Everything “just worked.” The call was smooth, the audio was clear, there was no echo, and I didn’t even think about the app itself during the call. Upon opening the app, I was greeted with the same UI I had become accustomed to from my previous-but-limited user experiences. She’s an iPhone user, but it was trivially easy for her to download and install Duo while I simply used the web app on my Chromebook. I remember calling my sister with it over the summer of 2020. But once in a blue moon, you get a service like Duo. Occasionally you get something like Stadia, which would have been massively disappointing at launch even if Google had managed to slap a big ole beta label on it, like it should have. Most of the time, you just take your lumps with missing features or performance wonkiness ( think Youtube Music). The obvious downside to early-adopters like myself are the rough edges that can come with early releases. Arguably this policy gave us many of the apps and services we rely on daily (Gmail, Drive, Maps, etc). Essentially employees were free to spend 20% of their time on projects they thought would benefit Google that were outside of their core job.

I attribute this digital wanderlust to the old twenty percent policy that Google adopted at its inception. Back in those days, it felt like Google was always experimenting with things and trying to find problems to solve, even though they began life as a search company.

Calls to Hangouts users are free, but other calls might be charged.I have always been one of Google’s early-adopters, ever since the initial roll out of Gmail. Notes: Mobile carrier and ISP charges may apply. Message contacts anytime, even if they’re offline.Keep in touch with contacts across Android, iOS, and the web, and sync chats across all your devices.Connect your Google Voice account for phone calling, SMS texting, and voicemail integration.Call any phone number in the world (and all calls to other Hangouts users are free!).Turn any conversation into a free group video call with up to 10 contacts.Say more with status messages, photos, videos, maps, emoji, stickers, and animated GIFs.Include all your contacts with group chats for up to 150 people.Message contacts, start free video or voice calls, and hop on a conversation with one person or a group.

Hangouts app download free