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We saw the new Hangouts version 2.0 app leak after the Nexus 5 was announced, and those with actual Nexus 5 units have been enjoying the app pre-installed. Now, Hangouts version 2.0 is here, and it brings the SMS/MMS convergence we’ve all been waiting for. It’s sitting in the Google Play Store as a free upgrade right now.
Alongside being able to use Hangouts as your default SMS/MMS app, the new upgrade brings a number of significant changes. You’ll have a full suite of built-in emojis, as well as the ability to view animated GIFs within a Hangouts chat. You’ll also be able to share your location, change your “mood,” and more.
Curiously enough, this version of the app is newer than what you will find pre-installed on the Nexus 5, so pretty much everyone will want to grab it as soon as possible. We’re not sure much else is new outside of what we’ve already been using, but it doesn’t hurt to stay up to date. (Update: we’re hearing it fixed a minor video calling issue that was present on the previous version.) Grab it from the Google Play Store here.
is this version identical to the version released with the Nexus5 ?
Nope, this version is newer.
No, this version fixed the video call bug.
No it’s a newer version trick
I’m not seeing the update yet so I assume it’s rolling out in phases.
Mine just came in..
Nice kicks.
Can we please get repeating notifications?
Such a simple thing I need so much.
like if you receive a message, you want the notification to tell you that you received it multiple times?
I want it to repeat every X minutes until I read it.
I use sms for work purposes. In my case alerts from a server monitoring system.
I think the notification stays in your notification bar forever, until you read it…… different result, but same purpose, no?
How would that work when I am asleep?
I don’t understand why repeating notifications would be desirable. Wouldn’t that get annoying?
I use sms for work, specifically for messages from a server monitoring system. I want it to be annoying, I want it to wake me at 2am, that is part of being on call.
sounds like you need to install some app on your phone, so that when your job text messages you a codeword through text message, your phone alarm will sound or something.
I have already done that.
What I want is a way to have repeat notifications in the default android apps. Even my old moto razr did this.
First time i actually see an update on Google Play when it is announced here..
Saludos From Mexico. lel.
Let’s hope this version actually works on the S4 :) I’m sure it will now that it isn’t a jacked .apk from the N5. AND hopefully they soon will put SMS and Hangouts into the same thread for a user. That seems lame to have them separated. It’s not like Google engineers have never seen iMessage…..
Agreed, but there might be some problems with this.
For example, I have a buddy who uses Hangouts religiously when at his computer. When he is not at his computer, he relies on texts. What happens if I send him a message via hangouts and it detects that hangouts is open and active on his computer. He won’t receive the message on his phone. I have no way to get in touch with him using the hangouts app. Happens all of the time when we grab lunch during work hours – I send him a hangout and he doesn’t get it since he’s on his way, so I have to text him using SMS app. Is there a solution for this with same-thread implementation?
Whenever his “Idle” status kicks in the new Hangouts mobile app should know to send a text instead of im
There’s an option on the left where you can switch between sms and hangouts
I wish it thread SMS and hangouts together.
The only issue the app has. Everything else is solid.
Meh, look at the recent ratings lol. Still 5* to me. Single threading would be nice, and sure it’s coming. Probably waiting to fully integrate that with Google Voice as well. Patience.
I’m sure sooner than later Google will implement that. They are good for updating apps quickly.
You and me both. I haven’t found the split as annoying as some people have, but after hearing they were merged, I was disappointed to find out they were still segregated. I know I risk downvotes for daring to say that the iPhone does something well, but iMessage-style implementation is very much what I was hoping for.
Soon very soon..
Seems that my phone already updated. Went to check after seeing this article. Good to know though.
Still no update for me. While I wait I have a question. Does it allow individual ringtones per contact like the stock SMS app on the S3? I really like that feature.
What I would like to be able to do is send a Google+ album via SMS from hangouts. That way I wouldn’t have to re-string pictures together every time I want to send a group of pictures to someone’s phone who isn’t on Google+ and who’s email address I don’t have.
You don’t have to be a Google+ member to view a Google+ (or Picasa) photo album. You simply need to give them a link. It’s one of the share options …
Yeah I’m able to share the albums now to people without Google+ but I want to do it to their phones without having to do something like [email protected] in Google+
From the Google+ mobile app “copy link to clipboard” or “Hangouts”.
