Google is in the midst of pushing out a much-anticipated compatibility update for it’s official Hangouts application via the Google Play Store. In terms of added functionality, this upgrade brings support for ‘hidden contacts’ and new notification settings, in addition to a handful of bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations.

First up we have a feature which has been dubbed ‘hidden contacts’ by the folks over at Google, it allows users to hide individual’s from their contact lists without blocking their messages entirely. This is particularly useful if you want to block another Hangouts user from video calling you, but still want to provide them with the facility to send you messages or vice versa.

Up next we have an all new notifications preference. Users will now have the facility to assign a unique notification tone to their different conversations, allowing them to determine which chat the messages come from. As far as we can tell, there aren’t any new sounds to choose from for your notifications — so if you’re considering taking advantage of this feature, it may be worth downloading Zedge.

Finally, we have a fix for a long-running issue with the Hangouts application which caused colossal battery drain. It should take a few days to kick into play once the update is installed, but you should really notice a difference after at least a week. If you don’t be sure to inform Google in this help thread.

If you’re a current Hangouts user or a newcomer and just want to try out the service — click the link below to download and install the software update via the Google Play Store. It only takes approximately thirty seconds, give or take a few, depending on your Wi-Fi/Cellular connection.

 

• SourceHangouts