(Note: as of September 20, 2011, the mobile instant messaging feature
of Google+ has been renamed from “Huddle” to “Messenger.” So, if you
are looking for help with Huddle, congratulations: you are in the right
place.)
Google has long provided its user with myriad avenues by which to communicate. First there was Gmail, then Gchat – now Google Talk – then video chat within Talk, then Google Voice, and now the tradition continues with Google+.
Even within Google+, there are several avenues of communication. You can leave comments on friends’ posts, chat with them instantly from your computer or start a Hangout with a bunch of friends, where you can chat and video conference as a group. That’s a pretty comprehensive set of options…but it wouldn’t be complete without a mobile solution, would it?
That’s exactly where the Messenger app for iOS and Android comes in.
(Note: all the screenshots in this tutorial are from the Google Mobile Blog, at googlemobile.blogspot.com.)
This the home screen of the Google+ mobile app. You can access Messenger by tapping the icon within this app, but as part of the installation process, Google+ also places a standalone icon for Messenger in the app tray. Either launch method will work just fine.
As IM apps go, Messenger is pretty straightforward. What sets it apart, however, is its group chat feature.
You can use Messenger to chat with not just one person from your Google+ network, but with an entire circle. Everyone can see each other’s chats, so it’s like one big group conversation, just as if you were all meeting up for drinks after work. You can even take and share photos with your friends from within Messenger.
For the most part, the two mobile apps are the same, regardless of platform. One newer feature that is only available on Android (version 2.3 and up) is the availability of mobile Hangouts. As of this writing, this feature is not yet available for iOS, but a compatible version is in the works.
You can either start your own Hangout in Messenger, or join an existing one by pressing the button in your Stream:
Remember from the separate article on the subject that Hangouts are designated spaces for Google+ friends to video chat with one another as a group. When you join a Hangout from your Mobile phone, you will see a launch screen – dubbed the “Green Room” by Google — first, just like when hanging out on your computer.
Click the green “Hang out” button to join the Hangout.
What you see is essentially a condensed version of the Hangouts you know and love. Participants are depicted at the top of the screen, settings and mute controls on the bottom and a little display of your camera feed on the lower right. You know, so you can make sure you don’t have anything hanging off your nose.
The Messenger mobile app is straightforward and intuitive to use, hence the simplicity of this tutorial. This ease of use is great, as it means you can spend less time learning about Messenger and more time tapping it to its powerful communication features.
Google has long provided its user with myriad avenues by which to communicate. First there was Gmail, then Gchat – now Google Talk – then video chat within Talk, then Google Voice, and now the tradition continues with Google+.
Even within Google+, there are several avenues of communication. You can leave comments on friends’ posts, chat with them instantly from your computer or start a Hangout with a bunch of friends, where you can chat and video conference as a group. That’s a pretty comprehensive set of options…but it wouldn’t be complete without a mobile solution, would it?
That’s exactly where the Messenger app for iOS and Android comes in.
(Note: all the screenshots in this tutorial are from the Google Mobile Blog, at googlemobile.blogspot.com.)
This the home screen of the Google+ mobile app. You can access Messenger by tapping the icon within this app, but as part of the installation process, Google+ also places a standalone icon for Messenger in the app tray. Either launch method will work just fine.
As IM apps go, Messenger is pretty straightforward. What sets it apart, however, is its group chat feature.
You can use Messenger to chat with not just one person from your Google+ network, but with an entire circle. Everyone can see each other’s chats, so it’s like one big group conversation, just as if you were all meeting up for drinks after work. You can even take and share photos with your friends from within Messenger.
For the most part, the two mobile apps are the same, regardless of platform. One newer feature that is only available on Android (version 2.3 and up) is the availability of mobile Hangouts. As of this writing, this feature is not yet available for iOS, but a compatible version is in the works.
You can either start your own Hangout in Messenger, or join an existing one by pressing the button in your Stream:
Remember from the separate article on the subject that Hangouts are designated spaces for Google+ friends to video chat with one another as a group. When you join a Hangout from your Mobile phone, you will see a launch screen – dubbed the “Green Room” by Google — first, just like when hanging out on your computer.
Click the green “Hang out” button to join the Hangout.
What you see is essentially a condensed version of the Hangouts you know and love. Participants are depicted at the top of the screen, settings and mute controls on the bottom and a little display of your camera feed on the lower right. You know, so you can make sure you don’t have anything hanging off your nose.
The Messenger mobile app is straightforward and intuitive to use, hence the simplicity of this tutorial. This ease of use is great, as it means you can spend less time learning about Messenger and more time tapping it to its powerful communication features.
No comments:
Post a Comment