Google introduced Helpouts last year to HELP PEOPLE OUT (yeah that’s where they got the name). The system works through Hangouts, letting people connect with experts for paid or free video chats that are about solving a specific problem, rather than just shooting the breeze with pals as we all do on Hangouts all the time. Now Helpouts is available on iOS thanks to a new app.
Helpouts for iOS works like Helpouts on the web, offering users the ability to connect to any of the free video chats made available on the Google-powered platform. That’s likely because trying to offer the paid variety through Apple would incur its standard developer fee of 30 percent for transactions made through its mobile OS, and that’s something that isn’t worth Google’s time or that it just doesn’t want to do.
Helpouts launched for Android back in November of last year, so the Apple-friendly follow-up is a bit of a laggard. The app offers expert ratings, as well as scheduling of sessions with experts, and participation in sessions directly from their device. The app is free and designed specifically for iPhone.