Google Hangouts for the Android platform gets video messaging feature. Users can now send sixty seconds long video messages. Google also released an update for iOS alongside. Users can also remove other users from group conversations.
Google released the Hangouts v11.0 update for both the Android and iOS platforms. The latest updates provide video messaging facility for the OS platform pioneered by the search engine giant. Apple mobile OS already has this facility for the last two years, and the update was long overdue for the Android OS. However, it says the tool for the Android platform works better than the iOS software. While the iOS app allows users to send 360-pixel video, the Hangout version lets users send Full HD videos.
Google Hangouts for the Apple OS platform was introduced in February 2014. With the latest updates, the limit of the video has been from 1 minute to 2 minutes while the limit is 1 minute for Android operating systems. It has also removed the option of ‘Combined Conversation’ which showed the Hangout messages and SMS messages from the same user together. It has been done to eliminate user confusion.
Also Read: Google Hangouts to integrate peer-to-peer connections for improved call quality
The update for iOS brings with it a new cropping tool with augmented burst photo support and quicker startups. Now users get new features on Google Photos like automatic backups, better search and organizing abilities which enable more instantaneous sharing of pictures.
Additionally, the update improves battery backup and cellular data usage. The update also reduces the app starting time.
The launching of the app is strange since the search engine plans to launch a new video app, ‘Duo’ later this year and it was announced at the yearly I/O developer conference. The app will be launched side by side with Allo, the text-based messaging app. The search engine giant will incorporate its advances in artificial intelligence to give an entirely new video messaging experience.