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Updates to our Google Voice apps

• mynameisvlad 10y ago
  So, is this the death of Hangouts and rebirth of Google Voice then? They had previously been transitioning the UX off of GV and onto Hangouts.
  • jfoster 10y ago
    It's absurd that consumers are left guessing which of Google's services are around for the long-haul and which are doomed. There was a time when success was the default outcome for a new Google product/service. Now it's the opposite, and the crazy thing is that Google did it to themselves.
    • jitl 10y ago
      Exactly. Where does this leave Allo? Is GVoice + Allo the intended product combination?
      • jjawssd 10y ago
        Nothing is certain. There is competition among internal Google teams to get the attention of the top execs but there is zero clear vision. Google is a mess. I can't trust it.
        • remir 10y ago
          The question is: what are these top execs thinking?
    • saurik 10y ago
      When was this "a time", and did it include more than Mail, Maps, and Docs?
      • jfoster 10y ago
        Yes, it also included Android, Chrome, Analytics, News, Reader.
        • saurik 10y ago
          Ok: I explicitly considered Android and did not consider it a product (though this was probably wrong of me), and I feel like Reader is disqualified as Google decided it failed and killed it when they should have used it as a basis for other projects (the thing they always do :/), but thanks for reminding me of Analytics and Chrome! (Is News successful?!? I always tried to use it and it never really seemed to accomplish anything, and now they seem to be attaching its fate to AMP, which is either going to win so hard they end up taking control of the entire Internet, or is going to finally kill it...)
    • hendersoon 10y ago
      Google needs to focus on the products and services their customers love. Google Reader is the best example of this. People LOVED it. It was even a successful social network!
    • pbhjpbhj 10y ago
      Was that a move from adoption to profit as the metric for success. Now they 'have' to maximise profit and search for the maximal mode of doing so, previously they were content to create useful apps?
  • JshWright 10y ago
    As a Project Fi user, that makes heavy use of Hangouts, I sure hope not (as Voice and Fi are incompatible).
    • mynameisvlad 10y ago
      Who knows, maybe the Voice improvements over the coming months includes Fi compatibiltiy?
  • JoshGlazebrook 10y ago
    So is Hangouts the new Google Voice? The focus shifted from Google Voice to Hangouts (it receiving MMS, etc), and now it's shifted back to Voice? Why can't they just combine it all into a single app and be done with it.
• akhilcacharya 10y ago
  > If you currently use Hangouts for your Google Voice communication, there’s no need to change to the new apps, but you might want to try them out as we continue to bring new improvements. Oh dear. And here I thought that Voice was just abandoned.
  • komali2 10y ago
    I wish. Now Google is aware of it again, it'll be gone within a year.
• abrodersen 10y ago
  There has always been a lot of uncertainty over the future of Google Voice, given the lack of updates. While this does give reassurance that the project is still alive, it puts another nail in the Hangouts coffin. It was widely assumed Hangouts would subsume Google Voice, but now that looks very unlikely.
  • scrollaway 10y ago
    But really? I live in Europe and I'm still not able to order a Google Voice number... and god damn, I tried. I move between countries very regularly, having a single international number would be fantastic. I've essentially stopped using hangouts anyway. Everybody I talked to on there is on Discord now (https://discordapp.com/ https://discordapp.com/). Screenshare and video calls coming soon to it too, at which point I'll permanently log off Hangouts. If I'm going to use a proprietary system, it might as well not suck.
  • CaptSpify 10y ago
    Honestly, I'm glad. I signed up for Voice to use Voice. Not to use Hangouts.
• CPLX 10y ago
  It doesn't appear to actually have changed in the iOS app store as of this writing.
  • hobarrera 10y ago
    The web app is also still the same.
• philip1209 10y ago
  As a current Fi user and former Voice user, I'm still unclear on the relationship between the two. Hangouts for Mac still rings when I get a phone call, but I can't answer the call.
  • mrbill 10y ago
    I'm a fi user and I can make/receive calls and send/get texts via Hangouts on both my phone and on the web/desktop.
    • philip1209 10y ago
      Ah, I think that I elected to use the native Messages app rather than Hangouts on Android for SMS. This may be the root of my issue. I found hangouts on Android tough to use for SMS.
  • lutorm 10y ago
    As a current Voice user and would-like-to-be Fi user, the fact that I have to give up my Voice number to use Fi is a dealbreaker. The whole point of Voice was to not tie your number to a specific provider.
  • bane 10y ago
    The thing that really tees me off, and wasn't explained when I migrated my cell to Fi was that it both killed off the voice account and # that I had with that google account, but also messed up support for one of my other Voice accounts. I can't even install Voice on my phone to use the second account so now I have a Rube goldberg machine where that number forwards to a SIP # I have that rings my phone. I can't even get my 2nd Voice number to ring me on my Fi cell. Their answer to questions is pretty much "of course they're the same system!"
