Google brought its communication services under the Hangouts banner not too long ago, it is now a one-stop solution for instant messaging between Android devices and computers as well as video calls. Unfortunately those who used the service on Google’s own Chrome browser would require a Google Hangouts plugin before they were able to video chat. It seems troublesome in this day and age to make users download plugins if they can use a specific service. The good news is that Chrome users will no longer require a plugin to video chat via Hangouts.

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Yesterday an update was rolled out that made it much more easier to start Hangouts video calls. Users will be able to launch Hangouts in Chrome without first having to download and install a plugin. Simply clicking on the Hangout icon is good enough.

Since Chrome is a Google property its no surprise that this luxury will only be limited to users of its web browser. Those who use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or any other browser will be required to download and install a plugin before they can video chat. Unless they’re willing to change browsers, they’ll be stuck with the plugin for now.

The aforementioned update is currently available for all Chrome Dev and Canary users. It will be available for all Chrome users over the coming weeks, so just sit tight and wait for the browser to be updated.

Filed in . Read more about Chrome and Google Hangouts.