From a PC, copy the link, then text it from google voice, or just send them an email :) Must it be a text?
New motorolas let you send regular texts from a pc browser, but that’s non-standard
I’m hoping to see something integrated into the app but I’m going to play along here because I’m lost Brian. Where in the Google+ app do you see the link to copy and then paste to hangouts on your phone?
Google+ -> Photos -> Albums -> “Select Album” -> Share button (looks like a 3-node graph/tree) -> “Hangouts” or “Copy to clipboard”
Tested on a Galaxy Nexus running 4.2.2 [ Verizon :-( ]
Hey Brian, you’re right there is even the option to share via messaging. I don’t know how I missed that! Thank you.
when you send someone a text message……. usually its 1 picture at a time….. so yes… you can pick 1 picture from your google+ album, and send it…. one at a time.
Just checked and it hasn’t appeared yet on the Italian PlayStore. A question for those already using it with SMS integration: do the exchanged SMS get syncronized in the “cloud”..? I mean, do you see them if you log in on Hangout on your PC for example (I mean the Chrome web version, just to be clear)?
My Note II’s stock SMS app is very good and I don’t have any complaint about it. It has features like being able to plan SMS sending etc which Hangout does not have (not yet at least) but if SMS get syncronized everywhere on every device you can access Hangout on, that is a very good reason to switch, for me.
It doesn’t sync SMS to any other device. It doesn’t hit the PC version or the Tablet version I have. :-(
Bummer… :(
Anyway, thanks for the reply.
Has anyone found a voice command to send Hangout messages? After the integration I thought the voice command to “send a message to…” would default to Hangouts if you have a conversation with that person already going. Not only does it not default it doesn’t even seem to be an option. I would think they want Hangouts to dominate SMS
this’ll change in android 4.4 because in android 4.4 you can choose your default texting app.
You can send a Hangout SMS using that voice command but not a Hangout message(non-SMS). I’m using a Nexus 5.
what happens if you say “send hangout message to [insert name], this is a test” …. it won’t send them that test message?
Bad news…I’ve received the update..and there must be a bug, because the sms integration is still missing, I’ve used the leaked version…so I know what it looks like, and that there are also settings in the menu. I have confirmed the version number they have on the play store, is what I’m running.
I’ve also already uninstalled, and re-installed. Cleared the cache, and restarted the phone.
If anyone has an idea of whats going on…help me out.
I have the leaked version too and still some bugs in it like a basic one of opening a new message in the hangout app via the shortcut and not the notification bar, yet the new message notification stays up there…unless i’m missing something which I probably am haha Also have had issues with it force closing lately too…locking my phone up then closing even when I’m not in it.
I’ve already uninstalled the old one and reinstalled the new one and still have no SMS integration with the update
I don’t see a change on my phone.
on my phone i open the Play Store and see that Google Hangouts 2.0 is there but it does not have the option to update. So I assumed it must have already updated. I open the app and looked, it is still at version 1.2.018. Not sure what to do about it.
same here
Same here. I even uninstalled and re-installed from the Play Store which says version 2.0. I’m still on version 1.2.018.
Same here too, no wonder i couldn’t send SMS from hangout. Weird!
same here on my nexus 4
Already got the update like hours ago. II’m in Mexico.
same here on my Moto X. The only thing that works for me is the apk that was posted a week ago. When I update it from the google play store it comes with no SMS support.
Still no 2.0 showing in online play store and stuck on 1.2.018 for my S4
Anyone else getting double SMS messages with the update? I see the same reply twice from people. It wasn’t doing this with the version stripped out of the Nexus 5.
Yes I’m also getting double messages.
I ended up reverting back to the older version, Nexus 5 apk, and it is working fine again. So there must be something wrong with this new version. Here is the link to the old download if you need it…
http://phandroid.com/2013/10/31/hangouts-v2-download/
Thanks I’ll give that a go. I switched back to Chomp but I’m determined to try to like Hangouts. lol
Can we get an apk?
Sweet!!
Are we able to SMS from Hangouts on our computers?
Hello, I have a nexus 5 phone with hangout. I’have received a MMS with photos, how we do to download it on internal memory ??? thank U