By 
It’s probably not the Hangouts update Android users have been expecting, but Hangouts 4.0 rolled out today for iOS users and brings a slick new user interface and a few other tricks along with it.
Most notably, an all new attachment UI that looks similar to other popular messaging apps, with photos that replace the keyboard for easy sending. What’s more is you can now send multiple photos at once, something anyone that’s spent a lot of time with the app will appreciate. With Google Photos now backing up all your photos and videos for free (the Android version of the app pools these in with your on-device photos), this is something that should really come handy.
While we have yet to hear a peep out of Google, we’re crossing our fingers that an Android version isn’t too far behind. With “Update Wednesday” soon approaching, it could be no more than a few days away although we wont get our hopes up. Maybe Google will finally allow Android users to send video clips — like they already do on iOS — as well?
[iTunes]
Update wednesday for Android users?
Nah, we’ll probably get this update in about a year. That’s how long it took them for the voip update that iOS got first.
Sure, first Wednesday of, July… 2016.
Man what a load. Hopefully it is this Wednesday. But I’m curious. In the statement saying that the Android photos app pools images together, are you also telling me that the iOS version keeps them in their respective folders after backing up?
The wait time for Android gonna be as long as wait time for Google Voice call beetween iOS and Android.
I always thought Google developed for Android but I guess we should all get an iPhone. LOL!
They develop for both, with development on iOS having it easier because there’s way less hardware to account for.
I suppose they could launch on Nexus devices first, but then people would be fuming. With Android, it’s an all or nothing kinda deal.
there shouldn’t even BE an iOS version until the Android version is DONE…they shouldn’t even know what features the iOS version will have and how they’ll be implemented until it has been implemented on their OWN ANDROID APP FIRST. period.
let’s be real here:
this is a clear as day indicator of PRIORITY.
one of the apps has to be the standard for what the other app will be in order to keep them uniform across OSes. they are not ***independently*** developing for iOS and Android…by releasing the iOS app first they have stated clearly that their priority is on iOS and that the Android version will follow with an update that mirrors the one on iOS…
P.S. by independently develop i’m not just talking about coding…i’m talking about the design and everything else it entails…those things must remain uniform across OSes
P.P.S. putting $5 down that when the Android version is released they try to talk up some minor differentiating feature like it was what was responsible for the delay..
They most likely DO have separate development teams for iOS and Android like most other large companies do….and developing for iOS is generally easier…. relax..
The thing that bothers me most about this is their app looks more MD than our own.
Because the design was updated in the update.. Am I missing what you’re saying?
I don’t think you’re missing what I’m saying entirely so I’ll reiterate. The iOS version of Hangouts should not follow Material Design guidelines better than Android’s version. The true update bringing true Material Design to Hangouts has yet to be released.
what about sending videos??…how about u stfu if you don’t know what you’re talking about…like all that was updated was the ui…better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt…
go ahead…tell me I don’t know what that phrase means lmfao
Goes to show Google still perfers to update first for iOS users. But then again, the Hangouts app is buggy for me on my Galaxy s6.
You know, if Apple decides to open up iOS for deeper integration for Google. I would gladly leave Android tbh.
That last paragraph doesn’t surprise me.
And did it ever occur to you that maybe they take of iOS first because of the app review and because this way they can get some idea of how users would react to the updates?
iOS users are not Android users. So, not sure this comparison can really hold ground. What I expect from an Android app on an Android phone would be different from what I experienced on an iOS app for iPhone.
The users are used to different things (if that makes sense).
.02
Anyway you slice it, Google should ALWAYS show favor to their own platform. It just makes sense. This in a very small way encourages users to make the switch. ALL features should roll out to Android first then iOS. At the very least they should roll out at the same time.
I agree with you. There will always be things we don’t know about why they do stuff.
Most of the time, the Android app comes with cool stuff the iOS counter part didn’t.
Let’s say for some reason the iOS was done first and they need to touch some stuff up for the Android version. Would it make sense for them to sit on it while they fix the Android stuff?
Maybe the Apple release process went faster than expected and they’ll pull the trigger on the Hangouts app any day?
I completely understand what you’re saying. If it were my company and I had over a billion users on my platform, i’m always going to cater to them.
simple logic to anyone but a fanboi…this is leaving a bad taste in my mouth…i feel like i’ve been spat on…this is downright disrespectful to Android users…i’m sorry but there is no way around it, google just dissed Android…
lmao we’re talking about fuckin hangouts. HANGOUTS. Chill out, I promise you it’s not that serious. They ain’t had the update but a day and you’re calling for people’s heads.Just because “their own” (lol) don’t know the rhyme or reason, doesn’t mean your speculation and/or hurt emotions are justified. They don’t have a damn 6 month exclusivity period on the update. We’ll all live.
This is exactly what I was trying to say. I am an iPhone user, so technically I shouldn’t say anything, but I remember how I felt when I was on Android and iOS was the first platform to get Google Voice calling before Android in Hangouts. I was pissed……
Also, this is coming from a guy with an iPhone 6 Plus that loves the new update.
no…it wouldn’t make sense…
would it make sense for Blackberry to upgrade BBM for android with new features before their own OS?? no…
would it make sense for Apple to release an all new iMessage app on Android with all new features before iOS?? no..
would it make sense for Windows to release Cortana on Android giving us features they don’t have on their OWN OS?!!?!! NO…
stop giving google a pass…
by rights…no excuse…charity begins at home…
that being said…this is a corporation we’re talking about…all they care about is their bottom line and they are loyal to one thing: money! not their shareholders, not a mobile os, not even their OWN!!
