How to enable Google Hangouts on the Pixel, Android Central
How to enable Google Hangouts on the Pixel
By Daniel Bader Thursday, Oct 20, two thousand sixteen at 7:00 am EDT
Get your Hangouts back!
The Pixel ships with Android 7.1, Google’s latest version of Nougat that includes a number of improvements. But some Pixel owners may find a surprising omission when they blast up the Pixel for the very first time: a lack of Google Hangouts.
Some versions of the Pixel are shipping with Hangouts installed on the device but disabled, as Google attempts to shove people towards its fresh talk app, Allo. But if you, like me, are one of the remaining Hangouts diehards, here’s how to re-enable it and get back to your old habits.
How to enable Hangouts on the Pixel
- On the home screen, swipe down from the notification shade.
- Tap on the Settings cog.
Scroll down and tap on Apps.
After that, you can head to the Play Store and update the app to the latest version.
That’s it! Now you can get back to using Hangouts and overlooking Allo, like the good ol’ days.
Google Pixel + Pixel XL
Reader comments
How to enable Google Hangouts on the Pixel
How do the project Fi pixels work then? One of the features of Fi is to be able to sync your calls and texts with Hangouts.
I cannot confirm this but I hypothesize that when activating a Project Fi SIM, it will also enable Hangouts.
To this day the fattest power hog app I had.
At this point I don’t think even Google has a coherent strategy for messaging. They have a standard SMS app with Messenger. They had Google Voice. Then Hangouts emerged and it was available across devices and could do talk and SMS. The functionality was flawless – the software just needed attention and refinement. Nah, let’s eliminate SMS functionality from Hangouts and "pivot" Hangouts towards "enterprise." Now let’s release Allo but tie it to a single device. Why not maintain Hangouts and add the Assistant features into it and modernize it so you can rival with iMessage and hammer it with the cross-platform capabilities of Hangouts? Nah. So here I am using Textra or EvolveSMS as Hangouts leisurely fades into seemingly-planned obscurity. Less capability and ubiquity means less users, which means less reason to develop the app and the death spiral resumes. Google’s schizophrenic treatment to apps and messaging in particular can be very frustrating. I’m an Android user by choice so I like options, but concentrate and refinement are things Google’s own apps are lacking in many arenas. Hell, at least I got my Android 7.1.1 Beta for my 6P, but they liquidated Night Mode (which was fully functional in 7.0!). Why, who knows? I love my 6P but sometimes I’m glad i have my 6S Plus and Lumia nine hundred thirty just to maintain objectivity and perspective (and my beloved Pre3).
TL;DR – I need more coffee (or less)
Until Allo can treat SMS and is supported by project fi no way I can make a utter transition. Even using the messenger app takes ways one of fi’s best features, treating calls and SMS through Chrome.
Yam-sized issue. which should have been taken care of before Allo was released.
Sorry google, without calling support on Allo with GV number, it is a no-go for me. I am not on FI, so do not give me that excuse.
Dont have issues using Allo if it could work with SMS and also on numerous devices at once. Working like WhatsApp is crap, I know they are targeting India or whatever but WhatsApp is not good that it works only on one device. We want cloud based solutions like hangouts, messenger or even iMessage. Not crappy WhatsApp.
WhatsApp may be crap for you, but in India where most of the population is still on 2G and the state of the networks is crap, device-based WhatsApp is a god-send. Allo just suspends waiting to download the talk from your precious cloud.
It’s weird to me that Google is throwing Hangouts like this. I actually use a Regular number and then a GV number for work. So I use to hangouts for work texts and messenger for individual. I also use hangouts for voicemail.
Are they planning on just killing this off? It’s one of the big reasons I use Android.
This seems beyond stupid, people have been using hangouts for years and years and on the brand fresh google phone they have to somehow find it and enable it? Guess 24/7 live support is going to be getting some calls! It’s been said ad nausea um but they indeed screwed up making allo a mobile only thing tied to a phone number. It needed to be blended into hangouts not a separate lil bastardo
Why didn’t they just update hangouts and rename the damn thing.
It truly has become ridiculous. From Google, we now having Messaging (not too shabby for SMS but thrown under the sofa to use Signal instead), Google Voice (which I keep in order to have a 2nd number that I can more effectively control callers and visual voicemail), Hangouts (which I would uninstall except that I need it to make VOIP calls with Google Voice), and now Allo (which no one I know has downloaded yet). My fantasy would be an updated Voice app and then to uninstall all the rest to only use Signal, Telegram and GV. I’ve already long ago uninstalled FB Messenger and only use Whatsapp sparingly if compelled to by friends (but I never initiated a connection from it). This entire messaging race is a friggin con. I will give credit to Duo as the interface and workflow is lighter than Hangouts for Movie.
What are you guys all doing?
Just give Allo SMS support and I’ll freaking use it!