  • beambot 10y ago
    Not sure if this is still the case... but Google Voice cannot forward calls to any Fi numbers. So if (for example) your business uses Google Voice to route calls for customer service, you will not be able to receive them. This was an unpleasant little "feature" when we made the switch to Fi.
• balls187 10y ago
  International SMS support plz.
• jrowley 10y ago
  This is very confusing.
• vnchr 10y ago
  In the past 4 years, there have been 7 updates to the iOS Google Voice app. As a long-time user (since the Grand Central acquisition), this is very encouraging news.
• bsharitt 10y ago
  I guess I can unlink from hangouts and go back to Google Voice? I've basically stopped using my Google Voice number(but keep it around because people still had that number) because the future seemed so uncertain.
  • deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
• jitl 10y ago
  I used to use my Google Voice number as my primary contact number, but when development of the product seemingly died for three years without addressing outstanding issues with group MMS or picture messages, I migrated back to my regular cell number. I've already told all my friends to forget my Google Voice number. I've changed my preferences in every service I use to contact my regular cell number. Now Google is soft re-launching this service after 5 years, and wants me to come back? No way. They squandered more than 5 years of first-mover advantage in the "free SMS" space, and have lost to WhatsApp, Facebook, and Apple Messages. I'm happy than when I need to send test SMSs on my computer, the web app I use will be slightly better. That's my only use-case for Google Voice anymore.
  • JustSomeNobody 10y ago
    Out of curiosity, why didn't you keep using it, but with Hangouts instead?
    • sp332 10y ago
      I thought Hangouts only got those features working with Google Voice numbers about a year ago?
      • JustSomeNobody 10y ago
        Has it really only been that long ago? I honestly thought it was longer than that.
        • sp332 10y ago
          It's hard to say since they added features over time. Hangouts launched in May 2013, then got one side of the MMS features working via Google Voice numbers in September 2014 http://www.droid-life.com/2014/09/10/mms-now-a-part-of-google-voice-hangouts-sort-of/ http://www.droid-life.com/2014/09/10/mms-now-a-part-of-googl... Depending on your carrier, it might send the SMS recipient a URL to the content instead of a real MMS. And even now, there's no way to search messages from within the Hangouts app. You have to search from your gmail! There was some other limitation for a while that kept me from moving. Group messages, or voicemail maybe? They did eventually fix it though, so I can't remember.
• nemesisj 10y ago
  I've been a Google Voice user for 6-7 years. It became more important to me 5 years ago when I moved to the UK and ported my mobile number to GV. It's not been very pretty. We were thrown a lifeline with the Google Hangouts app taking over for the absolutely-awful Google Voice app. One of the most frustrating things about GV is that for certain SMS providers, it fails the "is this a USA number test" or "can we SMS to it" test (it's unclear which), thus making it not work with my USA bank accounts, and I can't register for Lyft, for example. I wish they'd fix this, but what I really wish is that they'd make it a real product, make it cost a few bucks a month, and have a team working on it. I was actually quite annoyed by the cheeky little "tee hee it's been 5 years + plus emoji" talking about their total lack of updates (both software, and well, actual communication around the service). It just comes across as contempt for the customer. Doubly so when they then throw everything into confusion at the end of the post by hinting that Hangouts may or may not be the future, and perhaps we should switch back? Are there any good alternatives? What I need is to be able to receive texts from within the USA, be able to access via mobile app and the web, and have voicemail service.
  • xur17 10y ago
    I just ran into the "this isn't a phone number" issue with Telegram this morning. It claims my Google Voice (well really Project Fi now) number is a VOIP number, so I can't use it :(.
    • LinkDJ 10y ago
      But... it is a VOIP number.
      • GauntletWizard 10y ago
        So is literally every phone number in the US for the past ten years. SIP replaced traditional trunking completely a decade ago. Cellphones have been using digital backend since 3G (though the voice transmission was still analog, for some value of analog)
        • 10y ago
• Analemma_ 10y ago
  Somebody stop Mr. Google's-Communication-Strategy Wild Ride, I want to get off.
• 27182818284 10y ago
  I like how this story has shot up immediately to the top of Hacker News. Google Voice is beloved by its users, but Google hasn't shown love for it for (as they point out) five years. I'm glad to see the update! So that's lovely, though overall the PMs and VPs need to reconcile all the apps with each other. A friend recently bought a Pixel Phone and was lost as to what to use. I mean, I can't blame him... * Phone's generic looking SMS app * Hangouts * Voice * Allo * Duo
  • izacus 10y ago
    I don't understand what's there to be lost about? Those are separate chat services? Or is 2017 the year when understanding that e.g. Facebook Messenger, Duo (video chat), SMS and Hangouts are different services?
