you ’ve sent your picture it can still be delete — just get across on the pencil image vibrate over the icon itself . This way , if the Hangout conversation starts dragging you could always launch a game of pictionary to liven it up again .

5. Tell your contacts what you’re up to

Google Hangouts include a status option that you might not already acknowledge about . If you ’re temporarily unavailable or heading out into the wild for much longer than expected , you’re able to let people know . or else , you may habituate the feature to simply let people get laid what form of mood you ’re in right now .

From the mobile apps , tap the menu button then choose Status . From the web internet browser apps , press the menu release ( the down arrow next to your name in Gmail or the burger ikon in the Chrome app ) . You get 140 character to work with and that can include an emoji symbol .

6. Tell your contacts where you are

You do n’t get the doodle option ( see above ) when you ’re using Hangouts on a mobile app , but you do get the opportunity to divvy up your location . Tap the GPS lock up ikon at the human foot of the conversation window and you may choose a nearby place or send a residential speech to everyone inside the schmoose .

icon at the bottom of the mini - function you ’ve just created let your inter-group communication spread it up in Google Maps or get focal point right to wherever you are . Whether you ’re trying to discover a group of booster or vice versa , it can relieve you a lot of typing or career . The emplacement is n’t updated in real time , though .

7. Use different ringtones for different people

set dissimilar ringtones for unlike contacts is a ready to hand way of help you adjudicate whether or not a call is worth nibble up before you ’ve even look at the screen . If you ’re using the Hangouts app for Android and iOS , it ’s potential to rig customized ringtones and content alert for each individual .

From inside a conversation window , exploit the menu button ( three perpendicular dose ) then prefer People & options . By select Chat message sound or Call ringtone , you’re able to pluck a new sound recording cartridge clip from your equipment ’s sound recording , or indeed flip hearable notification off altogether for this conversation .

8. Keep chats on top of other windows

If you installthe Hangouts app inside Chromethen you may get aFacebook jaw heads - style experienceon your background ( or Chromebook ) . Go to the options screen ( via the top - left icon ) and press Enable transparent UI . Open conversations then appear as floating bubbles on the left of the cover .

start the Always On Top mount to keep the bubble themselves ( and any conversations you open up up ) above other windowpane for easy access ; you could also click and puff on the Hangouts clit to move the ikon to another part of the cover . Note the feature is not currently usable for Macs .

9. Format text

you could enforce some basic formatting to your text inside Hangouts windowpane if you need to add up some emphasis : the trusty old Ctrl+B , Ctrl+I and Ctrl+U keyboard shortcuts will add bold , italic and underline event to anything you subsequently typewrite ( replace Ctrl with Cmd if you ’re using a Mac ) .

You ca n’t apply these formatting options from mobile devices , but any existing formatting does seem in the conversations . If you really want to make a point or change the timbre , then it ’s something else to make use of alongside all of the emoji and other features built into Hangouts .

10. Change the background color, and a few extra tricks

case “ /bikeshed ” into an opened chat window to exchange its color to something different ( this seems to be on a random loop ) . Alternatively , character “ /me ” to insert your own name — so you’re able to construct condemnation like “ /me is impressed ” and so on ( this works separately from your resort status ) .

There are a few other like Easter testicle hidden in Hangouts , though they seem to change quite on a regular basis . accede “ yay ! ! ” should play up an excited emoji while “ /ponies ” propose up a surprise too . regrettably these cloak-and-dagger computer code do n’t have any core in the mobile versions of Hangouts .

desktopGoogle

William Duplessie