Google has rolled out the latest update for Hangouts. This update deals with voice calling, includes Google Voice integration and even some animated GIFs. While all this sounds like a solid update, there is a disappointing aspect as it has only arrived for those with an iOS device. Yes, Google has rolled this one out only for those sporting an iDevice.

This newly added calling support will work on the iPhone and iPad and even the iPod touch. You see, the voice calling doesn’t even require a SIM card. It is all WiFi. Well, WiFi or cellular data. But the catch is that you do not need carrier voice minutes to make these calls. Simply put, you can now make voice calls from the Hangouts app. Calls to the US and Canada will be free and international calls are said to be at “super low rates.”

Shifting to the Google Voice integration and this basically means that any outgoing calls made from Hangouts will show as being from your Voice number (assuming you are a Google Voice user). On the flip side, if you are carrying an iOS device and someone calls your Google Voice number, you will be able to answer it using Hangouts.

In addition to the voice calling to and from Hangouts, iOS users will now see their music slip into the background for incoming messages. This means the music will temporarily turn down as opposed to stop. Finally, Google also added support for animated GIFs. Moving forward iOS users will be able to see any of these GIFs playing in-line. And to clarify, this means iOS users will be able to send, and receive those animated GIFs.

Anyway, while we sometimes expect updates (and new apps) to come to iOS first, it somehow seems like it may sting a bit more when coming direct from Google. Needless to say, while Google may be making Android users wait for this Hangouts update, we suspect it will be coming soon and to that point, we suspect it will be coming with Kit Kat.

VIA: Google+ Kate Cushing

13 COMMENTS

  1. I actually think that this could be so that if there is any carrier backlash, that it hits on iOS devices before the android version releases

  2. A strange thing happened to me. While using my chrome book, my house phone rang and I simultaneously answered it with Hangouts! I didn’t know you could do that. And that is the first time I noticed it. And it only now seems to happen when my wife calls (She has android and was not calling my voice number, rather, the house number). Is this why? Are they doing some massive hangout integration?

  3. Actually, I have Voice set up so that it integrates with my phone. Meaning, if somebody calls my Google Voice number, my phone rings. And there’s a widget that lets you toggle outgoing calls to use Google Voice if you want it to. So likely the reason that the update isn’t hitting Android is that it already has a better option to do the same thing.

      • You don’t even need an app. You can set it up from your computer to use your phone number. If you want an app, they have an official one.

    • The Google Voice app is SHIT! This is a punch in the gut by Google to us loyal Android users who have been here through all the laggy bullshit that android has been up until Soc makers like Qualcomm make this OS usable. fuck you Google

  4. What is the difference between a VOIP call and a a normal video call with hangouts without camera ?
    I need to understand this guys !

  5. Wow! Fuck you Google. They do this for iOS users and us Android users are stuck with the shitty Google voice app? Again, FUCK YOU GOOGLE! maybe we all should just get iPhones since now even Google is releasing apps/updates to iOS before Android. Wouldn’t doubt it if the main execs at Google are iPhone users.

    • Dude jesus calm down. Give it like, a week. We get everything (EVERYTHING) before iPhone users, just let them have this one first for once

      • Just an update from 4 months ago…. still no voice on Android Hangouts. Had to whip out my iPad yesterday to make a call at home as I live in a cell dead zone… and no update on KitKat either as I have a Nexus and have the latest. Should we still stay calm or are we now allowed to say F&^% you Google?

    • Well I have been thru the same laggy shit and going thru the same android dream and blah blah, I have switched ….finally ..when I realized I needed an operating system with less variables ,better stability and dependability..

  6. I’ve been an Android user since the G1 and will never switch, so I already know how to use Google Voice I use it daily, but you need an app like groove ip to do what iOS users can do with their hangouts app, and groove ip isn’t really that great either. You can’t make a phone call with the current Google Voice app without a SIM card, that and the way they organize threads in the G Voice app looks as if a freshmen designed the app. So I would say the integration is way better on iOS, Android is always a step behind, but it stings more when GOOGLE does shit like this, it’s expected from companies like Activision, popcap etc. but not Google. Our hangouts app should’ve gotten this like last year, we barely received the ability to see who’s online for God’s sake! Fuck you Google.

  7. That’s so typical of those panzie ass whimps at google! Sold out to IOS and left its bread and butter hanging! Well if android wasn’t so Dependant on google then maybe everyone could just switch to I products but then we would be stuck with bullshit I crap that had calling feature on hangouts!!! Google is a bunch of ass wipes and that’s why so many techs have migrated over to Facebook! If google doesn’t make this right with android users soon they just might feel the whip like Twitter has. No customer support, no response, no results. Maybe Microsoft will catch them in this lazy stupor and give us something useful, not…….

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