Google updates Hangouts, Google Keyboard in anticipation of wider KitKat release

Google has released an update to its Hangouts app on both the Android and iOS platforms as well as one for Google Keyboard on Android. The Android update for Hangouts brings along much-awaited support for SMS and MMS messages, effectively turning it to be a contender for the default SMS application when Android 4.4 KitKat officially gets here.

After the integration first appeared in KitKat, Google has released an update for Hangouts, effectively allowing anyone with Android version 4.0 and up to use the app to send and receive SMS and MMS messages. The update also brings along support for playing in-line, animated GIF messages as well as one-tap location sharing. All of these features first made an appearance on KitKat along with the Nexus 5.

Updated

Google has also released an update for the Google Keyboard for Android, prepping it for when Android 4.4 KitKat hits all the major phones. The emoji keyboard has been added to the Google Keyboard. However, you need KitKat to make use of this. So while you may not be able to use emojis on your Jelly Bean powered phones just about now, you can rest assured that those cute looking critter stickers are sitting there, ready for your phone to have an OS update.

Besides, this Google has also added space-aware gesture typing to the keyboard, ensuring that you do not need to lift your finger while gesture typing. All you will need to do is go through the space bar. There’s also a simplified mini-keyboard on full stop long press, de-blued press states and rationalised punctuation across different device size layouts with this update of Google Keyboard.

That’s not all, Google has bumped Hangouts for iOS to version 1.3.1. There’s not much to write home about with the iOS update except the fact that it now displays device, in-call and mood status now. You can share what device you’re on, whether you’re on a call currently and even your mood using Hangouts for iOS now. The update has also brought along bug fixes and improvements. Of course, there is no SMS and MMS integration for this version of the application and in-line GIFs and location sharing did not make it to the iOS counterpart of Hangouts.