Google Hangouts launched in 2013 as Google's all-in-one messaging and video calling app, and its cheerful incoming call chime became the default ring for voice calls placed through the service. When Google wound Hangouts down in 2022 and moved users to Google Chat, the sound took on a second life as retro internet shorthand, much like the Discord call chime, signalling a call or message in memes and edits. Creators keep using it because almost everyone who lived through the 2010s recognises the ring instantly.
About this sound
The Google Hangouts incoming voice call chime, a short digital ringtone from the messaging app. Creators use it for fake calls, notification gags and chat memes.
This half-second clip captures the default incoming voice call chime from Google Hangouts, a bright two-tone digital ring made of soft synthetic bells. It plays once as a short, cheery loop that instantly tells anyone nearby a call is coming through. To a viewer the sound feels familiar and slightly nostalgic, recalling the era of browser-based video calls and office chats. It creates a small jolt of anticipation, the Pavlovian urge to pick up, which is exactly why editors drop it under fake call gags and prank setups.
