hangouts

Allo Could Have Been Great. Google Blew It.

I’ve been using Allo since the day it was released. At first, it was simple curiosity. Google’s got another messaging app, so how is it going to screw this one up? But even with its flaws, the more I used it, I grew to appreciate its slick interface, baked in gif engine, and its general…

For the Love of God, Please Don’t Use Smart Reply in Hangouts Chat

There are two distinct types of people on workplace communication platforms: the ones who painstakingly toil over every typed letter in a show of ultimate professionalism, and the ones who type with abandon—who slam keys haphazardly with their clumsy sausage fingers to get across whatever they’re trying to communicate before moving on, punctuation and grammar…

How To Organize Your Google Hangouts Just Like Email 

You probably know Google Hangouts as an app that pops up in the corner of a browser tab or on your smartphone, but it’s possible to archive your messages in Gmail too—from here they can be searched, labelled and starred so you can bring up the most important ones whenever you need to. Conversations only…

Google Hangouts Has a Gorgeous New Home On the Web

Google Hangouts has been a depressingly central part of my life for years now, but the web interface has always felt a little hacked-together. Today, all that changes, with a redesigned interface, and a dedicated homepage for Hangouts. The new URL follows Google’s normal naming convention: hangouts.google.com. The new homepage works like an expanded version…

Google’s ‘Biggest Software Update Ever’ Might Not Work

This is hardly a surprise. Google tried updating every Android phone on the planet to fix a vulnerability that let hackers take over devices with a single text message. Now, security researchers say that the patch itself is vulnerable. Talk about stage fright! The original vulnerability is called Stagefright. Get it? And now it’s afraid…

Google’s Fixing the Hangouts Hack With ‘Biggest Software Update Ever’

Security researchers scared the shit out of Android users last week when they revealed a vulnerability that let hackers control your phone with a single text. In a session at Black Hat, Google’s Adrian Ludwig just explained exactly how it’s being fixed, calling it the biggest software update in history. He seems pretty chill about…

Google Hangouts Just Got Way Better on the Desktop

Google Hangouts is a nice little chat client, and someday it could be unstoppable. But a few things have been holding it back, including a desktop experience that was just OK. Now, Google’s released a new app for ChromeOS and Windows users that makes it way, way better. The new Hangouts gets rid of the…

Google Voice Is Dying and It’s Beautiful

I am a huge fan of what Google Voice can do. That’s why I’ve been calling for a mercy kill, so that its best features can thrive in something other than a limp husk of a service. And now that Google is finally beginning to merge Voice into Hangouts, the process has started in earnest.…

Hangouts on Air Will Now Let You Cheer Or Jeer In Real-Time

You can now let your Hangouts on Air host know exactly what you feel like. A new feature called “Applause” will let Hangouts viewers give a thumbs up or thumbs down during a live video broadcast. But that’s not all. Google will also track cheers and jeers over the duration of a Hangout and will…

Google Voice Is Finally Being Integrated Into Hangouts

Google Voice isn’t quite dead (yet); it’s finally being integrated into Hangouts, because God knows Hangouts needed to be even more confusing. You can enable Voice SMS and voicemail via a popup in the conversation list, so check the app. If you still don’t see it, hang on. It’s still rolling out. [Android Police]

Like video chats but hate Google+? Good news: You no longer need to have Google+ to use Hangouts. Starting today, you can use Hangouts with your regular Google account on desktop. You still need Google+ for mobile Hangouts, though Google says that’s temporary. You can’t use Hangouts On Air to broadcast your video chats without…

Google Voice Is One Step Closer To Dying and Becoming Hangouts

Google Voice is going to die and become a part of Hangouts. It’s going to be great. And it might actually be happening soon because you can now make Hangouts calls from the Google Voice homepage. http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/23/google-voice-offers-web-based-calls-through-hangouts-no-g-prof/ This (very minor) change brings Hangouts and Voice closer together than they’ve ever been and cuts Google+ out…

Google Might Finally Be Ready to Mercy Kill Google Voice

If there’s one thing Google can do to help make its messaging better than ever, it’s to kill the hulking zombie that is Google Voice and transplant its good parts into the still-living Google Hangouts. It hasn’t happened yet, but now there’s evidence in the Hangouts app that it might be coming soon. Deep in…

Google’s adding the ability to make a Hangouts call directly to phone numbers that show up in your search results. Click on the number, and Google will connect you. Neat.

Hey Google, Here’s How You Win Messaging

This week I saw a demo of the best messaging system yet. One where SMS and non-SMS messages, all calls, come to all your devices automatically. It only had one major flaw. It’s trapped on an iPhone. The promised beauty of the new iMessage is that it manufactures the illusion that everyone you know is…

Outlook users, rejoice! Google just launched a plugin that lets you use Google Hangouts directly through Outlook Mail or Calendar. Get it here. [Google]

The newest version of Google Hangouts for Android now merges SMS and non-SMS messages into a single stream in the same hangout. Yesssssssssss. The update is rolling out to the Google Play store this week, but there’s an APK floating around already. Woooooo

Why Google Killing Google Voice Would Be Fantastic

Brace yourself Google Voice fanboys, your treasured service is probably not long for this world. But don’t you worry; the sooner it’s dead the better we’ll all be. Reports are coming in from 9to5Google that everyone’s favorite search engine is about to bring the axe down on its long-neglected phone service. That should come as…

Google Is Finally Making Hangouts as Good as It Should Be

Today, Google held a little event about updates to Google+ which, OK maybe that’s not the most exciting thing. But buried deep in there were some updates to the Hangouts app that are finally helping it follow through on its promise: an iMessage competitor you can put on anything. First and foremost Hangouts will now…

Yes! Leaked Screens Show SMS In Google Hangouts Is Almost Here

Google’s been leaky lately, first with Android 4.4 Kit Kat screens, and then with a whole manual for the Nexus 5. Now, some screens from Android Police are showing off the best upcoming feature on Android: SMS in Hangouts. Yes! Finally! Of course, as with any leaked screenshots this could be fake, but SMS for…