Google Hangouts SMS Support Added Alongside GPS And Gifs

There's now one single location users need to work with to talk with video, text, and images in the Google Android experience. Here with Hangouts, Google has made clear that they're updating the system with three new features, the first – and most important – of these being SMS support. This means that the Hangouts app will be able to attach itself to your SMS on your smartphone.

This app will also be working with GPS location collecting. When you're chatting, you'll be able to tap the Location button in the lower right-hand corner and send your location to a friend. This location attaches instantly to Google Maps and can be shared and opened with any other device working with Hangouts – easy peasy.

Finally there's a rather radical experience coming to Hangouts in gifs. A gif is an image that can exist as a series of images in a single product, thus making it animated. Animated gifs will now be able to be uploaded and shared in Hangouts for all platforms.

Hangouts continues to work in several modes, one of which is the text and media mode that's being added to with the features listed above. You'll also be able to send out video in full HD 1080p, and will be able to broadcast yourself in Hangouts through Google+ with full HD 1080p as well.

Updates from Google will be rolling out starting today – you can have a peek at these updates on Android first, as well as iOS, all of this starting in the online Google Chrome version of the app. More updates are on the way – both inside the Google+ universe and outside in the Android and iOS environments as well!