If you thought that the Google Hangouts app could do with a makeover, you’re in luck. Granted the app has received a Material Design makeover, but if you’re thinking more in terms of a better designed UI that’s more intuitive, less cluttered, and more functional, you might be in luck because that’s what Google Hangouts 4.0 could bring to the table.
According to the folks at Android Police, it seems that they have managed to get their hands on a leaked copy of the latest Google Hangouts app for Android, and as you can see in the screenshots above that it looks very different from the current version of the app. The most noticeable change when you launch the app is gone are the tabs.
Instead it will now feature a floating action button to the bottom right of the app, kind of like the same action button found on the Inbox app from Google. This allows users create a new conversation, a new group chat, make video calls, or launch messages with contacts that you talk to frequently.
Users will also be able to set their status message from the mobile app. Previously this was a feature only visible to web users of Hangouts, but it looks like it has made its way onto mobile as well. The colors of the messages have also changed, with your outgoing messages highlighted in white, while the other person’s message is a dark green.
Unfortunately there is no word on when this new Hangouts app will be released, but presumably soon as the app does look quite polished. There’s no guarantee that the features we mentioned will be present in the final release, but hopefully it will be.
Filed in . Read more about Android, Apps, Google and Hangouts.