Google Hangouts for Android Gets an Update that Adds Quick Replies

[dgstorm]

Fans of of Google Hangouts might be interested in the latest feature added in the newest update to the Android version. The update added the ability to create quick replies. Specifically, when you click on "reply" on any notification, it brings up a text box so you can directly respond to messages without needing to enter the Hangouts app.

That's not the only new feature added in the update. Users can now "save" important conversations to your home screen and it gives them their own icon. Nifty! Here's a quick quote from the changelog with the most prominent additions:

• Floating quick reply for messages
• Create shortcut to conversations on the home screen
• Google Messenger notice

There is one other intriguing thing to report regarding the latest update. As you can see in the changelog list above, something else was added. The update also pops up a notice asking you to install Google Messenger. The most logical conclusion as to why Google would do this is that they are considering dropping Hangouts as the default SMS/MMS app of choice on Android. This wouldn't be too much of a surprise as it has been rumored for sometime that Google might remove SMS from Hangouts. What do you folks think?

Source: AndroidPolice