Google bolsters Hangouts with SMS support, location sharing, and animated GIFs

By Molly McHugh October 29, 2013

hangouts header — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tuesday morning, Google announced a handful of new features for Google+ Hangouts, arguably the most popular service the social platform is home to. The biggest upgrade: Finally, Hangouts has added SMS support. Users can make Hangouts their default app for texting and Web-based chatting, making it an all-in-one messaging app.

The update will roll out soon for both Android and iOS phones, and will also improve video chats for mobile by adding HD and full-screen video calls across devices. Google says it will keep improving its software to adjust and improve webcam capabilities while chats are in progress. Hangouts keeps on looking better and better, and is certainly challenging other across-the-board apps out there.

google hangouts better lighitng — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In addition to the functional improvements, Hangouts also have a couple of fun new features to brag about. There will soon be a location option so you can signal with a red pin where you are, and this will show up immediately via Google Maps in the conversation.

Want some more fun? Google+ is bringing its animated GIF feature into Hangouts. You can now respond to Hangout chats in GIF form, because sometimes no words can convey what this can.

While Google+ might remain a quiet social network in comparison to the constant buzz of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, the work it continues to do on Hangouts deserves recognition. It’s easily one of the most impressive services Google offers, and one users are happy the Web giant keeps updating.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…

Computing

How to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac

Macbook Air

If you want to have a bit of music playing in the background or want to have your favorite YouTube video running in the corner of your screen, then the picture-in-picture YouTube feature needs to be on your radar. This allows you to turn your YouTube videos into a tiny pop-up window that can be moved and repositioned around your screen.

Mac users have several ways to activate the feature, including support on both Safari and Google Chrome. There's also a nifty Chrome extension that simplifies the task to a single button press. Here's a look at how to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac.

Computing

How to change your Gmail password

pilot testing drivers licenses internet rolls two us states password

Changing your Gmail password is incredibly important for your online security. If you're anything like the average user, your Gmail account is linked to dozens of other organizations and programs – and if your account gets hacked, there's no telling what sort of damage can be done.

Because of this, it's crucial to change your Gmail password at regular intervals. Google makes this a rather painless process, and it should take no more than a few seconds from start to finish.

Web

Best Buy deals: Save on laptops, TVs, appliances, and more

best buy shuts down insignia line smart home products store 2 768x768

Best Buy is always a great retailer to turn to if you’re looking for some savings. There are almost always Best Buy deals taking place on TVs, appliances, and devices we use to navigate the digital world. In fact, right now at Best Buy you can find some of the best TV deals, best laptop deals, and best phone deals that can be shopped, and we haven’t even mentioned the deals on tablets and home audio equipment currently taking place at Best Buy. We’ve rounded up all of the best Best Buy deals you can shop right now and categorized them for your convenience below, so read onward for some great opportunities to save.
Best Buy TV deals

There may be no better place to purchase one of the best TVs than Best Buy. There is almost always some huge savings to find on TVs at Best Buy, and that’s certainly the case right now. You’ll find deals top TV brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG, and more budget-friendly brands like TCL and Hisense are in play, too.