Google Hangouts update to bring SMS/MMS integration, report says

A new report says that an upcoming Hangouts update will finally bring one of the features users have been asking for since the service was launched – SMS and MMS integration.
The news comes from Android Police, which has been apparently able to confirm with a couple of sources that Hangouts will indeed get this feature – the publication has also included a few images that reportedly show Hangouts version 1.3, as well as a mockup for the SMS menu.
What’s not clear yet is when this Google Hangouts update will arrive, and whether it’ll be included in the upcoming Android 4.4 KitKat OS update.
In addition to SMS and MMS integration, the messaging app will also get a video sharing feature, in case that’s also something you’re looking forward to. However, voice integration is apparently not coming in Hangouts 1.3.

Purported Google Hangouts 1.3 images | Image credit: Android Police

In Hangouts, SMS messages will be clearly marked “via SMS,” so users will be able to easily tell the difference between different types of messages. As you can see in the images above, delivery reports will also be supported, and there’s also a feature that will let users retrieve messages automatically when roaming.
Finally, it’s not clear what will happen to the Messaging app once this new Hangouts version is rolled out, so we’ll just have to wait for Google to announce the update. Android Police speculates that at least on Nexus devices, the Messaging app will be replaced by Hangouts – the same thing was suggested on Google+ a few days ago, when a first version of this rumor was initially posted.

Google Hangouts 1.3 – SMS menu mockup | Image credit: Android Police

That said, we’ll remind you that this is just a rumor, and even if it comes from a trusted source, it should be treated accordingly.