Google Hangouts 2.0 Arrives for iOS, Adds iPad Redesign & New Features

The Google Hangouts app for iOS has stayed largely the same since its launch in May 2013. Apple’s iOS 7 launched this past fall, introducing a new look and new development features; yet the Hangouts app never took advantage. Until now, that is. Nearly nine months after launching, Google has finally put out version 2.o of its Hangouts app for iOS. And this new version adds some interesting stuff.

First off, there’s a tweaked look; one that’s more in line with iOS 7. iPhone users might not be blown away, but iPad users surely will be. After being offered what was essentially a blown up version of the iPhone Hangouts app, iPad owners now have a version that is optimized for a tablet.

The new version uses the iOS 7 SDK, as well; this at least means you don’t have to look at that old dark gray keyboard anymore.

You can now share your mood with your friends, or display that you’re on a mobile device instead of on a desktop. This might help you from getting unwanted messages — no promises, though.

If you’re not one for live video (which is what Hangouts are all about), you can now send 10 second video messages to friends using the Hangouts app.

There are also stickers, because every messaging app on the market must now have stickers to compete. It’s mandatory. If your app doesn’t have stickers, people will just move on and find some other app to message their friends from. Is that right?

Finally, there’s a feature I think seems pretty darn useful; the ability to send your location on a map to a friend. Then again, if you’re sharing your location with someone, you’re probably communicating with them via text. But it’s not as easy to get a location into a text as it is to insert a map inside a Hangouts conversation, so kudos to Google for that.

The new version of Hangouts is available right now in the App Store. Go get it, and once you’ve tried it out, let us know what you think.

[Source: 9 to 5 Google]