Ask Need: mobile messaging

Google Hangouts for iOS gets visual makeover

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google Hangouts for iOS gets visual makeover</td></tr>
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<a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank">Google </a>has released a complete redesign of its Hangouts mobile 
messaging app on iOS. Version 2.0 is the first major update since the 
company added phone calls late last year, and aside from introducing a 
visual refresh that’s more consistent with <a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank">Apple’s </a>current design 
language, it also brings several new features including animated 
stickers, 10 second video messages, and a two-pane view on the iPad.<br />

Google’s Frank Petterson made the <a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank">announcement on Google+</a>
 this morning along with a quick rundown on the new features. The app 
offers shortcuts to your Hangouts contact list, favorite people to chat 
with, recent Hangouts, and voice calling to regular phones over the 
Internet -- free in the US and Canada only.<br />

The new<a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank"> video</a> messaging feature works within the same camera option 
under the paper clip icon found at the bottom left of open chats. 
Whereas tapping the shutter button produces a quick snap to share in 
one-on-one or group chats, holding down the same button will start 
recording up a 10-second video message. You can also send images from 
your device’s camera roll (still no pre-recorded videos, though), send 
one of the<a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank"> app’s</a> 40 or so animated stickers and share a map of your 
current location to meet up with friends.<br />
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As for the iPad-specific <a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank">improvements,</a> you’ll now get a nice two pane 
view as well as picture-in-picture video calling, which supports up to 
10 simultaneous users and is essentially a free video conferencing 
service for <a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank">iOS</a>.<br />

Petterson also cites a bunch of performance improvements but the much 
requested integration with Google Voice is still a no show. There’s also
 no quick or <a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank">intuitive</a> way to initiate a free voice-only call with other
 Hangouts contacts; <a href="http://askneed.blogspot.com/2014/03/google-hangouts-for-ios-gets-visual.html" target="_blank">instead</a>, you’ll have to start a video call and then 
both can turn off their cameras.<br />
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