Google hangouts and Google Plus Messenger remain separate despite Google's attempts to unify

At the 2013 Google I/O it was announced that a new communications solution called Google Hangouts. Coinciding with the announcement was the release of the service, it is now possible to use Google Hangouts across multiple platforms including Google+, Gmail, Chrome extension, Android and iOS. Google Hangouts replaces Google chat / Gchat / Google Talk and allows everyone to communicate together that are using Google messaging solutions.

But hold the phone... there is something missing... Google Voice for one, but this integration is more of a wishlist feature, so far what Hangouts is unifying is instant messaging type services, not SMS and other telephony.

Number two, the most strange. The Google+ messenger. The Google Plus app for Android and iOS has always included it’s own communications client. If you look into it, you will find it’s nearly identical to Google Hangouts, it’s centered around conversations instead of contacts, it includes the same cloud based group chats, notifications for who is currently in the chat, who is typing, ability to start a video chat “hangout”; features in parallel with the new Google Hangouts. There is one clear issue. Apparently Google+ Messenger is the odd man out, as of now it does not integrate into the Google Hangouts “unification” effort, in fact, it’s completely segregated.

Despite being able to start a “hangout” in Google Plus Messenger, it is not a part of Hangouts. Even though both include Google+ circles they are not interoperable. Why is Google Plus Messenger still separate from Google Hangouts? Isn’t the segregation of Google’s instant messaging solutions the entire genesis for Google Hangouts? Why leave this fragmentation? Is an update to integrate them together forthcoming? I certainly hope so.

Currently the Google Plus Messenger function can be found in the Google+ Android app and the Google+ iOS app only. There is no website integration, no desktop client and no unification into the Google Hangouts communications solution. If you start a conversation with friends and family in these apps, there is no way to continue this conversation while away from your device. It’s locked into the mobile space entirely. Making it even more limited than Google Talk ever was. At least with Google Talk you could go from mobile to web and continue your conversation, something that Hangouts has only improved. With Google+ Messenger for Android and iOS those conversations are stuck right where they started.

There has been no official word on when integration is coming, no talk as to why it wasn’t part of the original unifying effort. Until this happens Google’s communication solutions will remain fragmented and short of the Hangouts vision as it was introduced.