If you’ve never heard of XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) before, it’s the industry standard protocol for instant messaging services and that used to allow Google Talk to reach outside of Google to exchange SMS with cellular phones and other short message services.
What does this mean for Hangouts?
As of right now, you cannot exchange traditional text messages with telephone numbers as you could with Talk.
Why is Google no longer supporting XMPP?
XMPP requires Google’s servers to exchange information with outside servers and security conscious Google would rather host all communication on their own servers. This change also opens up possibilities for new, more efficient features such as their “watermark” system replacing read receipts which allows the sender to see exactly where the others are in the conversation and shows you in real-time when they are typing a response whether it be from their browser or the Hangouts app on their mobile device.
What does this mean to you? Well, for now, using the Hangouts app, you won’t be able to exchange text messages. In the long run? Google will replace the XMPP with something more secure, probably that they’ve designed.
The facts? The Hangouts app has the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS. Refer to the picture below
Brass tacks? We’re going to have a small interruption in the features which call for XMPP support, but once Google figures out how to fill the XMPP shaped hole, those features will be back and better than ever, turning Hangouts into the true unified messaging service it was meant to be.
Anyone else looking forward to being able to replace your SMS with Hangouts? I know I am! Let us know in the comments below!
The post Google drops XMPP support in new Hangouts appeared first on AndroidGuys.
by Tony McAfee via AndroidGuys
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