Google's original messaging service got a nice version bump today. Hangouts now sports stickers, video chat filters, an updated Material Design interface, and a few new features that should make the service a little more fun and easy to use.
The stickers you can select from.
The new Material Design look.
The stickers you can select from.
The new Material Design look.
While the stickers should prove to be a nice way to share thoughts and feelings that traditional emojis just can't capture, a new Last Seen time stamp will make it even easier to know when your friends are online. In that same vein, Hangouts will now offer you a simple button that instantly shares your location any time that a friend asks where you are.
The new version also adds video chat filters—just swipe the screen when you're in a video call to overlay your mug with a sepia tone, for instance.
Location sharing made easier with a button.
Playful filters available in video chat.
Location sharing made easier with a button.
Playful filters available in video chat.
All told, it's a fun and functional update that should make its way to the Play Store over the course of the next few days. If you'd rather not wait, though, the good folks over at Android Police have already uploaded the APK for this new version here—just make sure you have app installation from "Unknown sources" enabled, then open the file to install the update.
How are you liking these new features in Hangouts? Let us know in the comment section below, or drop us a line on our Twitter or Facebook feeds.
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