How to delete your Google Hangouts account, or change its settings so you won't receive calls

The only way to delete your Google Hangouts account is to delete your entire Google account; Hangouts is inextricably linked to your main Google account.
If you don’t want to delete your entire Google account, you can change your Hangouts settings so that no one can contact you.
You can also delete the Google Hangouts mobile app, so that none of its data will be on your phone.
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Google Hangouts is a great platform for friends or family who want to congregate in a digital group, as well as for companies to create virtual meetings. Hangouts sessions can consist of voice, video, and chat exchanges, which makes them a versatile tool.

On the other hand, if you don’t need to use Hangouts but keep getting requests, it might just be annoying. Sudden chat windows and calls can interrupt your workflow and clutter up your screen easily.

So if you never use Google Hangouts, why not just delete it?

Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy to delete a Google Hangouts account as you might like.

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You can't delete your Google Hangouts account without deleting your Google account

Hangouts is built into your Google account - this means that the only way to delete Hangouts is to delete your Google account entirely.

If you don't want to do this, however, you have a few options for making your Hangouts account less intrusive.

Here's what you need to know, whether you're using Google Hangouts on your Mac, PC, iPhone, or Android device.

How to turn off Google Hangouts alerts

You can limit how people contact you on Hangouts, essentially disabling it so you can't be bothered.

On your Mac or PC, go to hangouts.google.com and log into your account, then follow these steps.

1. Click the three bars at top-left to open a menu, then click "Settings."

2. Click "Customize invite settings."

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Foto: You'll need to change who can contact you through the invites menu. Source: Steven John/Business Insider

3. Under "People with your phone number" and "People with your email address," change the option to "Can send you an invitation" (instead of "Can contact you directly").

4. Under "Everyone else," choose "Can't send invites."

5. Click on your profile picture at the top-right of the screen and hit "Sign out."

Now no one can contact you directly, though people who have your info can still invite you to a hangout. You may receive an email when this happens, which you can easily delete.

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Foto: Change your settings so you can't be invited. Source: Steven John/Business Insider

To limit Hangouts' intrusions on your phone, consider turning off Hangouts notifications in your Settings app. Or better yet, just delete your Hangouts app.