14 DAY TRIAL // Google's popular chat application Hangouts has just received a new update which bestows a cosmetic overhaul only to the iOS variant. This means Android owners will have to wait a while before they see the latest version of Hangouts arrive in the Play Store.
The update bumps the app version from 3.3 to 4.0, adding more material design elements like a floating active button and a sandwich menu.
It might be odd that Google has decided to update its Hangouts messaging app on iOS first rather than Android, but this seems to be the way of things.
So the new Hangouts version adds the signature “sandwich” menu on the top left and a floating “new message” button, which is not to be mistaken for an “active” button that will bring up a number of actions when tapped. The latter function will not be encountered in the iOS version, so the Android app will be the sole beneficiary.
Another cool addition to the new Hangouts experience is the stickers. Every chat app comes bundled with a library of sticker imagery, and Hangouts is no different in this regard. Some users might get quite excited at the prospect of having new drawings to insert into the conversation, but for others it might not matter all that much.
