A Guide for Fixing Audio and Video Problems on Google Hangouts
If you need to get in touch with your friends, family or colleagues, then Google Hangouts is the best solution for you. This Google messaging service – launched in 2013 during the messaging app craze – is very simple and intuitive to use. You can message the people you know through the Hangouts chat, which gives you the possibility of sending text, emojis and other types of files. Then, there’s the option of making phone calls or video calls. Keep in mind that Hangouts is connected to your Google Account, therefore you’ll need to create one, if you haven’t already.
Sometimes, during video calls, you could unfortunately encounter issues, like your audio or video not working properly. You’ll notice whether you’re having such issues right away in the moment you start a video call, because the other person (or people) taking part in the meeting won’t be able to hear you or see you.
We made an article talking about ways in which you can solve phone calls problems, and right now we’re going to give you some tips on how to fix issues with your audio and video while on a Hangouts video call from computer; just keep reading!
Step 1) Hardware check
- first of all, make sure your microphone, camera, and speakers are plugged in to your computer and turned on (microphone shouldn’t be muted)
- check if you need to install a software from the device manufacture if you connect any of your hardware using USB
- see if other programs on your computer are using your microphone, camera, or speakers
- then, at the bottom of the video call window, make sure you’ve turned on the microphone
or camera
Step 2) Hangouts settings
- click Settings
at the top of your video call window
Now, make sure that the correct device is selected for each setting (change it using the Down arrow 
- Camera
: if your camera is working, you’ll see your video on the top right
- Microphone
- Speakers
: to test your speakers, click Test
Step 3) Restart your call and your computer
Sometimes, the good old turn-off-turn-on approach works perfectly, therefore:
- exit, and then rejoin the video call
- if that doesn’t do anything, restart your computer altogether
Step 4) Ask the other video call participant to follow the steps above
If you’re not the one having problems, meaning that you can’t see or hear the other person instead, ask them to troubleshoot by following the same instructions.
But if you still can’t fix the issue, consider visiting the Hangouts forum to get help from knowledgeable people who use the app.
Step 5) Review Google Meet system requirements
Google Meet video calls are also available in classic Hangouts, but Google Meet and classic Hangouts have different system requirements. Learn more about requirements for Google Meet here.
Step 6) Send feedback
Finally, in this last step, after you tried everything we mentioned above, you should send comments, suggestions, or technical issues about Hangouts video calls directly to Google:
- at the top of your video call window, click on More
- now, select “Feedback”
- on the left, choose whether you want to include a screenshot: a screenshot can really help with technical problems
- describe the problem you’re having, and be as specific as you can
- lastly, click Send
