Google has just rolled out some awesome new features for Google+ Hangouts. The first, and most obvious of these features is the changes to the interface. Hangouts have received a new sidebar that contains useful information to improve the experience of getting together and video chatting with your friends. The sidebar shows invites, apps, and chat right where you can see it quickly. If you don’t like this new feature, fear not, because you can hide it with a simple click.

Google also color-coded notifications to help you see what’s happening at a glance. Alerts now appear in red, actions in blue, and announcements in grey. Google hopes this makes it easier for users to read and respond to notifications while in a Hangout without breaking your concentration as much.

Google has also improved apps in relation to Hangouts. The new sidebar will display frequently used apps and ones that are currently running during the Hangout. If an app is showing in the sidebar, you can remove it whenever you wish. This should improve the way people use and share apps while hanging out on Google Plus.

The update is rolling out gradually over the next couple of days, so you may not see it in your Hangouts just yet. Be patient, and you should see the new interface and features soon.

What do you guys think? Do you like the new Hangouts layout? Let us know in the comments!

Source: VentureBeat