Google has rolled out significant updates to its Hangouts smartphone app for Android users with SMS integration, location sharing, support for animated GIFs and more.
Google has profoundly modified its Hangout mobile application making it similar to Apple's iMessage platform by adding SMS integration and instant messaging from within the app. In addition, the web giant has also added location sharing and support for animated GIFs in the latest update announced Tuesday.
The addition of new features gives the mobile messaging application an extra lift. With the new location sharing feature, users can share their current location by tapping the pin button at the bottom of the app page. This will send the exact location to your family and friends using the phone's GPS signal.
The SMS integration simplifies the messaging experience. Users will no longer need to swap between apps to send and receive SMS, Google said in its Official Blog. To add more fun to the app, Hangouts includes support for animated GIFs that automatically displays when sending and receiving them, within the app.
Google introduced the Hangouts at the Google I/O event in May. The service brings together a slew of various apps and services including Google Talk, Google+ Hangouts, Messenger and Google Talk for Google+. The service has seen several changes since it was launched only with text and video chat earlier this year.
The updated Hangouts app has significantly improved the video calling experience with full screen mode on both desktop and mobile. In addition, the app lets you control the volume of different participants on a video conference.
The revised Hangouts app will be rolled out in the next few days. The Android app is available for download for free in Google Play Store.
