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Google's Android texting app has a new name
Despite how common texting is, its integration on Android has always lagged slightly behind, as Google appeared to focus on other things. Sometimes it wrapped the feature into other services/apps like Google Voice and Hangouts, but lately, the main Android texting app has been getting some tweaks too. The latest one brings a new name, as it goes from Google Messenger (probably frequently confused with the bot-laden Facebook Messenger) to Android Messages.
Animated GIFs make their way to Google Messenger
Sometimes 160 characters just can't adequately express what you're trying to say, but a soundless loop of the Bluth family doing his best impression of a chicken will. Google knows this and has added animated GIF support to Messenger as a result, bringing in functionality that Hangouts has had for awhile. The app has a new widget as well, in addition to the usual bug fixes and performance improvements that TalkAndroid notes. Not seeing the update on your device? We've got your back with a Google Play link right here.
Google releases standalone Messenger app for Android
But what about Hangouts, you ask? Well, that application isn't going anywhere anytime soon, it would seem. Yet, Google isn't doing it any favors by outing a standalone version of Messenger, an app with very similar messaging features to the aforementioned. Messenger does come pre-installed on Android Lollipop, alongside Hangouts, but now it's available to devices running version 4.1 (or higher) of Google's operating system. As expected, you can use Messenger for SMS and MMS phone functions, in addition to being able to send and receive audio messages. The app is also quite elegant, since it does come with the new Material Design look. If you're running a compatible smartphone or tablet, Messenger is available to download from Google Play -- or you can grab the APK from here.
Google+ on Android gets its turn at a UI remake, extra Hangout and photo features in the bargain
Did you see the Google+ 2.0 update for iPhone and wonder if Google's attention had drifted away from its own baby? Don't fret, as the Android app has just been given similarly loving treatment. The interface shares the reworked stream look that we saw on iOS while keeping the swipe-to-switch category filters that Google+ has used from the start. There's even small rewards for having to watch your iPhone friends go first: you can now start a Hangout video chat from the main menu, get ringing Hangout notifications, download photos directly from conversations and edit your posts after the fact. The new look has already proved polarizing, but if you're the sort who revels in the purity of a Google social network running on a Google platform, you can now try the overhaul for yourself.
Yahoo Hub offers free messaging to anyone, locks horns with RIM and Google
Yahoo, evidently tired of being passed up by hundreds of free messaging apps floating around the various smartphone application stores, has launched a service of its own to take on the likes of BBM and Google Messenger. The new app, called Hub, is only available for Android devices at the moment, but there's a brightside here: you can send a message to anyone, not just other folks who've downloaded the same app. The recipient -- or multiple recipients, since group chat is allowed -- can easily reply to the thread using their own standard SMS service. Curiously, Hub is only offered if you have a US SIM card and a text plan, even though the messages are transmitted using your data connection or WiFi. If you do a lot of international travel, Hub is supported in nine other countries besides the US, a rather small number we hope will grow as the service graduates from its beta status. While Yahoo can use all the help it can get right now, is this going to endear very many users? [Thanks, Ashish]
