Hangouts alternative?

[the block]

As I'm sure it has been with others, Google Hangouts is absolutely worthless to me. Why they did away with the completely functional Talk app, and replaced it with this hodgepodge is beyond me. I can't see who is online, everytime I want to chat with someone I have to invite them to a hangout, and it doesn't seem to work with people who aren't using google accounts, or at least they never respond to the invites, and I don't blame them. That is an idiotic method of initiating a chat with someone. I need an instant messaging app, not a social media app, not google+ being shoved down my throat, and no combination of the two. Just a good old fashioned IM app.

What I need:

• Ability to chat with Google/AIM networks
• Push capabilities. I want to get messages as they come in and I don't want my phone constantly checking for new messages burning through the battery.
• The ability to see who is online (a novel concept)
• Basically, Google Talk. I'm rooted, so if there's a way of getting it put back on the phone and have it work, I'm all ears. Something has to give as I can't be tethered to my desk at work in order to communicate via IM.

Can anyone suggest a solution for me? I really need to make a change, and am happy to get all the input I can. Thanks

 

[mysticmeg]

I feel your pain. On the one hand I've never used the Google talk app so can't really say anything but hangouts although I see it being an awesome all in one alternative for gmail users who cba with downloading Skype for video calling but the problem I have with it is when I'm sending a video call invite to my sister and even though I leave my hangouts signed in she doesn't seem to get my video call notification.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Chex313]

Welcome to 1998 and AOL...

I'm still getting over Latitude...My Google world is becoming less and less compelling every month!

 

[gabbott]

My opinion is that online status has become irrelevant these days. People have multiple devices and are more connected now. The indicator that tells when a message is read is a better tool for instant messaging.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[the block]

My opinion is that online status has become irrelevant these days. People have multiple devices and are more connected now. The indicator that tells when a message is read is a better tool for instant messaging.

Posted via Android Central App

This sounds more like email than instant messaging. You can send a read receipt along with those, too, if that's what's important to you.

I still believe there is no substitute for an online indicator if you need to communicate with someone quickly about something. After all, it is "instant" messaging after all, isn't it? If I need information about something quickly from someone and there are several people who can give it to me, I am going to pick someone who is listed as online to communicate with.

 

[gabbott]

This sounds more like email than instant messaging. You can send a read receipt along with those, too, if that's what's important to you.

I still believe there is no substitute for an online indicator if you need to communicate with someone quickly about something. After all, it is "instant" messaging after all, isn't it? If I need information about something quickly from someone and there are several people who can give it to me, I am going to pick someone who is listed as online to communicate with.

I think about it this way, for myself, since I always have my phone with me, I'm always online. If someone sends me a message, I'll choose when I'm going to respond. I could be sitting on the couch and someone sends me a message and it comes to my phone and I respond right away, or I might be sleeping and will respond when I wake up. I'm not going to update a status to say I'm available or that I'm not. But to that other person, other than me updating a status, how would they know the two different scenarios?

That's part of the issue with status, it usually relies on that user to update it. Some people do, others don't. So then you end up having to learn how each of the people you communicate with handle it.


For your usage, what about something like the trillian mobile app? I know it supports push for notifications so shouldn't be too bad on battery. Supports multiple chat services. Haven't used it in quite some time so don't know if it's still developed.

 

[sdmarathe]

I think about it this way, for myself, since I always have my phone with me, I'm always online. If someone sends me a message, I'll choose when I'm going to respond. I could be sitting on the couch and someone sends me a message and it comes to my phone and I respond right away, or I might be sleeping and will respond when I wake up. I'm not going to update a status to say I'm available or that I'm not. But to that other person, other than me updating a status, how would they know the two different scenarios?

For your usage, what about something like the trillian mobile app? I know it supports push for notifications so shouldn't be too bad on battery. Supports multiple chat services. Haven't used it in quite some time so don't know if it's still developed.

That's part of the issue with status, it usually relies on that user to update it. Some people do, others don't. So then you end up having to learn how each of the people you communicate with handle it. also we know there are alternatives- but people are frustrated at this pathetic downgrade that Google just did to a perfectly functional google talk.

 

[Rahabib]

If you dont care about AIM, Xabber works well with Google Talk. I am not sure if it uses push or polling, but once you log off and exit the app, the app is actually closed! which is a lot more than those other crappy apps like twitter etc. can say. However if you are logged off you wont be shown online of course and wont get notifications.

 

[aliasgarbabat]

RHUB web conferencing servers perfectly suits your online meeting requirements as mentioned above