Get to know the fresh Google Hangouts for iOS

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Associate Managing Editor, TechHive | Feb 28, two thousand fourteen 1:07 PM PT

Google launched a major overhaul of its Hangouts app for iOS on Thursday, adding features that may menace other popular messaging apps that have been hogging the spotlight as of late (I’m looking at you, WhatsApp). These fresh features include stickers and emojis, short-form movie messaging, and location sharing—all of which can be found in contesting apps.

This update couldn’t come at a better time: Smartphone users now expect more from a messaging service than elementary text communication, and as there’s no shortage of feature-rich messaging apps to choose from, Google had to boost Hangouts’ appeal to keep up. At very first look, Hangouts Two.0 seems like a safe update that combines essential chunks of other messaging clients with a clean, Google-esque practice.

Palms on with Hangouts

See a running log of current hangouts and tap on one to proceed the talk.

If you’re already familiar with Hangouts, the features you know and love are still there, but there’s a design facelift awaiting you with emphasis on the app’s fresh features. Fresh users, too, should have no problem getting began with Hangouts for iOS. You need to link your Google account, which you can create straight through the app if you don’t have one already. You also need to confirm your phone number, which helps other users locate and identify you.

Once you’re logged in, the app explosions the hangouts screen, where you’ll see a list of saved chats—which Google refers to as individual hangouts—that you’ve had via the mobile app or Google+ through your web browser. Hangouts sync across devices, so you can go back and forward inbetween your computer and your iPhone and have the entire conversation stay intact. Tap the hangout to open the talk, or swipe across a hangout to open up a quick menu where you can mark it as a dearest, launch a movie talk with that contact, mute the conversation, or archive it.

When talking in a hangout, you can now add more to your text messages by tapping the attachment button (paperclip icon) next to the text input box. Fresh to the hangout practice is the option to add a Vine-like movie message, which you access by tapping the camera button. Tap the shutter to take a photo; hold it down to record a movie. Movies can be up to nine seconds long, and they play in a loop when sent. You can also link photos from your Camera Roll, share your location, and add a sticker. Hangouts gives you forty six stickers—which are essentially gifs—to choose from, from advanced emojis to cats to clinking beer glasses.

So. Many. Stickers.

Aside from hangouts, your main navigation bar at the bottom hosts three other pages: Contacts, Favorites, and Calls. You can make free calls to U.S.-based landline and mobile phones from within Hangouts; international calls have a fee.

Hangouts’ flagship feature remains its movie talks. You can make group movie calls with up to ten people, and each caller can choose to talk through the app or through the Hangouts feature within Google+. Movie talking is a much cleaner practice through the iPad instead of the iPhone: The added screen real estate means you can take advantage of picture-in-picture talking with the entire group. Just make sure you’re connected via Wi-Fi or cellular data to make a movie call.

My movie talks with Hangouts for iOS have never been as crisp as this sample picture from Google.

I have to admit: Movie talking with Hangouts through the iOS app still has much to be desired, even with the latest update. Calls are a little laggy, with the sound being a 2nd or two behind the movie feed, and the movie quality is often truly blurry. I haven’t noticed it switch when switching from a 4G to a Wi-Fi connection, either. For one-on-one mobile movie talks, I choose FaceTime.

Overall, Hangouts Two.0 is a vast improvement from its previous version. It still feels the same, but the refreshed look and added features are much welcomed. For Hangouts to truly be a game-changer, however, I’d like to see improved movie talk quality for iOS, or perhaps another feature unique to the Hangout practice that doesn’t seem like a last-minute add to catch up to the rest of the messaging superstars.

This story, "Get to know the fresh Google Hangouts for iOS" was originally published by TechHive .

Leah Yamshon has been a part of the Macworld family since 2011. She embarked out covering iOS accessories (So. Many. Cases.) and Mac software, then moved on to all things iOS. She now works behind-the-scenes to keep Macworld’s calendar total.