    • Analemma_ 10y ago
      Facebook Messenger, Duo, SMS and Hangouts are offered by different companies. The reason people are so baffled by Google's messaging apps is that there are six of them from one company, with no coherent explanation as to why. Even if I want to go "all in" on Google services, how do I know what to use?
    • hamandcheese 10y ago
      Suppose we're using Facebook. How do I send a text? Messenger. How do I make a call? Messenger. How do I make a video call? Messenger. Try answering the same question using Google's services.
      • cbr 10y ago
        WhatsApp? (Disclosure: I work for Google, for three more days.)
      • knz 10y ago
        Doesn't Hangouts do all of the above? The icons in Gmail are video chat, add user, voice chat, and send SMS. Hangouts on my Nexus 6 has the same options. Imgur link to screenshot -> http://imgur.com/a/vTlqO http://imgur.com/a/vTlqO
• BugsJustFindMe 10y ago
  [edit] I guess it's not updated in the play store yet?
  • Mindless2112 10y ago
    When Google does these rollouts, you can usually find the new APK on APKMirror [1]. (If you sideload the APK and it ask you if you want to upgrade the app then you can be sure that the signature matches the one used to sign the previous version.) [1] http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-voice/google-voice-5-0-144897884-release/google-voice-5-0-144897884-android-apk-download/ http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-voice/google-...
• altendo 10y ago
  I'm actually surprised at the dearth of updates. The cleaner interface is nice for sure, and transcription in Spanish is great (yay internationalization!), but the post is underwhelming overall. There's just vague messaging about future updates. Was hoping for more of a splash (and better app store availability, based on some comments here).
• JustSomeNobody 10y ago
  If anyone has received the update on their iPhone, can you say whether or not it now supports CallKit?
  • cva 10y ago
    The Google Voice app is not a VOIP app (it just makes and receives regular phone calls), so I'm not sure how it would integrate with CallKit
    • JustSomeNobody 10y ago
      Oh, well, that's disappointing. Was hoping it could take advantage of CallKit.
    • hendersoon 10y ago
      It could, as Google allows VOIP calls with the Hangouts app and gmail website. I hope they add this functionality too.
• throwthisawayt 10y ago
  As an xoogler, this tells me that the voice team is now staffed again. It also tells me that the executive team is thinking about reducing headcount and focus on hangouts, but still are uncertain. Finally, it tells me that google still has no idea how to crack the messaging space, and has so no team internally that is taking charge but a bunch of teams with different approaches, all jockeying for executive support. Google will lose this space because it lacks focus while Facebook is owning it through focus on the messenger platform and the acquisition of whatsapp.
  • johansch 10y ago
    Why did google mess up messaging in the first place? It seemed like this space was ripe for their taking. (Basically, just replicate the gmail concept for messaging. Keep it sorta-open-enough and free enough. Seems like a no-brainer.) I mean, what was the specific root cause?
    • fdsfsaa 10y ago
      The specific root cause is Google's practice of promoting based on product launches; it literally doesn't matter whether that product goes on to be successful. This practice creates a strong and perverse incentive to continually launch new products while discouraging iterative development of existing products.
      • johansch 10y ago
        I've never worked at Google, but... didn't Larry Page announce a full-blown program to fight that like 3-4 years ago? Work on features/depth rather than new products?
        • Uhhrrr 10y ago
          Perhaps it was launched but it literally didn't matter whether that product went on to be successful.
• xur17 10y ago
  I'm very curious to see if Project Fi gets some of these upgrades as well since it currently uses parts of the Google Voice integration, especially the integration into Hangouts.
  • pspeter3 10y ago
    Yeah, I'm really unclear what the relationship with Fi is since I use Hangouts for everything. I wish there was more clarity.
• lutorm 10y ago
  "One number for life" ... unless of course you want to use our other service, Google Fi, in which case you will be forced to relinquish it. No improvements on that small problem, it seems.
  • colechristensen 10y ago
    You can port your number from Voice to Fi, you just can't use both on the same account.
    • lutorm 10y ago
      Exactly. But, as I understand it, you can't port your Fi number back to Voice if you decide you don't want Fi.
      • Ajedi32 10y ago
        You can. It's incredibly easy, too: https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6079398?hl=en https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6079398?hl=en
        • drewg123 10y ago
          From the page you reference, it says that it may not be possible to port a number back to GV. Eg: "Can't transfer Google Voice number If you don’t see the option to transfer your number to Google Voice, it’s likely because Google Voice no longer supports this number or numbers in this area. Google Voice’s number availability changes regularly, so even if your number was previously on Google Voice, it can’t always be transferred back. If you’d like to keep this number, we recommend transferring it to another carrier that supports it." This is what keeps my from signing up.
