Google has updated the Hangouts app for Android and the updated app adds the ability to place free voice calls. It is also known as VoiP calls, through Hangouts for Android, iOS and Web. Earlier users in the US and Canada can make free calls to other Hangouts users. The Android app is getting few features of the Material Design from Android L. In addition to this, a separate dialer app also required to download for Android users.
According to a blog post, Google product manager Amit Fulay said,
“Hangouts already makes it easy to send a quick message, or start a group video chat,” Google product manager Amit Fulay said in a blog post. ”But, sometimes it’s best to just call to say ‘I love you,’ and with the new version of Hangouts you can.” Google is essentially merging capabilities of its Voice online calling service with Hangouts, which became a hit feature in the technology titan’s Google+ social network because of its free group video chat capabilities. Calls are free between Hangouts users and to numbers in the United States or Canada, according to Fulay, who described international call rates as “really low.”
Google Voice for Android and web users will soon begin seeing their voicemail transcriptions and texts alongside their Hangouts conversation. They’ll even be able to SMS reply in the Hangouts app but while using the Google Voice service.
Hangouts calls will be available in the new version of the application tailored for mobile devices powered by Google-backed Android software. On Apple devices or desktop computes, Hangouts calls should be possible when next the applications are used.
Android users will need to update Google Hangouts and download the Hangouts Dialer app.