Get to know the fresh Google Hangouts for iOS, PCWorld

Get to know the fresh Google Hangouts for iOS

Your message has been sent.

There was an error emailing this page.

Associate Managing Editor, TechHive | Feb 28, two thousand fourteen 1:07 PM PT

Google launched a major overhaul of its Hangouts app for iOS on Thursday, adding features that may menace other popular messaging apps that have been hogging the spotlight as of late (I’m looking at you, WhatsApp). These fresh features include stickers and emojis, short-form movie messaging, and location sharing—all of which can be found in rivaling apps.

This update couldn’t come at a better time: Smartphone users now expect more from a messaging service than ordinary text communication, and as there’s no shortage of feature-rich messaging apps to choose from, Google had to boost Hangouts’ appeal to keep up. At very first look, Hangouts Two.0 seems like a safe update that combines essential lumps of other messaging clients with a clean, Google-esque practice.

Arms on with Hangouts

See a running log of current hangouts and tap on one to proceed the talk.

If you’re already familiar with Hangouts, the features you know and love are still there, but there’s a design facelift awaiting you with emphasis on the app’s fresh features. Fresh users, too, should have no problem getting embarked with Hangouts for iOS. You need to link your Google account, which you can create straight through the app if you don’t have one already. You also need to confirm your phone number, which helps other users locate and identify you.

Once you’re logged in, the app explosions the hangouts screen, where you’ll see a list of saved chats—which Google refers to as individual hangouts—that you’ve had via the mobile app or Google+ through your web browser. Hangouts sync across devices, so you can go back and forward inbetween your computer and your iPhone and have the entire conversation stay intact. Tap the hangout to open the talk, or swipe across a hangout to open up a quick menu where you can mark it as a dearest, launch a movie talk with that contact, mute the conversation, or archive it.

When talking in a hangout, you can now add more to your text messages by tapping the attachment button (paperclip icon) next to the text input box. Fresh to the hangout practice is the option to add a Vine-like movie message, which you access by tapping the camera button. Tap the shutter to take a photo; hold it down to record a movie. Movies can be up to nine seconds long, and they play in a loop when sent. You can also fasten photos from your Camera Roll, share your location, and add a sticker. Hangouts gives you forty six stickers—which are essentially gifs—to choose from, from advanced emojis to cats to clinking beer glasses.

So. Many. Stickers.

Aside from hangouts, your main navigation bar at the bottom hosts three other pages: Contacts, Favorites, and Calls. You can make free calls to U.S.-based landline and mobile phones from within Hangouts; international calls have a fee.

Hangouts’ flagship feature remains its movie talks. You can make group movie calls with up to ten people, and each caller can choose to talk through the app or through the Hangouts feature within Google+. Movie talking is a much cleaner practice through the iPad instead of the iPhone: The added screen real estate means you can take advantage of picture-in-picture talking with the entire group. Just make sure you’re connected via Wi-Fi or cellular data to make a movie call.

My movie talks with Hangouts for iOS have never been as crisp as this sample pic from Google.

I have to admit: Movie talking with Hangouts through the iOS app still has much to be desired, even with the latest update. Calls are a little laggy, with the sound being a 2nd or two behind the movie feed, and the movie quality is often truly blurry. I haven’t noticed it switch when switching from a 4G to a Wi-Fi connection, either. For one-on-one mobile movie talks, I choose FaceTime.

Overall, Hangouts Two.0 is a vast improvement from its previous version. It still feels the same, but the refreshed look and added features are much welcomed. For Hangouts to truly be a game-changer, however, I’d like to see improved movie talk quality for iOS, or perhaps another feature unique to the Hangout practice that doesn’t seem like a last-minute add to catch up to the rest of the messaging superstars.

This story, "Get to know the fresh Google Hangouts for iOS" was originally published by TechHive .

Leah Yamshon has been a part of the Macworld family since 2011. She commenced out covering iOS accessories (So. Many. Cases.) and Mac software, then moved on to all things iOS. She now works behind-the-scenes to keep Macworld’s calendar total.

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