Google Hangouts is ironically a platform that we’d used for years to talk to team members all over the world. So does Google Hangouts work internationally? In theory yes, but there’s more to it. It’s a platform that we’ve only just recently started exploring for the site. It’s a bit of a shame because the platform is going through a major down scale these days. For us, it’s been a platform that had a ton of potential and Google sort of didn’t pay enough attention to it. So much so, that when the pandemic hit it wasn’t able to eat up a big enough market share. The Zoom success story is one that still wows us to this day, and we’re going to get to talk a little bit about that here again.
Essentially one of the most amazing things about Zoom was the fact that it was able to overthrow a bunch of different platforms that were backed by giants like Microsoft and obviously Google. The key, at least in our experience, for Zoom has been its simplicity. Google Hangouts on the other hand wanted to be a platform that allowed users to do a lot more than just make simple 1 on 1 calls. Now, Google is trying to scale it back. In our view the biggest reason for Google Hangouts’s “failure is the fact that they didn’t roll out all of the features that it has in the US for the rest of the world. That’s why when trying to answer “does Google Hangouts works internationally” the answer isn’t as straightforward.
- Why We Would Say Google Hangouts Does Work Internationally
- Why We Would Say Google Hangouts Doesn’t Work International
- Google Is Dialing Back Features
- Does Google Hangouts Work Internationally – Biggest Benefits of The Platform
- Does Google Hangouts Work Internationally – Biggest Drawbacks Of The Platform
- What Platform or App Should You Use Instead
Why We Would Say Google Hangouts Does Work Internationally
You can access the sites from most of the countries on earth. In that sense, it does work. The only countries that you can’t really access the site from, at least not directly, are all of the countries that have some type of beef with the western world. So, Russia, China, North Korea, and Cuba in a certain sense give you some troubles while accessing the site. What you can do if you’re in a country that does have access to the site is call and send messages to your direct contacts through the apps. You’re going to be able to send a message start a video call or schedule an event with anyone who you have on your email contact list.
If you’re someone who does use the app regularly and your conversations on the app you’re going to be able to hop into those conversations through the app on your phone or in a computer. All that you’re going to need to do is make sure that you’re using a device that has access to the internet. In a way if you do a lot of texting through this app you’re going to be able to communicate pretty much as usual with your regular contact when you go abroad. Just as long as, again you have a device with an internet connection. Also, you need to be in a country that does have access to the site. That doesn’t seem too hard right?
Why We Would Say Google Hangouts Doesn’t Work Internationally
There are certain features that you have on your regular Google Hangouts app in the USA that you’re not going to have access to when you go abroad. The biggest and brightest example is the Google Hangouts phone option. When you’re within the US you can use this feature within your app or the website to call people who don’t even have the Google Hangouts app on their phone. In fact, you can even call landlines. When you’re abroad the entire phone feature is not going to be available to you. So the true answer to the main question posted in the article, could be yeah … but!
When you are located within the United States you are going to be able to make international calls through the Google Hangouts phone. You need to make sure though that you add enough credit to your account to be able to make the call. Your calls within the US on the Google Hangouts phone are free. They won’t be though when you are calling to another country. Just make sure that you understand that the call features work differently depending on where you are. Not necessarily depending on where you are trying to call. The phone feature, which for most people is the most important part of the app, does not work when you’re in another country. Keep that in mind before you travel!
Google Is Dialing Back Features
Google is doing a shake up in house of the different apps and their features on the Google Suite. The phone feature on Google Hangouts could literally cease to exist as we know it on the app. Instead, it’s being transferred to Google Voice. This shake up though is going to share the same issues that we see today with Google Hangouts’ international use. Basically for the simple reason that Google Voice, at least at launch, is not going to be available outside of the USA. It’s really awkward to say the least. The only thing that we can think of is that Google has run into some type of blockade from international wireless service providers. They were well on their way to just truly making calls free. That doesn’t seem to be the focus anymore.
