adds more privacy controls to its Hangouts app

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Published 31 Jul 2015

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Disclosure

has snuck some improved privacy options into its Hangouts app. th the new choices you can specify if someone who has your phone number or email address can send you a Hangouts message, an invite, or nothing at all.

r na Chord posted a few details about the update to +. To check out what’s new, go to Settings > [email protected] > look for Customize invites under the new How others get in touch with you heading.

hangouts invites

Customize who can contact you with the new Hangouts options.

You can then customize how available you wish to be to different groups or your + circles. The new features should be live without the need for an Android app update.

The impact on you: This is a useful security feature that can keep someone from pestering you. It’s also another way that over-the-top messaging services exert more control over messaging than SMS. However, the catch is that Hangouts is just one of many different services people use, so adjusting these features may have limited appeal if you don’t communicate with many people over Hangouts.