SMS integration coming to Hangouts

[El3ctronics]

I'm aware, I just don't see the appeal in it. If you want to send someone a text just send them a text.



Why do you need to use the same messaging service on your computer as you do on your phone? You can talk to someone on BBM or SMS with your phone then message them on Facebook when you get to your computer, it's not complicated.

First, the appeal is in the fact that you have one app for all communication instead of having to jump back and forth b/w apps and know which of your friends are using each app.

Second of all, you really don't see the benefit of being able to use a computer as a means of communicating via the same channel? Let's say I'm messaging with someone on my way to the office. When I get to work, I can then pick up the exact same conversation with all the information (and past text) right there, from my desktop computer. Aside from the fact that I can then use my computer while I'm at the office all day instead of having to pick up my phone every time I need to get in touch with someone, I can easily have real time communication with any of my colleagues or friends while also preserving my phone's battery life.

I also know that I can communicate with ANYONE using Hangouts (once it integrates with SMS) whether they've downloaded the app or not. There are tons of other more obvious benefits that I'm sure you can figure out.

 

[Tinmania]

Who is really going to use this though? google + is pretty vacant.
Especially with whatsup, facebook, and imessage.

I think anyone who has a gmail account will be reachable on hangouts. The Google+ aspect doesn't really matter: a ton of people have gmail accounts or google logins of some sort. The issue for me is they are probably not even going to know about "Hangouts" (starting to really hate that name--heck, Babel would have been better). The SMS aspect really needs to come to it quickly.




Michaels

 

[paulsalter]

The only reason I have google+ is because it allows for unlimited photo storage and instant upload

That was my main reason for using G+

But the more I use it the more I like it, joining interesting communities, following more people, it's a good source for tech (or other) news, for chat I will still use FB

Just wish it wasn't such a ram hog, my poor old MacBook sounds like it's going to take off with the fans going full speed (it's like using a flash heavy sight)

 

[0dev]

First, the appeal is in the fact that you have one app for all communication instead of having to jump back and forth b/w apps and know which of your friends are using each app.

People make that out to be a much bigger deal than it is on tech sites. How hard is it to open more than one app on your smartphone to talk to people? That's got to be the ultimate first world problem.

Second of all, you really don't see the benefit of being able to use a computer as a means of communicating via the same channel? Let's say I'm messaging with someone on my way to the office. When I get to work, I can then pick up the exact same conversation with all the information (and past text) right there, from my desktop computer. Aside from the fact that I can then use my computer while I'm at the office all day instead of having to pick up my phone every time I need to get in touch with someone, I can easily have real time communication with any of my colleagues or friends while also preserving my phone's battery life.

I can do the same thing right now by using SMS on my phone and Facebook on my computer. It's very slightly more useful but not a massive deal at all.

I also know that I can communicate with ANYONE using Hangouts (once it integrates with SMS) whether they've downloaded the app or not. There are tons of other more obvious benefits that I'm sure you can figure out.

You can already communicate with anyone through SMS, why do you need Hangouts if you are literally only going to use it via SMS? Bearing in mind the only way you'll get more out of it than regular SMS anyway is if the person you're talking to also uses Hangouts, which means they'll have to be using Google+, which is a service no one uses.

 

[paulsalter]

which means they'll have to be using Google+, which is a service no one uses.

I keep seeing this mentioned, can someone give a source that no one uses G+

 

[0dev]

I keep seeing this mentioned, can someone give a source that no one uses G+

Can you give me a source anyone does? And no, Google claiming to have millions of users doesn't count since they force everyone with a Google account to use Google+.

Do you actually know anyone who uses Google+ properly as a social network? I sure don't. A lot of people opened an account when it first came out because of curiosity and all (and I mean all) of those people have not used it since.

 

[paulsalter]

Can you give me a source anyone does? And no, Google claiming to have millions of users doesn't count since they force everyone with a Google account to use Google+.

Do you actually know anyone who uses Google+ properly as a social network? I sure don't. A lot of people opened an account when it first came out because of curiosity and all (and I mean all) of those people have not used it since.

you made the claim no one uses it, then back this up with evidence

I see lots of posts on it when I look, so people do use it

 

[0dev]

you made the claim no one uses it, then back this up with evidence

I see lots of posts on it when I look, so people do use it

Google refuses to actually tell anyone who they define active users (suspicious, no?), so here's an article that looks through some different sources to see what the real number of Google+ users is.