This is true, but it leads me to ask, what type of money do they make off of Hangouts? I can’t see a profit model in place, can you?
What if the iOS developers just happened to finish their update first? It may be that simple.
That very well could’ve been the case. It still doesn’t send a good message to your own platform users.
I don’t know why everyone is shocked, here’s a photo of the Hangouts dev team: https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1264/750701139_a3af00d70b.jpg
HAHAHAHAHAHA
FIRE THEM ALL! Hangouts blows! They need that many people to create this crappy app! I’ve seen better apps with a one man team!
Hehe, it’s not really the dev team, I just found a photo of a bunch of guys holding up iPhones.
This is just indicative of the problem all apps that are on both platforms have. iOS is easier to develop for than Android so it usually releases first. The variety of devices is one of Android’s biggest strengths and weaknesses.
hold google’s feet to the fire…as users of THEIR operating system this is UNACCEPTABLE…no one would accept this kind of disrespect from Microsoft, Apple, Blackberry, or any other company. period.
charity begins at home.
what if windows sent cortana to android first? what if apple sent siri to android first? what if blackberry sends the next bbm to android first?
relax
grow a pair.
lmao your panties are so far up your ass that you’re on here bitching and whining about Google not “taking care of their own” like you’re some kind of overly entitled orphaned child, but you want me to grow a pair, over an app update. Charity begins at home? Do you even understand what that means? Get the entire fack outta here.
you might be on the rainbow train bruh but over here men wear gender appropriate underwear…first of all…
secondly, when i PAID for a GOOGLE EXPERIENCE DEVICE idk, call me “bitchy and whiny”, but I’m 100% sure GOOGLE got money…THEREFORE i have every right to complain when i’m getting a lesser GOOGLE EXPERIENCE than someone who DIDN’T GIVE THEM ANY MONEY…capisce?
so here i am with my GOOGLE EXPERIENCE DEVICE unable to send video files…a second class hangouts citizen lol…just like you…thing is you’re over there living out your consumerized American education acting like Google is doing us a favor as if you didn’t PAY FOR SOMETHING…so yeah grow a pair…and a brain while you’re at it
charity begins at home…i love when people that don’t know sh*t about sh*t try to act intelligent…you OBVIOUSLY don’t know what the phrase means…if you wanted to know all you had to do was ask:
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Charity+begins+at+home
it means before you go taking care of others you take care of YOUR OWN ie. before you go updating an app for a rival’s OS update the app for the people who actually PAID to use YOUR OWN OS!
now kindly go f* ck urself
Who cares..it’s an app update…
People who really enjoy using Hangouts care lol there was a time when according to Google Hangouts was going to be THE messaging but they have been so slow to go about making it that app after adding VoIP calls and SMS/MMS support they had to release Google Messenger for SMS/MMS because Hangouts isn’t playing well with everyone’s device. While its no secret that it’s easier to develop for iOS it still a bit disheartening for some users to see another platform get a update from for one of the more useful Google apps before they do.
I care when there’s bugs that make the latest Hangouts update unusable on my device.
me. the guy who’s comment you’re replying to. if you don’t care don’t reply. bye.
Google does’t care what phone it runs on, as long as people use it. At least 50% of google employees use iPhone and 100% of the employees use Macs. The only group within Google that use Chromebooks are the consultants or contract workers.
Plus for some reason iOS is easier to program for.
Any link to stats?
It’s always been like this with Google. I almost purchased an iPhone just to enjoy better apps from Google and smoother apps. Irritates me because of how long it took android to get the voip option.. But whatever. Guess it’s not that serious.
It’s “always” been like this with google? How so? Most google apps are “new-ish” to iOS
Well Google Calendar performs better on iOS, and back in the day Google+ was better on iOS (not so much now), and if I remember correctly, Google Maps updated on iOS first. However I do agree with Kennected, it hasn’t “always been this way. Google Calendar was updated on Android first, same with Google Music and Google Drive. And Google Keep has yet to appear on iOS. Google has yet to update Google+ on iOS. YouTube saw it’s changes on Android first.
I believe Inbox by Gmail was released on both simultaneously.
Basically what I’m getting at is, it’s a subjective view. You can “feel” like Google is one way or another based on your POV.
Personally, I think most if not all apps will perform better on iOS and this is phone specific of course. My S6 Edge sucks at handling Google Calendar animations, and Hangouts 3.4 or what ever I have is just as bad.
It’s all perspective.
In context of the topic.. It’s always been apple getting updates with Google Apps first because of their teams working faster. Stop the nitpicking.
Video clips would be fantastic so I can go back and view them later from my tablet. Right now, (since I have unlimited data) I just upload them to YouTube real quick and share the private link lol.
Where is the ability to search your friggin’ messages?! But I’m happy about multiple images at once as that is annoying as hell! Now how about adding the ability to respond in the notifications or a popup, more than one image at a time, scheduling messages, auto message retry sending when failures occur, the ability to have my threads for the same person merged into one thread (bug in which hangouts messages are separate from regular SMS/MMS means I have twice as many threads in my messenger), fix MMS thread bugs, the ability to share multiple types of files and not just one (images), changing the GUI for individual people (like Google other messaging app messenger, lol), BUT MAINLY BEING ABLE TO SEARCH YOUR MESSAGES (I reiterate)!
Meanwhile us Android users are dealing with a slow, outdated interface that doesn’t even support basic texting features like color coded messages. Thanks Google.