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
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.
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For those of you out there who happen to use Google Hangouts as your main vehicle of choice when it comes to chatting with friends and family online, I am quite sure that you would have noticed by now that this chat service from Google has run into its fair share of issues, and the Mountain View-based company have also stepped forward to confirm that we are currently going through “service disruption” for Google Hangouts.
Google Hangouts Outage original content from Ubergizmo. 
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People who use Hangouts on Android recently got good news as Google released an updated version of the app that finally brings SMS support. On the Nexus 5, the new Hangouts app is the default SMS app. The new app has been very well received, despite the fact that it still does not bring Google Voice integration that everyone has been anxiously waiting for. A new bug has been discovered in the app by Reddit user Recon2012, one that can cause the app to crash.
The bug is actually related to the Emoji functionality in Google keyboard, which was updated with Android 4.4 KitKat and even as a standalone app. Basically the bug causes Hangouts to crash when a lot of Emojis are used in a Hangout with one or more recipient. Recon2012 says it took him 10 pages to trigger the bug and once its triggered, the app crashes. The app won’t launch again though, it will permanently hang on relaunch. Every person in that Hangouts chat will be subject to this behavior and not just the sender. The temporary fix for this is to log into Hangouts through a computer and manually exit the session from there. After that, the app should relaunch. While the bug is unlikely to bother you if you don’t douse your Hangouts conversations with an insane amount of Emojis, Googler Dan Morrill has confirmed on Reddit that the Hangouts project manager has been alerted and a fix should soon be on its way.
Emoji Bug Can Cause Hangouts Android App To Crash original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Last month Google announced that it is finally adding SMS support to Hangouts. It has actually made a number of improvements to the app, which includes support for location sharing and animated GIFs. Google actually announced this update prior to formally announcing Android 4.4 KitKat, but didn’t actually release the updated app back then. It said that the app will be rolled out in a few days. Today, Hangouts version 2.0 has been released and it brings all of these much awaited features.
Google Hangouts version 2.0 for Android is definitely going to be a lot more stable than the version that was extracted from the Nexus 5. An unofficial APK of Hangouts has already been making the rounds for well over a week, but many users reported various issues, which quite obviously didn’t come as a surprise. The official release brings all of the features that had already been detailed by Google last month. Unfortunately, Hangouts is yet to gain Google Voice integration, hopefully the company will do something about it in the near future. To install the updated Hangouts app, all you need is an Android device running OS version 2.3 or higher. Google Hangouts version 2.0 is available as a free download from the Play Store.
Google Hangouts Update With SMS Support Finally Released original content from Ubergizmo. 
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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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Here’s something that might make Android users a bit jealous. Google has updated its Hangouts app for iOS and has added the ability to make phone calls. The feature was first rolled out back in July, when Hangouts on the desktop received this feature. At this point in time, the only mobile devices capable of making voice calls through Hangouts are the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Seeing as how Google has now started rolling out the feature on mobile devices, it may only be a matter of time before voice calling is rolled out for Hangouts on Android.
Users have the ability to make as well as receive calls through their Google Voice number. Through the updated app, users can make free calls within the U.S. and Canada. Incoming Google Voice calls will ring through the Hangouts app and outgoing calls will go through the Voice number. Apart from this, there are a number of small updates and improvements. For example, incoming messages won’t stop music playback, the volume will only be turned down automatically before being restored to the original level. Moreover, the Hangouts iOS app is now capable of playing GIFs inline. The Hangouts app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is now live and available for download from the iTunes App Store.
Google Hangouts For iOS Gets Voice Integration original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Google’s been leaky lately, first with Android 4.4
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We’re hearing from tipsters and a number of other sources, including Google’s own Product Forums, that a bug is causing some Google Hangouts and Google Talk messages to be sent to the wrong recipients. A few awkward situations have already ensued, according to TechCrunch, such as internal company communications being sent to ex-employees. The privacy bug seems to crop up when users of the old Google Talk platform try to connect with those who have migrated to the newer Hangouts service, so it sounds like it could be a transitional thing — it’s also reminiscent of a similar bug that hit Skype last year. Meanwhile, some of us here at Engadget are currently experiencing the more fundamental (though thankfully less embarrassing) problem of not being able to log onto Hangouts in the first place.
Update: Google’ status page reports that the issue has been resolved and that services are “gradually returning to normal.” It says it will update users again when the full service is restored.
[Thanks, Boris]
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Product Forums, TechCrunch
Google Hangouts is finally finally finally getting proper status indicators (on Android) so you can tell if you’re bugging someone who’s actually online! It’s no SMS support, but this is one hell of a welcome update.
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