Hangouts for Android’s Upcoming Update to Unveil Video Messaging

Remember Google Hangouts? Yep, it’s that semi-popular messaging app tucked away in your Android device. Well, now it’s all set to hook your attention with its upcoming update – a feature that lets you send video messages. Despite whispers of Google potentially phasing out Hangouts, it seems the tech giant has some new tricks up its sleeve.

With the impending release of version 11, Android users will soon be able to explore a fresh dimension of real-time video messaging. And guess what? The avid tech insiders over at 9to5 Google have already procured a predecessor link of the APK (Android Application Package) which has subsequently been introduced to the web.

How does this work? Well, it’s simple. Sending videos would work just as if you were sending a picture. An option to send videos would emerge in the bottom bar of the updated Hangouts interface. A single tap could turn on your device’s video camera, allowing you to record anything from your heartwarming dog antics to dance parties in your living room. You’ll be able to monitor the upload progress and as the video undergoes processing, you can later play it back via other apps on your device like the gallery or Google Photos.

Meanwhile, in the parallel world of iOS, Google Hangouts recently unlocked the capability for users to send videos up to two minutes long. However, the Android update seems to cap the video sending limit to one minute. What’s more, the Hangouts for iOS update also introduced the capacity for users to remove others from group Hangouts – a capability that this Android update will mirror.

While testing the early APK version, initial hiccups were reported with video sending. However, such teething issues are expected to be resolved once Google officially launches the update on Google Play.

Back in May, Google unveiled Allo, a communication tool that boasts features quite synonymous with Hangouts. Pundits considered this a potential move by Google to replace Hangouts. Google steering towards acquiring WhatsApp for a whopping $10 billion before Facebook scooped it up may have also hinted at such intentions. Despite these conjectures, major messaging apps, including Facebook’s Messenger and WeChat, seem to still outrun Hangouts in popularity. This might have facilitated the birth of Allo, as a countermove to keep up with Facebook’s AI advancements.

Despite Hangouts being a part of Google Plus, it’s not entirely appropriate to gauge its success based on the number of Google Plus users. After all, anyone with a Google account is automatically given a Google Plus account. Nevertheless, Google still holds the reins as one of the best video-conferencing tools in the realm of social networking – although its usage among social media users is yet to rise considerably. Here’s to hoping the new update might just boost its popularity quotient!