Google Hangouts Android app gets overhaul: SMS integration and more

Can Google kill SMS? Not yet, but it surely has started laying the groundwork.

Google's revamped version of its Hangouts messaging app for Android that was announced yesterday comes with a number of new features--SMS integration, location sharing and support for animated GIFs.

In the new and updated version of the app, users will no longer have to use the separate SMS application included on the phone-- text messages will simply be delivered to Hangouts the same way instant messages are.

The unified instant messaging and chat feature now makes Hangouts similar to Apple's iMessage platform that uses one app for both SMS and instant messaging.

[caption id="attachment_1201947" align="alignright" width="380"] Image from Google blog[/caption]

The app will also allows users to share a map of their current location with messages. One can simply tap on the location button located just next to the text input box to be able to send animated GIFs and see them inline when they receive them, within the Hangouts app.

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According to Google, the updated Hangouts Android app will be rolled out in the next few days

However, there's still no word on integrating Google Voice with the messaging platform.

Google hasannounced a slew of new features for the web version of Hangouts, offering more control over live video hangouts. It now allows organisers of hangouts to oust unwanted participants or turn up the volume on others.

In its latest attempt to lure traffic away from Facebook and other online hangouts, it isalso introducing more tools to automatically edit images posted on its Plus networking service.

"At Google, we are looking at doing nothing less than revolutionizing the field of photography," said Vic Gundotra, the company's senior vice president of social.

Google's new editing tools can automatically touch up images or perform tricks such as erasing people from photos or creating animated GIFs - stringing together multiple images to make it seem like the subject of a picture is moving.

Another feature will create a short movie set to music when a user selects different videos and pictures to mix together. Snapseed, a Google-owned mobile application that competes against Facebook Inc.'s Instagram photo app, also is getting a new filter to improve the appearance of landscapes and structures.