Honestly I wish people would use Google+, it's far better than Facebook, but the fact they simply don't.

 

[paulsalter]

Google refuses to actually tell anyone who they define active users (suspicious, no?), so here's an article that looks through some different sources to see what the real number of Google+ users is.

Honestly I wish people would use Google+, it's far better than Facebook, but the fact they simply don't.

Image

Thanks, an interesting read

I use both but for different reasons

FB to chat/share things with family/friends
G+ to read more about things/get more info (similar to using this forums and others)

 

[0dev]

Thanks, an interesting read

I use both but for different reasons

FB to chat/share things with family/friends
G+ to read more about things/get more info (similar to using this forums and others)

Yeah I go on there and see posts from tech sites and so on but that's it, and I get the same updates on Facebook anyway, so I don't see the reason to use both personally.

 

[paulsalter]

Yeah I go on there and see posts from tech sites and so on but that's it, and I get the same updates on Facebook anyway, so I don't see the reason to use both personally.

join some of the communities, they sometimes have some good discussions

See your point here though, if you have it all in FB why look somewhere else

 

[KentuckyHouse]

I think anyone who has a gmail account will be reachable on hangouts. The Google+ aspect doesn't really matter: a ton of people have gmail accounts or google logins of some sort. The issue for me is they are probably not even going to know about "Hangouts" (starting to really hate that name--heck, Babel would have been better). The SMS aspect really needs to come to it quickly.




Michaels

Tinmania, can you or anyone else explain to me how SMS integration in Hangouts would work? I've never really used Talk (had it for a while but never actually sent a message to anyone since most of the people I know use iPhones).

Could Hangouts actually replace your SMS app of choice? My wife, who has an iPhone, could send me a MMS or text message and it would appear in Hangouts? Or would she need to be using the actual Hangouts app for iPhone before it would work that way?

 

[Stuntman06]

Finally was able to update Talk to Hangouts. Weird thing is the Talk icon didn't update and change to the Hangouts icon.. anyone else have this happen?

I was unable to install Hangouts from my phone. I had to go to the Play website on my PC and do the installation from there.

That was my main reason for using G+

But the more I use it the more I like it, joining interesting communities, following more people, it's a good source for tech (or other) news, for chat I will still use FB

I felt Google+ really started taking off (for me anyway) about a year ago. That was when my time on G+ exceeded my time on other social networks.

Do you actually know anyone who uses Google+ properly as a social network? I sure don't. A lot of people opened an account when it first came out because of curiosity and all (and I mean all) of those people have not used it since.

Yes. Me.

Thanks, an interesting read

I use both but for different reasons

FB to chat/share things with family/friends
G+ to read more about things/get more info (similar to using this forums and others)

I do so as well. FB is where people I personally know and whom I have met are on. G+ is where I find people with similar interests where we can discuss those interests. Communities in G+ is where I find many of these people.

 

[sentinelsx]

I was unable to install Hangouts from my phone. I had to go to the Play website on my PC and do the installation from there.



I felt Google+ really started taking off (for me anyway) about a year ago. That was when my time on G+ exceeded my time on other social networks.



Yes. Me.



I do so as well. FB is where people I personally know and whom I have met are on. G+ is where I find people with similar interests where we can discuss those interests. Communities in G+ is where I find many of these people.

The problem is all of the people you generally know on FB cannot talk to you through hangouts.

Unless we have a mass exodus from FB and all of them switch to G+.

 

[F123D]

Restart your phone. I did and once I did so - it changed icon.

i was unable to install hangouts from my phone. I had to go to the play website on my pc and do the installation from there.

I tried clearing cache, data, uninstalling, re-installing, restarting, turning off, downloading from pc, and it still shows the talk icon. I'm using Nova Launcher so I just changed the icon myself but just thought it was weird that the Hangouts icon didn't update.

 

[Stuntman06]

The problem is all of the people you generally know on FB cannot talk to you through hangouts.

Unless we have a mass exodus from FB and all of them switch to G+.

Well, the people I connect with on G+ aren't going to do a mass exodus to FB either. The same thing with Twitter. They aren't going anywhere else.