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Curious to see what’s going on in the world? Want to share your world with others? Both? Check out Hang w/, a brand new social media app from MEDL Mobile that lets people stream and watch live videos between their phones.
Hang w/ can be fun whether you’re the broadcaster or the viewer. Bored with your life? Check in with others who are broadcasting and see what they’re doing. Doing something exciting? Share it with others on Hang w/. You’re never alone when you have Hang w/.
As one of the beta testers, I’ve been using this app since before its launch a few weeks ago so I can tell you how very addictive the app is. I’m warning you, if you try Hang w/ you may quickly start wondering what’s going on in the world of Hang w/. If you’re not on Hang w/, chances are you’re missing out on some fun.
Here’s a video showing you how you can Hang w/:
The possibilities of Hang w/ broadcasts are endless. I’ve watched a chef cooking, a guy broadcasting while he was driving (not recommended though I have a new appreciation for Los Angeles traffic jams now), people mountain biking in the desert, and loads of fun parties. I also got to watch a broadcast from a former NY Mets player who was attending a NY Yankees game.
If someone has a large following (1000+), chances are pretty good that they have interesting broadcasts, but the reverse isn’t necessarily true. The service is still brand-spanking new so not many people have a lot of followers yet. You could be among the first though!
Like other social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, your experience will vary tremendously based on the people you hang with. Some broadcasters are engaging, intriguing, fascinating and funny. Others, well, you can leave their broadcasts quickly if you aren’t interested in what you’re seeing.
Enjoying a fun broadcast? You can share it on Twitter and Facebook.
Broadcasters can archive their six favorite broadcasts which you can watch from their page. You can share these videos on Twitter and Facebook too.
Get Paid with Ads
Hang w/ allows people to broadcast live streaming videos in three-minute segments. Each video will start with a five second ad that you watch while the video is loading. Ads haven’t started appearing yet, they will later though. Now during the five second loading time you’re treated to a humorous message from the folks at Hang w/.
What’s unique about the ads on Hang w/ is that the ad revenues will be shared with broadcasters. That’s right, you could get paid to broadcast videos on Hang w/. Not only does this give you incentive to broadcast your video, it gives celebrities incentive to broadcast their videos as well. The idea of ads is for you to get as many people following you and watching your videos as possible, not just to feed your ego, but to feed your bank account as well.
Getting Started with Hang w/
To get started, download the free app from the iTunes App Store (sorry, Hang w/ isn’t on Android yet but it’s coming soon) and sign up either with your email address or Facebook account. You can link to your Facebook account to see if any of your Facebook friends are on Hang w/.
In the left sidebar, tap Broadcasting Now to get a list of people who are currently on air. Tap on All Channels to show people who are Broadcasting Now, as well as the Most Popular, Featured, the Hang w/ Team, Most Active and New Users.
When you find people whose broadcasts you especially enjoy, you can follow them. If you allow Notifications from Hang w/ you can get a pop-up notification when people you follow start their live broadcasts.
During the broadcast, viewers can chat with the broadcaster and with each other in a chat window, making the experience more personal and fun.
What Else You Need to Know
The videos are only 3 minutes so interesting broadcasts will leave you wanting more. Broadcasters often let you know when they’re signing off but not always.
The video quality is impressive. One broadcaster said he was streaming over 3G (not 4G/LTE) and his video was clear without stuttering or pixelating.
Mind the Cap. If your iPhone isn’t connected to Wi-Fi, you could be using up your monthly data limit fairly quickly unless you’re lucky enough to have an unlimited data plan.
Hang w/ is iPhone/iPad/iPod only for now. Android is coming very soon, according to Rob Shoesmith of MEDL Mobile. There are no immediate plans for web access, though they haven’t ruled out that possibility.
Hang w/ is for users age 17+. You can report inappropriate broadcasts, but since the feeds are live, the developers don’t have completely control over what is being broadcast. This isn’t for kids.
People can broadcast from anywhere in the world, but most of the broadcasts I’ve seen have been from the US and UK.
Broadcasters can see a countdown clock but viewers can’t, so you have no idea when you join a broadcast how long is left till the end. Hang w/ plans to give viewers a countdown clock soon. When a broadcast ends abruptly and the broadcaster doesn’t start a new one right away, well, you begin to realize how very much fun you’ve just been having.
Bottom Line
Check out Hang w/ for free, fun broadcasts and to share your fun times with the world.
If you’re on Hang w/ be sure to share your user name with us in the Comments section below so we can follow you. My user name is Carolyn.
Have you joined Hang w/? Would you like to check out what others are doing? What would you broadcast? Let us know in the Comments section below!
Hi Carolyn,
I loved the trendy name Hang w/ and at first I thought perhaps there was something more after the w or slash but when I read through I understood it all 🙂
This surely seems like another BIG distraction in the making, something that’s going to keep people glued to their phones. I wonder if I’d ever get on with it because of the fear of never being able to stop once I start. I am NOT going to show it to my teens too because I know what’s going to happen then 😉
As a Beta tester you’d know more about it – is it like something already existing in the app world, or completely different. I see that you can check it out as a broadcaster or a viewer for the streaming video etc. Seems like a mini version of Facebook chats or similar kind of chats and YouTube videos all into one, or something else?
Thanks for sharing this with us. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, this is new and unique. The big difference between Hang w/ and Facebook Chats is that you are broadcasting to the public on Hang w/, not just to your friends. Whatever you broadcast can be seen by anyone who is on Hang w/.
You’re right, this can be a big distraction, but in a fun way. This was one of those articles that took much longer to write because I was having so much fun with the tech!
