Google Hangouts is getting some new features today, although it’s not quite the Material Design makeover we’ve all been expecting. There’s quite a few new features included which you can check out while waiting for what’s sure to be a great new makeover.
In this latest update, which was announced by Rhett Robinson, a Software Engineer at Google, the Hangouts update includes new ways ‘to express yourself’. Apparently all the rage on messaging platforms, Hangouts now includes stickers. Stickers are bright, cheerful and colourful ways to add a little something extra into your conversations, above and beyond what you can do with Emoji. There’s 16 Sticker packs to start with and more to follow soon.
Also included in the update are new filters for video calls, simply swipe during a call and you can select from sepia, vignette, black & white, and more.
Google has been asking for your phone number in hangouts for a while now, and if you know someone’s phone number you will now be able to connect with them through hangouts. Google is also adding ‘last seen’ time stamps, so you know when people are online and ready to chat.
Last, but not least is improved location sharing. And it’s not just the way you can select nearby locations instead of just sharing a map with a pin, Hangouts will automatically detect when someone asks and provide a link to share you location – cool.
According to Robinson, ‘We’ve added a few other surprises to this Hangouts update’, so if you find some new stuff, let us know. The update will roll out through Google Play over the next few hours, although the ‘timestamps’ feature will take a few weeks – or of course you can side-load the update, which is of course available now on APKMirror. If you’re an iOS user, this update will be heading your way soon.
