Google Hangout vs Facebook Video Chat
Online social networks have become the most popular method of interaction between users on the internet. Facebook, with over 750+ million users worldwide, is the most popular online social network. Google recently introduced their own social network, Google+, as a direct competitor to Facebook. Many of Google+’s features are quite similar to Facebook, so it is not expected to become a Facebook killer. However, the video chat features offered by Google+, known as Google+ Hangout, are said to attract many users due to its group chatting ability. Around the same time Google+ was announced, Facebook partnered with Skype (now owned by Microsoft), and introduced the Facebook Video Chat feature (a Skype-powered video calling feature), hoping to negate the impact claimed to be created by the novelty of the Google+ Hangout feature.
What is Facebook Video Chat?
Facebook (Skype) video chat does not offer group chat capabilities. The reason provided by Facebook for opting out of group chat is that one-to-one video chat is more popular on Skype compared to group chat (although group chat in Skype is a paid product and that could be a reason for this lack of popularity as well). Because Skype is reluctant to remove the pay barrier for premium users (in order to use group chat), it will take a considerable amount of time before Facebook adds group video chat to the Facebook Video Chat feature. If all your friends are using Facebook, then the Facebook Video Chat is the best option for a one-to-one video chat, especially since you don’t have to download the Skype client or register for Skype (and you can initiate the call from either your home page or the profile page of the friend you want to chat with). However, Facebook Video Chat does not work with mobile phones yet.
What is Google Hangout?
Google+ Hangout is a video calling feature, which offers group chat capability. It is free for all Facebook users. Up to 10 people can join a single Hangout group chat session. Google has developed this feature in such a way that the video stream is automatically focused on the person currently talking. Depending on the features it provides, this is ideal for a group chat with friends or a serious team call at the office. However, it may not be ideal for one-on-one video chats due to the slightly complex setup and steps involved (such as sending invites). Instead, the Google video call feature can be used for one-to-one video chats (which works very similar to Skype and Facebook video calls). Google has not yet developed a mobile application for Google+ Hangout.
What is the difference between Google Hangout and Facebook Video Chat?
Key Takeaways
- Google+ Hangout offers group video chat, while Facebook Video Chat is limited to one-to-one video chat.
- In terms of usability, Facebook Video Chat is less complex for one-to-one video chat than Google+ Hangout (although Google video call can be used for one-to-one video calls).
- Google+ Hangout is better for people trying to have a relaxed conversation with lots of friends or a very serious team call, while an advantage of Facebook Video Chat is that it allows users to use the Skype video chat service anonymously, and even without installing the client.
