The new Google Plus Hangouts messaging platform could soon become a replacement for your smartphone’s texting app, after Google confirmed that SMS integration is on the way.
The new Hangouts platform for iOS and Android devices and the Google Chrome browser was announced on Wednesday during the Google I/O conference.
Hangouts, which was codenamed Babel in the weeks leading up to the launch, combines aspects of Google Talk, Gmail and Google video chats and aims to become the dominant messaging app regardless of which platform users are on.
As well as all that, Hangouts also enables users to send messages to others even when the recipient is not signed in, which led to speculation that SMS integration would follow.
That was confirmed by Google’s community manager for Hangouts Dori Storbeck who told posters on Google that “SMS integration is coming soon.”
As SlashGear points out, the first version of the app, which is available to download now, requires permissions for reading and sending text messages.
This suggests the feature has already been planted within Hangouts and just needs Google to release it into the wild.
Have you had the chance to try Hangouts yet? Are you impressed with Google’s all-things-to-all-people messaging app? Are you annoyed that Google Plus sign up is enforced? Let us know in the comments section below.
Source: SlashGear
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
