The Hangouts 4.0 update is soon to hit Android devices, bringing with it a feature that will be exclusively available to Google's own OS.
The update, which arrived in iOS a few weeks ago, delivers a design overhaul and emojis known as "Stickers," which appear to be super-inflated. Users can now send multiple photos at the same time while taking advantage of the free photo and video backup from Google Photos.
Android users have yet to see the new version on their devices but they should be able to get the same new features now being enjoyed by iOS users. The delay may cause disappointment to some but the reason behind it could make the wait worthwhile.
Reports say that users will soon be able to begin a Hangouts chat using their Android smartwatch. The feature is said to revolutionize the way people send and reply to messages in Hangouts through a wearable device.
At the moment, users can reply to messages sent using various chat apps through a wrist-worn wearable. Messages are sent either by using one's voice or by drawing an emoji.
With the new update, users can begin a Hangouts message thread by simply giving out the command: "OK Google, send a Hangouts message to [name]." The user will then see the word "Message" on the screen with options such as "Speak Now" or "Draw emoji" indicated right underneath.
After dictating one's message, the screen will then scroll past the email account of the recipient then scroll next to the message and to the user's own email account. Finally, the user receives a confirmation message on the screen, which indicates the message is on its way to the recipient.
Google may also have realized the rising popularity of emojis and included the feature of drawing emoji instead of speaking one's message in the update.
Users can also opt to cancel the sending of the message if they feel like retracting.
The app is still in beta and is being tested internally. This means that bugs could still be discovered in its early stage. There's no word yet on when it will go live, although it shouldn't take that long since it has been announced to launch shortly after landing on iOS.
