Google Hangouts is the company’s answer to Microsoft’s Skype and Facebook’s Messenger, and its users are finally being treated to a variety of new features that they can play with thanks to the new update from Google that was announced yesterday. These features include those which enhances both the fun factor, such as stickers and video filters, as well as usability and utility such as confirmed phone numbers and “last seen” timestamps.

It almost doesn’t seem possible that Google Hangouts didn’t officially offer stickers without the help of third party apps, since many other messaging apps have had support for quite some time. But with this new update, 16 new sticker packs including turtles and cats are finally making their way to the messaging app, with more to come in the future. The other fun feature in the new update is video filters, which allows you to overlay filters such as sepia, black and white, and vignette, over the camera as you video chat with someone.

On the utility side of things, the update now allows people who have your phone number to search for your Google+ and Hangouts profile. Furthermore, Google is introducing “last seen” timestamps and your location into conversations, which lets you know if someone has seen your message and shares your current location respectively, much like in Facebook messenger. You can also choose the number you’re texting from, between your Google Voice and carrier numbers in real time. And, aesthetically speaking, Google has introduced a more Material look, with a distinctly different shade of green.

Coming in with a size of approximately 13 megabytes, the updated APK of Hangouts is version 2.5.81636427, and it can be downloaded from Google Play or from the via link below.

[Via Android Police]