Google is starting today to roll out a new update for Hangouts, its main communications application, pending the launch of Allo. The main purpose of this update is to make it easier to invite new contacts into a group chat.
Groups get better
As stated by Jordanna Chord, software engineer at Google, this new version sees a new option appear in the parameters of a discussion ("Participants and options"). This is called "Joining by link", which translates word for word by "join by link". When enabled, participants can then create and share a link that will allow anyone who clicks on it to join the group in question. A much easier way to create open discussions than having to invite each member one by one.
Note that this option can be deactivated at any time, preventing anyone who clicks on the link from joining the conversation. A good way to limit the number of participants in a conversation.
Jordanna Chord recalls on this occasion that since the last update, it is also possible to easily find a group discussion by looking for the name of it or that of one of the participants. This novelty will also be deployed soon on iOS.
Immediate deployment
This update is being rolled out today on all platforms. As always, this one may not appear immediately, but it should be available to everyone in the coming days.
