3 Popular Google Apps for Glass

Because Glass is a Google product, it makes sense that Google made some of its most popular apps available for Glass on the day the device was released.


Hangouts is Google’s instant-messaging (IM) app that allows you to connect in a live text or video chat with anyone who’s using the Hangouts app on a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

You can send photos to other Hangouts members while you’re on a text or video chat, and when you’re on a video chat, other people can see what you’re viewing on your Glass.

You should download Hangouts, not only because this app is a great use of Glass, but also because Glass Guides (which is what Google calls Glass support representatives) may ask you to engage in a Hangout if you have a problem.

Google Play Music

Google has its own music catalog on the Google Play website, so it probably comes as no surprise that Google created an app for Glass that allows you to access the Play Music website directly without having to visit the Google Play site.

You can use the Play Music app to find songs and albums, purchase songs and albums, and download them to Glass so you can play songs whenever you want without having to fumble for your smartphone and/or headphones.

Google makes it easy to use the Glass interface to navigate the Play Music catalog. You can search by song, album, or artist. You can also create a playlist of your favorite songs so you can play one or more songs within that playlist.

You don’t even have to use the touchpad to listen to a song. While you’re viewing the timeline screen, you can just say “OK Glass, listen to. . .” followed by the name of the song, album, playlist, or all songs by the artist.

When you listen to an album or playlist, the app starts playing the first song in the album or playlist. If you listen to all songs by an artist, the app finds the first song by the artist you downloaded and starts to play that song.



Google purchased the video-sharing website YouTube in 2006, and YouTube is easily one of the most popular websites today. Because taking videos is a popular use of Glass, Mr. Spock would agree that it’s logical that Google created a YouTube app for Glass so you can share the videos you take on Glass easily.

Here’s a quick primer on how to publish your videos by using the YouTube app for Glass:

  1. Record the video or select the card in the timeline that contains the video you want to share.

  2. Tap the touchpad and then choose Share from the menu.

  3. Choose the channel to which you want to publish your video.

    You can choose the default channel you created when you set up your YouTube account, or you can select another channel.

  4. Choose the privacy setting you want to use.

    You can choose Public (all YouTube users can watch the video), Unlisted (only you can watch it), or Private (only invited YouTube users can watch it).

    The YouTube app publishes your Glass video to the channel automatically. When the app finishes publishing the video, it plays the uploaded video so you can verify that it looks as you expect.


You can also verify that your video uploaded correctly by opening YouTube on another device, such as your computer, and opening the appropriate channel to see whether the video is there.