Just as a heads-up if you’re one of those people that does use Google Hangouts for the phone feature that might move. The app itself could be rebranded at some point as well. What we think is going to happen actually is that Google Hangouts is going to become the same worldwide. Where essentially it’s just Google’s answer to Skype. However, Skype does have the feature to make calls, granted paid calls, to landlines internationally. Something that Google Hangouts lacks on the worldwide stage. At this point it’s pretty much all just speculation. A couple of months down the line though we may have to revisit this article and provide some of the updates on the app!
Does Google Hangouts Work Internationally – Biggest Benefits of The Platform
To be completely honest to answer the main question that we asked at the begging of the article, “Does Google Hangouts Work Internationally?” we would have to say that some features do work on an international scale. As we mentioned before if you’re someone who used the chat feature on the app to be able to contact different people on your email list you’re going to be able to continue to contact them if you have the app on your phone and a stable internet connection. Google Hangouts is one of those apps that you can use to make international calls through the app when you’re on a wifi network.
If you happen to have a pretty healthy contact list particularly for work reasons it can work out well for you when you travel. You can buy a local SIM card in the country that you happen to be traveling to. In making calls through the app you can make calls through your account. People won’t see that the call is coming from a foreign number. As would be the case if you tried to call them directly from your phone with a local SIM card. Essentially you can use this app the same way that you would WhatsApp or Telegram. What it really comes down to in a lot of cases is what app the people that you want to contact are active in.
Does Google Hangouts Work Internationally – Biggest Drawbacks Of The Platform
The phone feature is not going to be available on Google Hangouts internationally. We know that for a lot of people that’s a major part of their use on the app. When you’re traveling you are not going to be able to make calls to cell phones or landlines through the app. As we mentioned the features that are going to be available are the same as you could find in other apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. The biggest difference is that you can contact people through the email address and not their phone number. There’s essentially nothing wrong with the app it just doesn’t feature a great “comeptitive edge” compared to other apps that offer international calls and things of that nature.
There are other apps out there that are going to offer an option to call cell phones and landlines when you’re traveling. For US users of Google Hangouts it kind of makes it hard to justify using the app when you travel. Seeing as how you do loose some of the features that you’ve potentially grown accustomed to with the app. That being said, for folks in other parts of the world there’s really no downside. Since you didn’t have the major upside of the phone option to being with.
What Platform or App Should You Use Instead?
Using an app to call or text when you’re abroad instead of making regular calls or texts can be a great idea. The basis of why it’s a good idea is because with certain apps you’re going be able to call or text for free provided that you have a stable internet connection. For example, if you’re at your hotel when you’re travling you are going to be able to call back home on the hotel wifi for as long as you want through these apps. Without having to worry about the amount of minutes that you spend on the call. As we mentioned it usually comes down to what app is being used by the people that you want to call.
The mainstream app that does feature a phone option where you’re going to be able to make calls to landlines and cell phones is Skype. For some reason we get the feeling that this is an app that is losing a bit of ground with some folks. The issue could be that the app is know hosted on Microsoft servers and it’s no loger a peer to peer method of communication. The app though is going to allow you to make calls to landlines. You need to add credit to your Skype phone to be able to do this. You can make calls to other users on the app for free just as you would with GoogleHangouts. The big difference then is the phone option. There are other apps out there we’ve mentioned, but the features that they offer are really similar.
Does Google Hangouts Work Internationally – Conclusion
We’ve essentially answered the main question about Google Hangouts working internationally. It does “work”. The problem is that you’re not going to be able to access the phone feature at all. As we also mentioned Google seems to be removing some of the features that the app offered initially. The whole phone option could get transferred to Google Voice. It’s an awkward branding issue that Google is going through these days. Essentially Google Hangouts came out as a way to rival Skype initially. Now, Zoom has just overtaken both of these apps out of the blue. This has left Google scrambling to try and find a way to make this app useful.
From the information that we’ve been able to gather it seems like sooner or later Google Hangouts could be an app destined to disappear. There’s no clear indication that this will be the case any time soon. The thing is, Google Voice which is a new app on the G-Suite offers a lot of the same things that we had found on Google Hangouts. Our best advice if you’re an avid user of this particular app maybe to start looking at other options. Just so that you don’t get caught completely off guard if the app ultimately goes the way of the dodo!