Google Babble to launch as Babel; coming to Android, Chrome, iOS, G+ and Gmail

Nikhil SubramaniamMar 30, 2013 10:54:04 IST

We have been hearing about a possible unified messaging service by Google, but till now it was assumed the service would only hit Google’s Android and Chrome OS platform.

The service has been rumoured to be called Babble in the past and will reportedly merge Voice, Talk, and Google+ Messenger into a cross-platform chat solution. However, Droid Life reports that the actual name of the new Google messenger service will be "Babel" rather than Babble.

All under one roof

According to the website’s sources, Babel will give users a seamless messenger experience across not just Android and Chrome OS, but also on rival platform iOS, besides making an appearance on the popular Google+ and Gmail. There is no mention of Google Voice, but there is a possibility that voice services will be merged into Babel. Currently, Babel is being tested internally at Mountain View as a cross-platform service through those five platforms.

The report further states that with Babel users will have access to the same conversation list from anywhere and any device. There will be a new UI on offer, which will be heavily conversation-based and with advanced group conversations. Babel will also allow users to send pictures among other files. Google also claims Babel will ship with improved notifications across devices, according to the source.

Talks about a unified messaging system have been doing the rounds for a while now. The several Google communications platforms don’t interact very well with each other, but theoretically could, as Google handles the development of all these services. These include Google Talk, Hangout, Voice, Google + Messenger, Chat for Drive collaboration, and the Google + chat client, but they do not work in synch. A cross platform solution would help Google compete with the likes of iMessage and BBM, while also delivering a key piece of technology for Android.

Babel is intended to function as one overarching client that will combine the unique feature sets of each of Google’s existing offerings into one package. Right now, if users want to share photos over a Google messaging service, they have to choose the G+ Messenger, whereas video chat is handled by the Hangout component. With Babel, all these functions would be possible through one app and conversations will be threaded across all the existing services.

Individual services are expected to be pushed onto the single Babel platform and users can access the same chat window across all of Google’s products with the features and functionality not different anywhere.