How to enable Q&A app on Google Hangouts on air

Question

Google Hangouts on air has useful application called Q&A.

It allows watchers to ask speakers with text questions and even vote on these questions. In user interface, you can enable this feature for certain event on your G+ page.

How do I enable Q&A session for Hangouts on Air programmatically? Currently in my project I launch Google Hangouts using the code described in docs here:

<script src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js" async defer></script>
<div id="placeholder-div5"></div>
<script>
  gapi.hangout.render('placeholder-div5', {
    'topic': 'cats',
    'render': 'createhangout',
    'hangout_type': 'onair',
    'initial_apps': [{'app_id' : '184219133185', 'start_data' : 'dQw4w9WgXcQ', 'app_type' : 'ROOM_APP' }],
    'widget_size': 72
  });
</script>

Then when I start broadcasting and try to launch Q&A app (clicking its icon at the left side of Hangouts window) it says "This feature is disabled".

Is there any way to do it?

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 26 '16 at 13:24

Using the code snippet you provided, I managed to get Q&A working.

When you click the Q&A button, the toggle button changes from off to on for a short while, then flips back. I'm not sure why this is the case, but even though the button changed back to off, Q&A is still enabled. Just start the broadcast, and Q&A will be activated.

score -1 · Answer 2 · edited May 01 '15 at 18:13

-1

If you open the hangout from Google+ Hangout button like the one on your code snipet, the Q&A will not be completly disabled. By that I mean you can enable it by swiching the toggle botton on the top of the app...

Hangout Q&A toggle switch

But if you start the hangout from the onAir page (https://plus.google.com/hangouts/onair) you will need to you will need to explicitly enable/disable the Q&A app explicitly by clicking on the the app icon...

enter image description here

edited May 01 '15 at 18:13

Thomas Pereira

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answered Apr 19 '15 at 08:57

Teddy

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Actually I start Google Hangouts from my site using Hangouts button rendered by special Javascript as I described in question (not from G+ interface) and when I am trying to turn it on as you show on first screenshot the switch goes to ON position for a few seconds and then returns to OFF – zavg Apr 20 '15 at 09:41
If you wait for it after you clicked the toggle (not rush it and click it again), it will actualy starts as you can see from the picture (which by the was a screenshot of hangout started from my website exacly like yours). – Teddy Apr 20 '15 at 15:15

score -1 · Answer 3 · answered May 28 '15 at 01:55

To disable Hangouts On Air:

Sign in to the Google Admin console. Click Apps > Additional Google Services > Google+. Where is it? Click Sharing settings.

In the Organizations section, select the organization for which you want to set the Hangouts On Air option.

If you don't see an Org Settings or Organizations section, you probably have only one organization in your domain and can therefore skip this step. Select the top-level organization to enforce the same settings for your entire organization. You can also specify different settings for each organizational unit. If you have a lot of organizations, click the + button to expand your options.

In the Hangout options section, select or deselect Allow Hangouts On Air.

How to enable Q&A app on Google Hangouts on air

3 Answers3