According to a support page posted by Google, the next update to Hangouts (which will be for version 11.0), will remove the option for conversation merging. This features allows instant messages and SMS messages from the same contact to appear in a single thread.
Why is it being killed? Well, Google claims no one is using it, so instead of continuing to support it, they will simply kill it off entirely. (more…)
Google may have surprised many with yesterday’s introduction of Allo, a WhatsApp-like messaging client, but I think it’s safe to assume that a number of us quickly went from, “This looks like a great app!” to “But wait, what happens to Hangouts?” According to Google, Hangouts isn’t going anywhere for the time being. (more…)
In an announcement no one saw coming today at Google I/O, Google went ahead and unveiled two new apps, one for messaging and another for video chatting. The apps are called Allo and Duo, respectively.
Unfortunately, Google was just previewing the apps today and hasn’t made them available, but they did talk plenty about them. This is what you need to know. (more…)
An update to Hangouts started rolling out last night on Android and has picked up steam today, bringing with it support for Android N’s inline notification responding. The update is v8.0, though we aren’t seeing much new on Marshmallow devices. It really seems like this update was pushed with Android N in mind. (more…)
Oh boy, a big Hangouts update is arriving on Android! It’s version 7.0.113001250 and it includes quick reply! I don’t know why I’m acting so excited, since this is still Hangouts we’re talking about, but this feature has been needed for far too long. It’s great to finally see it as it makes quickly replying to a conversation so easy and simple without interrupting what you are doing. Remember, Google Messenger received this functionality almost a year ago.
Anyways, the update started rolling out earlier today and one lucky dude grabbed it and uploaded the APK file for us to enjoy. We have that for you below. (more…)
Reported by the Wall Street Journal, Google is working on a brand new messaging service, one to rival Facebook Messenger, Skype, and WhatsApp. If true, it would appear Google is not completely satisfied with its Hangouts offering, but what would differentiate Mountain View’s newly rumored messaging service from the already existing Hangouts?
Stated by sources familiar with the matter, Google is looking incorporate its artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technology into it, allowing users to ask questions from within the app, receiving answers from the web. This reminds me heavily of AIM’s SmarterChild bot, which utilized AI-esque technology to return answers based on questions you would ask. (more…)
Hangouts 4.0 has not been around all too long, but today, Google is slowly starting to roll out Hangouts 5.0 for all through Google Play. The overall feel of the 5.0 update should be very similar to 4.0, although, Google has likely gone through and squashed a ton of little bugs and made the experience on Hangouts smoother. (more…)