IT people - please help!

benmurray85

Before I ask this please assume that I am an absolute IT idiot when responding!

I'm in deep here guys, I have to do a video call via "google hangouts" later this afternoon. I'm at work at the moment and will have to rush home to take the call on my personal laptop (Mac) so I wont have time to download anything or practice etc.

Firstly can you use Google hangout on Mac? Also is it really easy to use and does it require you to download anything?

Oh and the people Im speaking with want to do screenshare? This is safe isnt it?

I'm panicking and would appreciate your help here guys....... 

HAL9000

Is this for your employer? Let them sort it out.

benmurray85

No it’s not for my employer 

IntoTheRough

Google hangouts is web-based so it can run on anything that has a web browser (Chrome, Firefox etc.). It doesn't require anything to install as far as I remember but just get to your laptop as early as possible just in case it takes 30 seconds to add a plugin or something (this will be very light and uninteractive process so don't worry!).

Obviously you'll need to make sure your microphone is enabled and possibly camera if they want video.

Screen share is safe - depends on the app but they'll probably ask you to install teamview or something (unless Hangouts can do that - not that I'm aware).

You can actually use hangouts via your phone - I use it at work on my iPhone to connect remote workers with us in the office for our morning call.

spark240

I use Hangout on my Ipad no problem..its all good...I didn  have it initially, someone sent me an invite and it just downloaded and started ...easy. 

benmurray85

IntoTheRough said:

Google hangouts is web-based so it can run on anything that has a web browser (Chrome, Firefox etc.). It doesn't require anything to install as far as I remember but just get to your laptop as early as possible just in case it takes 30 seconds to add a plugin or something (this will be very light and uninteractive process so don't worry!).

Obviously you'll need to make sure your microphone is enabled and possibly camera if they want video.

Screen share is safe - depends on the app but they'll probably ask you to install teamview or something (unless Hangouts can do that - not that I'm aware).

You can actually use hangouts via your phone - I use it at work on my iPhone to connect remote workers with us in the office for our morning call.

Brilliant thank you. I was hoping for FaceTime as I’m comfortable with that but they need to do it over hangouts so you’ve stopped me
worrying a bit!

darthed1981

I've used Hangouts once or twice, absolutely fine, though I found it a bit slow compared to some others, but it works and that's all that matters.

joneve

Hangouts is fine, but bear in mind, you'll need to use Google Chrome for it to work on your Mac as (last time I checked), it wasn't compatible with Safari (and it works best with Chrome anyway). 

benmurray85

joneve said:

Hangouts is fine, but bear in mind, you'll need to use Google Chrome for it to work on your Mac as (last time I checked), it wasn't compatible with Safari (and it works best with Chrome anyway). 

Ah really? This is where I’m going to come unstuck then. I only have whatever the Mac browser is and won’t have the technical know how or the time to be able to change it before the meeting

oh_pollo

Yeah, download it onto your phone first - at least you'll have a back up.

Axe_meister

Installing Chrome is a piece of piss search for "install Chrome", click the link and away it goes.

joneve

benmurray85 said:

joneve said:

Hangouts is fine, but bear in mind, you'll need to use Google Chrome for it to work on your Mac as (last time I checked), it wasn't compatible with Safari (and it works best with Chrome anyway). 

Ah really? This is where I’m going to come unstuck then. I only have whatever the Mac browser is and won’t have the technical know how or the time to be able to change it before the meeting

hold on....let me check now. 

joneve

Ok, it works, but it'll force you to install the Google Voice and Video plugin. You literally just follow the intstructions on screen to download it. Double click the downloaded file and it will step-by-step install. It legitimately took me less than 60 seconds. 

joneve

Axe_meister said:

Installing Chrome is a piece of piss search for "install Chrome", click the link and away it goes.

or do this...either way should be simple. 

monquixote

I use hangouts on a Mac for work everday.

Just do it through Chrome as that will always be the slickest (all Google)

It already supports screen share.

benmurray85

monquixote said:

I use hangouts on a Mac for work everday.

Just do it through Chrome as that will always be the slickest (all Google)

It already supports screen share.

Thank you. I really think that I would struggle to download a browser and would certainly struggle figuring out how to run the programme in that browser (I assume it’ll default to the Mac browser?)

im going to get home in good time and see what I can do. Thanks for all the tips guys 

joneve

benmurray85 said:

monquixote said:

I use hangouts on a Mac for work everday.

Just do it through Chrome as that will always be the slickest (all Google)

It already supports screen share.

Thank you. I really think that I would struggle to download a browser and would certainly struggle figuring out how to run the programme in that browser (I assume it’ll default to the Mac browser?)

im going to get home in good time and see what I can do. Thanks for all the tips guys 

as said above, open your current browser and bash "install chrome" into your search bar or into google search. 

the top result will likely be the one you'll need. 

Once you click install, the rest is pretty much done for you  

benmurray85

Thank you guys! I know I’m frustrating but I shall give it a shot! 

TimmyO

You can be invited into a hangout even if you don't have a Google/Gmail account (access via chrome as folk have said)

If you want to use a hangouts app you need a Google/gmail account to log in with 

benmurray85

Job done - thanks guys. Had to download Chrome which was (shamefully) a struggle but I got sorted with the hangout. Luckily the other persons internet was terrible so we just wound up speaking over the phone.

Is it just me who finds the whole concept of video calling strangers extremely odd/uncomfortable?

Thanks all...

EricTheWeary

Bloody hell it was an IT question I could have answered!

I have Hangouts on my iPad and on my phone and whilst I don't use it much for video it's what we use as a family for messaging most of the time.