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Google Hangouts SMS support on Android is no longer a dream. Vic Gundotra announced a number of improvements that have been made to Hangouts, today. Improvements include support for SMS, location sharing and animated GIFs. It was previously rumored that support for SMS messages in Hangouts will come with Android 4.4 KitKat, but evidently Google doesn’t want us to keep waiting. Unfortunately, Google Voice still hasn’t been integrated in the Android app. Nevertheless, users will no longer need to use the stock SMS app, texts will go through Hangouts exactly the way they do through the stock app. Location can be shared through just one touch of a button that’s placed beside the one used to share photos.

Google has also made some improvements to Hangouts apart from its mobile app. Auto enhance has been added to video calls, the feature automatically adjusts contrast and brightness levels to provide clear video. Moreover, all video calls made through Hangouts will be in HD, regardless of the mobile or desktop device being used. Hangouts on Air receives a couple of updates as well. Once a broadcast is scheduled, a dedicated landing page is created that is integrated with Google+ events, and it lists RSVPs and even includes a countdown timer. Pre-show Q&A sessions and trailers can even be run. Some changes have been made to the user interface as well, which now lets hosts adjust audio or even kick people from the session. The updated Google Hangouts app will be rolled out over the next few days, whereas updates to Hangouts on Air will take several weeks to go live.

Google Hangouts SMS Support Is Finally Here original content from Ubergizmo.

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.

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Since its public debut in 2011, Google+ has quickly grown to include more than 540 million active users who upload roughly 1.5 billion photos every week. Using a converted San Francisco warehouse as an impromptu art gallery this morning, Google has announced a host of new features coming to Google+ that will not only drastically improve Hangouts but also make taking, organizing, retouching, and storing these photos easier than ever.

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There’s now one single location users need to work with to talk with video, text, and images in the Google Android experience. Here with Hangouts, Google has made clear that they’re updating the system with three new features, the first – and most important – of these being SMS support. This means that the Hangouts […]

Google announced a new service back in August this year called Google Helpouts. Its much like Hangouts, which brings together many of Google’s previous fragmented communication services. Users can send images, chat or initiate a video or voice call from within Hangouts, but what if users want some expert help with the same ease of use? That’s where Helpouts comes in, it connects experts with people who need their expertise. The service hasn’t been publicly launched as yet, but a new rumor suggests that the service might finally be launched on November 5th.

The folks at AndroidPolice have received a screenshot of a notification that was reportedly sent only to those few who have had their Hangouts approved, they say it comes in from a “trusted source,” which claims that the service goes like on November 5th. The select few who have received this notification have been provided private access to the Hangouts website so that they can set things up prior to the public launch. Google is still allowing people to request access to Helpouts, but with the public launch believed to be a few days away, it would just be best to wait for Helpouts to officially drop. Google hasn’t confirmed if the launch indeed takes place on November 5th.

Google Helpouts Launch Expected On November 5th original content from Ubergizmo.