Google Voice sometimes feels like the forgotten service in Google's portfolio, but a new app update has given the calling service a quick refresh. Launched on iOS with an update this week, the new app won't blow anybody away with its new functionality, but it does make using Google Voice a little easier if it's your primary voice call system.
Google has released an update for Google Voice, the maker's free voice and texting service, that adds voicemail greeting support on mobile. This is one of the biggest additions since the major update Google released last year, enabling users to easily set up a custom voicemail greeting in the same way they'd create one for their smartphone or home voicemail system.
Google has no shortage of communication services and apps, each of them overlapping with one another in some way. Some of them haven’t been shown some love, sometimes even for years. Google Voice is perhaps the on that got the shortest end of the stick despite how useful it is. Now, however, Google seems to be preparing what might be the biggest update to the service in a long time. It is putting out a call for beta testers of its Wi-Fi and mobile data calling, a.k.a. VoIP that would, of course, overlap with other Google apps and services that offer the same functionality already.
Though it's arguably a niche issue, it is frustrating for Google Voice users: an issue that causes texts to be sent using one's regular phone number in certain cases. One of those instances is when using Hangouts as a default SMS app with a Google Voice number as the default SMS number. Many users report that, in this case, sending a text results in Hangouts sending the text with the user's regular phone number instead of Google Voice.
Google Voice users are complaining about some sort of issue that is preventing them from getting SMS texts. News of the bug first popped up online a couple days ago. Affected users explain that while they can successfully send out text messages using the service, replies sent to them don't appear in the account, effectively ruining the usefulness of the platform for many people.
All three major entry points for Google Voice have been updated this week, all at once, by Google. "It’s been several years since we’ve made significant updates to the Google Voice apps (and by several, we mean around five ;-)," said Jan Jedrzejowicz, Product Manager for Google Voice. "but today we’re bringing a fresh set of features to Google Voice with updates to our apps on Android, iOS and the web." As such, the Google Voice apps look like they've joined the modern world.
Google Voice, the company’s seldom mentioned VoIP service, is going to be on the receiving end of some updates soon. News of the updates first arrived via a link some users were seeing when they visited Google Voice. The link and notification encouraged users to click to see the new Google Voice, but the related web page isn’t live at this time. Having accidentally revealed its efforts, Google has since confirmed that yes, it is working on some new updates.
Your mother has sent you and your sister a photo of their dog, and expects you to reply with a positive note back. But you have an Android device and you're using Google Voice. You get the message, but you don't get the photo. Your mom gets mad that you've not replied. You say it's because she's using iMessage and photos and videos won't be sent to devices unless they also have iMessage. She tells you to get iMessage. You can't get iMessage, you have an Android device. You see where this is going.
Google's dream MVNO service was proven to be real and the invites have started to trickle to some early testers, or at least for one lucky users in Los Angeles. But perhaps "lucky" is a relative term, as the sign up process for Project Fi reveals some wrinkles that Google's announcement conveniently left out. While the promise of an affordable and fair network service might be drool-worthy for most, for the subset of those who have grown attached to their Google Voice accounts, that dream is quickly turning into a nightmare.
Just yesterday, Google rolled out an update to Hangouts on Android that added a bit of whimsical fun via stickers. While not as cute as that, the desktop version of Hangouts is now also seeing its fair share of updates. The latest version of the Hangouts Chrome browser app has been updated not just to match the Android version's Material Design but also adds a similar Phone tab to the user interface. It also got its own desktop notifications to alert you to new messages.
Still using google Voice? There’s good news today, especially if you are on Verizon, or regularly chat with someone who is. An update to Voice adds native MMS support on Verizon, bringing MMS to all four major carriers in the US. Additionally, Voice is also getting native MMS support for photo messaging, so you can send and receive messages from anywhere, via any carrier. Though we’re not out of the multiple-platform woods yet, an update to Voice does have some cross-app functionality.
Perhaps you don't make international calls too often and so you don't bother paying for international service on your phone. Or, alternatively, maybe Hangouts is your voice communication service of choice. Regardless, Google is encouraging Hangouts users to make their international calls with the service, doing so by offering a single free minute that'll get you 60 seconds of talk time with a pal across the globe. The bonus minute is only going to be around until the strike of the new year, however, so don't dally.