AppleInsider Staff
Google on Thursday updated its all-in-one Hangouts messaging app, bringing optimizations for Apple's latest iOS 7, new features for iPad and overall usability enhancements.
With the latest Google Hangouts, the Internet search giant's messaging service hits version 2.0 and gets a fresh coat of iOS 7-style paint with all-new features designed specifically for the iPad.
Perhaps one of the most significant additions is the ability to record and share ten-second video messages with friends and groups. Both recording and viewing is accomplished in-app.
As for iPad-specific enhancements, Hangouts now supports picture-in-picture video calling, which basically turns the app into a free iOS video conferencing service.
Other improvements include sending a map of a user's current location and animated "stickers."
Google Hangouts is a free 24.2MB download for free from the iOS App Store.
Charles Martin
Wesley Hilliard
Amber Neely
Christine McKee
Marko Zivkovic
Malcolm Owen
Oliver Haslam
12 Comments
Who cares?
[quote name="thegreatcaesar" url="/t/162213/google-hangouts-updated-with-ipad-and-ios-7-optimization-new-video-options#post_2479050"]Who cares?[/quote] Seconded. A messaging platform's success is clearly measured in users as well as features, iMessage/FaceTime and Facebook clearly win the former through simplicity or ubiquity, whilst novel features in other Apps (Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat etc.) create (if somewhat temporarily) large-enough install bases for specific use cases. Google continues, despite Android and Chrome, to fail on both accounts. "Who cares?" indeed.
A messaging platform's success is clearly measured in users as well as features, iMessage/FaceTime and Facebook clearly win the former through simplicity or ubiquity, whilst novel features in other Apps (Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat etc.) create (if somewhat temporarily) large-enough install bases for specific use cases.
Google continues, despite Android and Chrome, to fail on both accounts.
"Who cares?" indeed.
Is Gtalk/Hangouts considered a niche messaging service?
I don't think I've ever used this and it's available to me from everything. I just don't have a need for it... at all.
Hangouts is a great cross platform messaging app. A lot of functionality. I use it every day on my Chromebook and and with iOS7. I don't understand why people have to be down on an app or product they probably don't use in the first place.