How do I turn on Google Hangout notifications?

Google Hangouts is a communication platform developed by Google that allows users to message, video chat, and make phone calls with their Google contacts. Hangouts is available through the mobile app and web browser, and integrates with Gmail and Google+.

Notifications are an important feature of Hangouts that allow users to stay updated on new messages, calls, video chats, and other activity within the app. When enabled, notifications will display as pop-ups, banners, or badges on a user’s device when Hangouts detects new communication. Users can customize notification settings to control when, where, and how notifications appear.

This guide will provide step-by-step instructions for how to turn on Google Hangout notifications across devices. Properly configuring notifications allows users to stay updated on Hangouts communication without having to manually check the app.

Check Notification Settings on Your Device

The first step in turning on Google Hangout notifications is to open the Settings app on your device. On Android, open the Settings app and tap on Notifications to view the various notification settings. On iOS, open the Settings app and tap on Notifications to customize notifications ^[1]^, ^[2]. This is where you can control notifications across all apps.

Enable Notifications for the Hangouts App

To enable notifications for Google Hangouts on your Android device:

1. Open the Hangouts app.

2. Tap on your profile icon in the top left corner.

3. Tap on Settings.

4. Under “General Settings”, toggle “Notifications” on.

This will enable notifications for Hangouts so you get alerted about new messages, video calls, and other activity. You can further customize notifications in the next section.

Source: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079661?hl=en

Customize Notification Sounds

You can choose a unique sound for Hangouts notifications so you can easily identify when a message comes in from that app. Here’s how to customize the notification sound on Android:

Open the Settings app and go to Apps & notifications > Notifications > Default apps > Hangouts. Tap Sound and you’ll see options for notification sounds. The default is to use the default notification sound you have set for all apps.

To change the Hangouts notification sound, tap a different sound from the list or tap Add next to My Sounds to select an audio file stored on your phone. This way, you can set a custom sound that is unique for Hangouts notifications. You may want to choose a tone that is distinct from notification sounds used by other apps so you can easily recognize when a Hangouts message arrives (Source).

After choosing a custom sound for Hangouts notifications, you will hear that sound every time you get a new message in Hangouts instead of the default notification sound.

Set Notification Priority

You can make Hangouts notifications a high priority so they always show up prominently and persistently on your device. On Android 8.0 and higher, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > Conversations to set notification priorities.

Find Hangouts in the list and tap it. Then change the Importance from Medium to High. This will make Hangouts notifications pop up prominently and bypass Do Not Disturb.

On Android 7 and lower, go to Settings > Apps > Hangouts > Notifications. Tap Importance and select Urgent to make Hangouts notifications a high priority.

You can also long press on any Hangouts notification and choose “Priority” to make that specific conversation urgent (per Computerworld). This will notify you even when Do Not Disturb is on.

Enable Pop-up Notifications

One of the best ways to get noticed when you receive a Hangouts message is to enable pop-up notifications. With pop-up notifications enabled, you’ll see a preview of new messages pop up on your screen when you receive them in Hangouts (1). This allows you to see who the message is from and a snippet of what it says without having to open the Hangouts app.

To enable pop-up notifications for Hangouts on an Android device:

Open the Hangouts app.
Tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
Tap Settings.

Tap your account name.
Toggle “Pop on screen” to the on position.

On an iPhone or iPad:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Notifications.
Scroll down and tap Hangouts.

Toggle “Allow Notifications” on.
Under Alert Style, choose “Banners” or “Alerts.”

With pop-up notifications enabled, Hangouts messages will display as a pop-up preview on your device when received. This makes it easy to see new messages as they come in without having to constantly check the Hangouts app.

(1) “Is there a good iPhone-like notification popup app?” Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyNote8/comments/7s6dxw/is_there_a_good_iphonelike_notification_popup_app/

Show Preview Text in Notifications

You can enable preview text in notifications on both iOS and Android to see a snippet of the message before opening it. On iOS, go to Settings > Notifications and toggle on “Show Previews” to see a preview of the notification message on the lock screen and in the notification center. Certain apps like Messages allow you to set the preview style to “When Unlocked” so previews only show when your phone is unlocked for extra privacy.

On Android, open the app’s notification settings by long pressing the notification and tapping the (i) icon. Enable “Show message preview” and select how much of the message to display as the preview. You can choose between no preview, a short preview, and a full preview. This gives you quick context without needing to open the notification.

Enabling preview text is useful to get an idea of the notification’s purpose without disrupting your current app. Previews also allow you to triage notifications and decide which ones require immediate attention. However, keep privacy in mind when enabling previews for certain apps and messages.

Get Notifications for Specific Contacts

One useful feature available on both iOS and Android is the ability to customize notifications for specific contacts. This allows you to assign unique notification sounds or pop-up alerts for your most important contacts or “VIPs.” Here’s how to enable per-contact notifications:

On Android, open the Contacts app and select a contact. Tap “Menu” then “All settings.” Scroll down and enable “Priority notifications” to make this contact’s notifications pop-up over any other app. You can also tap “Custom notifications” to pick a special ringtone or vibration just for this person.

On iPhone, open the Contacts app and select a person. Tap “Edit” in the upper right, then tap “Ringtone” or “Text Tone.” This will let you assign custom sounds that will play whenever this contact calls, texts, or sends other notifications. You can also enable “Emergency Bypass” to let this person’s calls always ring through even in Do Not Disturb mode.

Setting custom notifications for VIP contacts is an easy way to never miss an important update. Whether it’s your family, boss, or best friend, giving them a unique notification sound can help their messages stand out. Just remember to set notification permissions in each individual app as well.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having issues with notifications not showing up properly in Google Hangouts, here are some troubleshooting tips:

Check that notifications are enabled for Hangouts in your device settings. Open Settings, go to Apps & Notifications > Notifications and select Hangouts. Make sure that Allow Notifications is toggled on and the notification style is set to your preference. You can also adjust notification sounds here.

Make sure notification access is enabled for Hangouts. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Special app access > Notification access and ensure Hangouts is enabled.

Check Do Not Disturb settings. If your device is set to Do Not Disturb mode during certain times, you will not get Hangouts notifications. Turn off DND or customize the settings so Hangouts is not blocked.

Force stop and clear cache/data for Hangouts app. Go to Settings > Apps, select Hangouts, Force Stop, then Clear Cache and Clear Data. Reopen Hangouts and re-enable notifications.

Restart your device. A simple reboot can often resolve app issues like missing notifications. Power down your phone, wait 30 seconds, then power it back on.

Update Android and Hangouts to latest versions. Make sure you are running the newest Android OS and have updated Hangouts via Google Play Store. Older app/OS versions may have notification bugs.

Check if Hangouts notifications work on another device. If you get Hangouts alerts on a different phone or tablet, the issue is isolated to your original device.

Conclusion

In summary, there are a few key steps to enable notifications for Google Hangouts:

First, ensure notifications are enabled for the Hangouts app in your device settings. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Hangouts and toggle notifications on.

Second, in the Hangouts app itself, go to Settings > Notifications and customize the notification sound, vibration, and priority level. Enable pop-up notifications if desired.

Third, go to Settings > Contacts in the Hangouts app to enable notifications for specific contacts. This way, you’ll only get notified when those contacts message you.

Following these steps will allow you to get notified when you receive Hangouts messages. Play around with the notification settings to optimize notifications to your preferences.