This is Google Voice calling — via Hangouts.
The tech giant announced Wednesday that Google Voice calls would integrate with the Hangouts service. Your Google Voice number will remain the same, but there are a few different ways to start calling from Hangouts, depending on what device you’re using.
Here are the three ways to make calls, via your laptop, Android or iOS device.
1. Laptop
Open Hangouts and log on on your account. When you look at your list of contacts, you’ll notice a search bar right at the top. Click on it, and your friend list will go into alphabetical order. You’ll also see the appearance of a phone icon on the upper right corner.
Click on the phone icon, and from there, you can type two different things.
- Name: Type in the desired person’s name, and their number will pop up, so long as they’ve made their number available to you. Press enter and the call will start.
- Phone number: Put in the specific Google Voice or phone number, and press Enter. The call should start immediately.
2. Android
Once you have the Hangouts app on your phone, make sure to download the Hangouts Dialer, which will turn on the phone call function in the app.
Next, open the Hangouts Dialer. There’ll be a dial pad icon. Press that, and you can type in the number you want to call. Then just press the phone icon to connect the call.
If you’re in the middle of a Hangout with someone you want to call, you should notice a phone icon in the Hangout box. Click it and you’ll be connected.
3. iOS
Download the latest Google Hangouts app. The new voice calling option is already included, so you don’t have to download any extra features. Open the app and you’ll notice the bottom row has four options, including “Call.”
There are two quick ways to make calls.
- Press “Calls”: This option will take you to a page of your calls, where you’ll see a dial pad icon in the upper righthand corner. If you click that, you can type in a number you want to call and be connected immediately.
- Scroll and select: If you’re looking at your contact list, just scroll through and pick the person you want to call. On the top of your selected Hangout will be a row of options, which includes a phone icon that says “Voice.” Click that and the call will begin.
Source: Mashable