Yes, keep your teens away from Hang w/. It really isn’t for kids. There wasn’t anything I saw that was terribly raunchy, but it is live streaming video so you never know what to expect! But then again, that’s part of what makes it so much fun. 🙂
HI Carolyn,
Great share!
This is something unique to the extent whatever knowledge I’ve of apps, I think this app is really wonderful – giving live video stream without 4G appears to be an awesome. I feel this app is going to rock for sure.
As a beta user you must be knowing how enduring the features of the application have been.
Thanks for this great share. Have a great week ahead.
Sapna
Hi Sapna, Yes, I have had a lot of fun using this app. When I was a beta tester, I was really excited for the launch date so I could share this with Wonder of Tech readers.
Will Hang w/ be the next big social media platform, like Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest? Time will tell, but the potential is certainly there!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Sapna!
This is a great idea! Hopefully the android version will be around shortly.
I dread to think how its going to start eating up mobile bandwidth though.
Hi Alan, Yes, Hang w/ is a great idea that is well executed. You’re right about the bandwidth, though. I hope most users have the luxury of unlimited data plans so they don’t have to worry about their monthly data limits.
Hi Carolyn,
I am definitively going to try this one. When I first read about it, I started to think about Chat Roulette, and that this was sort of a new version of that, but on the other hand it seems that we have a lot more control of who we’re watching 🙂
Hi Jens, Yes, you do have control over the people you follow and hang w/. After you’re on Hang w/ for a while you will get to know your favorites who share interesting broadcasts. The push notifications can alert you to when your favorites go live on air so you don’t miss their broadcasts.
You could also broadcast your interesting moments in life such as your funicular rides, walks in the woods, quiet moments by a lake, meeting people at a conference or relaxing by a pool in Italy!
You should be subscribing to my broadcast from Italy then, when I’m eating pizza and relaxing by the pool 🙂
Definitely. Please share your user name after you sign up for Hang w/ so we can follow you! 🙂
Carolyn, Hang/w seems great. One question though, are there any privacy options with regard to which persons can view your broadcasts? I would think this would be an important feature.
Hi Frank, Great point. There is no way to keep a video stream private on Hang w/, you are broadcasting to the world, or at least the world who is tuning into you on Hang w/. You can’t restrict your broadcasts to a specific group of people, your video stream is available to watch for anyone who wants to see it.
If you want to stay private, then you can use Hang w/ to watch others’ video streams without broadcasting yourself.
Man oh man Carolyn, what will they come up with next! My goodness, hangin with..
Curiosity has got me I must admit but I doubt this is something I’ll be doing much of. There aren’t enough hours in the day as it is to do what I want right now. But it’s still pretty cool.
As always, thanks for sharing this cool app.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, Yes, this great app can make the time disappear! It’s so much fun when you’re hanging with amazing people doing fun things that you can lose track of time.
If you ever want to take a peak, it’s free! But I warn you, it’s very addictive. 😉
Oh My Carolyn,
This is a party in motion. How tempting is this? I could see this taking off like wildfire. For me, I have enough trouble stick to my DMO 🙁 I KNOW that if I purchased this, I would be addicted.
I will pass this on to my kids. They are adults and I’m sure they would love this.
Thanks for keeping me informed on the app world,
Donna
Hi Donna, Yes, you’re exactly right, this is like a party in motion, a perpetual party!
The app is 100% free. You don’t need to pay for it or to use it. In fact, you could even make money from it if you have enough people watching your broadcast when they start selling ads!
Thanks for sharing this with your adult kids, Donna. I bet they’ll really enjoy it!
This sounds an interesting one to join in. I haven’t actually heard of this before. I would love to share with everyone my little kid’s everyday adventure.
Hi Jeremy, Yes, Hang w/ is very interesting. Not every broadcast is interesting, but when you find the ones that are, you can follow those people and have fun with it!
Hi Carolyn,
This sounds new and unique and from your explanation it is addictive.
I wish there were enough hours in the day to spend the time broadcasting and viewing other people’s broadcasts. And I second Harleena, I have two teens, if they got their hands on one, then good bye to the world and they will be glued to it the whole day and never pay attention to their studies. I am already suffering from the phone and them texting their friends the whole time. LOL.
It sounds very cool though and I am tempted. I will try to take a peak and see what it is all about. After we learn about something another new one come out. Where is the world going to take us? Just wondering.
Thanks Carolyn for sharing. Have a great rest of the week.
Be Blessed,
Neamat
Hi Neamat, Yes, keep your kids far away from Hang w/. Not only will it take up too much of their time, but the videos and chats are real-time and unfiltered. I’d like to believe that everyone who uses Hang w/ will behave properly but we know that won’t be the case!
I hope you have fun checking it out, Neamat. I agree with you, around each corner seems to be new tech. Isn’t that fun? :-bd
Carolyn,
Hang w/ sounds fun but I think I could waste a lot of time on it also.
I am going to go and download the app and look at it. I at least want to try it. I like the idea of the money from the ads going to the people who put up the videos.
I also like the idea of getting on something new before my kids. Lol
Dee Ann
Hi Dee Ann, Yes, Hang w/ is a lot of fun. They haven’t started running ads yet, but when they do there will be profit potential for those who want to broadcast.
I hope you’re enjoying Hang w/, Dee Ann!
Hi Carolyn, I haven’t heard about Hang w/ before, I came to know about it just now reading your article. I am a very outgoing person, I would love to see what others are upto on Hang w/. I would join it at the earliest, thanks for sharing the info.