Android users have had the ability to send text messages with the use of voice commands for some time now, and the functionality has finally been extended to Google Hangouts as well. Users can now send instant messages through the application by using voice commands, and while it’s not something that would be relevant to everyone, there are definitely users out there who’re going to enjoy the new feature quite a lot.
The specific voice command is “send a hangouts message”, which triggers the app to send an IM to other users, with Google asking for each relevant part of the command, such as the recipient’s name, the message contents and others. Of course, users can also submit the whole command in one long go, but if it’s a longer sequence with more complicated instructions, it’s probably a better idea to use the segmented approach instead.
Users have already been commenting on the new feature, with many claiming that it’s been saving them some time. A lot of people are using Hangouts at the moment, and Google have been quite active in supporting the platform as well, so it makes sense that there would always be a large portion of users interested in new features that are already available in other services.
And in other related news, Pharrell celebrated the International Day of Happiness – March 20 – together with Google and the United Nations Foundation, giving Internet users the opportunity to record themselves dancing to Pharrell’s famous song “Happy”, and then being included in a large video showing many different users bobbing their heads in rhythm.
In Hangouts specifically, typing the phrase “International Day of Happiness” reveals an easter egg, although reports indicate that it’s not available on all platforms and only works with some installations of Hangouts. It’s certainly worth giving it a shot, as it’s a funny little sequence hidden in the program to entertain its users. It’s not known if the easter egg will remain available after the holiday is over, or if Google are planning to change it for next year.
The company is continuing their work on Hangouts as well, as they have been very active in developing the service further with new features and functionality lately, while also fixing various bugs and making the experience smoother and more refined. Hangouts is a very popular communications platform at the moment, and Google have been hanging on to its popularity very tightly, as it’s one of their more successful services. It makes sense that they are paying so much attention to its development, and they have been particularly active when it comes to taking in user feedback and applying it to the program.