Hangouts 11 adds video messages and gets rid of merged SMS conversations
So what’s new First, Android users get a feature that has been available on iOS for quite awhile now: video messages. This isn’t video chat, it’s sending a recorded message. While Google didn’t mention how long the messages can be, the limit is 2 minutes on iOS, and we’d wager it’s the same on Android.
The other major change is that Google has disabled the ability to merge SMS and over-the-top (OTT) messages. The explanation from Google, via it’s support page, is as follows:
Hangouts 11 is rolling out now via the Google Play store.
The impact on you: If you were really into merged conversations on Hangouts, this is a bummer. It’s good that we’re finally getting video messages, but Google’s scattered history with messaging apps is a mess. Messenger continues to be popular because it’s needed in areas where users may not have a Google account. Hangouts does the same thing, but not as well, and also provides OTT messaging. Allo is on the way this fall, and it looks awesome, but will it catch on If Google is to combat Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, it needs a single united front.