Google Hangouts has finally gotten its own website, allowing users to send messages, make phone calls and make video calls.
The website is similar to what would be expected from a Google Hangouts website, offering many of the same features that the app and browser extensions offer.
"We are launching another way to use Hangouts today," said Jordanna Chord, a Google software engineer, in a Google+ post. "From our new site you'll be able to take advantage of the best of Hangouts in the browser, along with an inspiring image to get you through the day. Check it out and let us know what you think."
Previously, users were only able to access Hangouts on their desktop computer through a browser extension, available on Google Chrome, or through services like Gmail or Google+. This was fine for those who needed to access the service, but it's nice to have a dedicated website to go to.
Given the fact that Hangouts is such an important part of the Google ecosystem, it's surprising that we haven't seen a dedicated website for it yet.
The announcement of the new service highlights the fact that Google is slowly unbundling popular features from Google+. Recently the company announced that Google+ Photos had become Google Photos, and was given a dedicated website and app apart from Google+. This was a big deal for users considering the fact that Google+ Photos was one of the most-loved features of the social media network.
The news comes shortly after the Hangouts app for Android was given a pretty major redesign. The app keeps the signature green color that Hangouts is known for, but adds a floating send button, cleans up and minimizes the interface, and adds a number of animations that are known from Google's Material Design. Last but not least is the fact that Hangouts can now keep a user connected to a video call when they change from using Wi-Fi to using a mobile network. The Google Hangouts app for Android Wear also received an update, and while a little less minimal it should look better.
