Hangouts 2.0 for iOS
Google has been releasing and updating apps consistently on iOS and the only app missing right now is Google Keep. They released Hangouts on iOS the same day as they did on Android. They’ve also been doing some great things with design on iOS. Hangouts as a service has always been great but the iOS apps have been beyond lacking. It almost felt like the team that did the Mac Messages app worked on Hangouts for iOS. All that changes as of now. 2.0 just hit and the update is great. Not only does it fix all the annoyances with the previous app, but it also has a proper iOS 7 aesthetic and doesn’t make you want to give up technology when you use the iPad app. The app now has stickers (that are great) and allows sharing your location. This is the first update the app has received since November and the settings in the app finally actually makes a difference. It feels like a completely different app now with in app banner notifications that actually look good. Google has created its own beautiful ecosystem of apps on iOS with single sign in enabled and proper inter app communication. I welcome this much delayed but great update to an app I used to struggle to use daily. I also find it a bit shocking that the features in the iOS app and overall feel completely outclass the Android app. Hangouts is available on the App Store as a universal app for free.