Google has planned to make radical changes in the Short Messaging Service App for the Android platform. A fresh blogpost by Android Developers points at a new system of SMS apps that will arrive with the Android 4.4 KitKat update. With this major update, Google has promised to provide more stability to SMS based apps for the third party developers.
Several SMS apps exist in the Google Play Store that promise better functionality and features than the rudimentary Messaging app of the Android devices. These third party SMS apps offer several features such as backup and restore of the SMS for easy transferring to another device.
However, the process is not that simple for the developers to work on and the most easy aspect currently is providing better looking user interface than the native Messaging app. Most importantly, the user will get the option to make the third party messaging app as the default Messaging app.
The Mobile Indian reported that Google Hangouts 1.3 update will bring SMS/MMS integration for the instant messenger. So the new blogpost inadvertently confirms that the Hangouts 1.3 update will arrive and would be compatible only with the Android 4.4 KitKat bearing new SMS API (Application Programming Interface) for the third party app developers.