Google Hangouts gets a facelift, adds Google voice and VoIP calling

Google Voice and Hangouts have coexisted for a while, and while Google has pushed Hangouts as its primary messaging and chat platform, news on Voice has slowed to a trickle. Now, as TechCrunch reports, Google is revamping its Hangouts app to include Google Voice functionality and giving the app a new look at the same time.

The new Google Hangouts app features the same chat functionality as before, along with free VoIP calling to numbers in the U.S. and Canada, and of course no-cost calls to other Hangouts contacts worldwide. Calls to certain international numbers will see a rate drop as well -- you can check the current prices on Google's calling rates table.

Those with a Google Voice number will now get calls directly in Hangouts, and Android users will see voice and text messages appear as regular text chat in the Hangouts app. This last bit of functionality won't be available on iOS right away, but it's on the way. The app update is currently rolling out, so be sure to tap that update button as soon as it's available on your device.