    • jotux 10y ago
      >you just can't use both on the same account. But that was the whole reason I wanted a voice number. I had my regular number I only gave to my close friends and family and would give my voice number to anyone who asked. After I got Fi I could no longer make or receive calls on my voice number.
• stormbeta 10y ago
  I wish Google would make up their minds. They kept pushing Hangouts, and right when it was actually somewhat usable and represented a unified interface to messaging, they started abandoning it and trying to fragment the functionality off into separate apps again. I'll continue to use GV, but Google's track record of confusing moves in this space guarantees I will always keep it as a separate number. It's still very useful like that, since it allows me to text and call from any device or service.
• tn_mobile 10y ago
  Google voice for iOS is garbage. I would never want to hire the engineer(s) who made the front-end for that app.
• MrMetlHed 10y ago
  Why didn't they just improve Hangouts? I don't know anyone that uses Allo and as far as I know there's no desktop client. I linked Voice to Hangouts so I could get all of my messages in one app on both my phone and within gmail. Now it seems like they want me to split everything up between 3 apps (Voice for SMS, Allo for chat on mobile, and Hangouts for chat on my computer) that fewer and fewer people are using. Why on earth didn't they just improve Hangouts?
  • brianjking 10y ago
    I'm a Voice and Hangouts user that would love to use Allo. Well, actually, let me rephrase - I'd love to have Hangouts have Allo's features such as the Google Assistant integration and emoji. Allo just added to the segmentation mess that is Google Messaging, who knows what is going on anymore.
  • hendersoon 10y ago
    I only use Hangouts for google voice, but I would prefer this as well-- I want one unified messaging platform that also handles SMS and POTS phonecalls. That was the promise of Hangouts.
  • awiesen 10y ago
    We did a user survey a year and a half ago, got a flood of feedback, and overwhelmingly users asked us to invest in the Google Voice standalone experience. It didn't mean that there aren't passionate users who want the Hangouts version. Despite what a lot of the threads here are saying, honestly we did this based on user feedback and user research. Most people wanted this, even if they're not all on HN.
• mmanfrin 10y ago
  Voice, Hangouts, Messenger, Allo, Duo. Which one should I use, Google, for fuck's sake.
  • remir 10y ago
    I'd say Messenger, because of SMS which is everywhere but also its compatibility with RCS. Of course, your carrier must support RCS, but most of them will eventually.
    • Andrex 10y ago
      Voice is also confirmed to support RCS in a near-term update. Will be exciting when the happens.
• saycheese 10y ago
  Anyone able to confirm the iOS Google Voice app was updated in 2017? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-voice/id318698524?&ct=keyword_voice&mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-voice/id318698524?&ct...
  • bruxis 10y ago
    The update may not be rolled out yet -- still see the old version on my phone with no updates available.
  • xd1936 10y ago
    > We’re starting to roll out these updates today, and they’ll be available to everyone in the coming weeks.
• hackcrafter 10y ago
  The killer feature I still keep Google Voice around for is transcription of voicemail sent to your inbox, even for direct calls to your cell (non GV #). I stopped giving out my GV number, but you can set up your Verizon cell phone to use Google Voice as your voice mail service, and I love getting transcriptions to my email inbox of missed phone calls! The app update is welcome, as you still have to use the app to listen to the voice message on the rare occasion when the transcription didn't pick it up.
  • nol13 10y ago
    Same, don't want any of the other functionality but sure hope they don't mess this up.
  • saurik 10y ago
    There are tons of companies that provide this service, and while it is likely that Google has worked on improving this since I last cared, back when Voice launched and for at least a couple years after aome of them had better quality transcriptions than Google (which were comically bad). I have friends who use YouMail. I use PhoneTag, which predates Google Voice. How is this a "killer feature"?
  • criddell 10y ago
    The voice transcription has never worked for me. I've had my number since 2009 and I've never received a single voice transcription.
• bearcobra 10y ago
  Anyone know of a decent self-hosted alternative? I ported my number to Voice after I moved from the states, but have been frustrated by the lack of support up until now. I tried running something similar with Twilio and openvbx, but that project seems to have been pretty much abandoned.
• joshmn 10y ago
  Google Voice has been a life saver to me in more ways than one. I have Sprint, which integrates with Google Voice so I can use my Sprint number on Google Voice, with all my texts and all my calls sitting nicely in Google Voice. I have the Google Voice Chrome extension installed, which allows me to tell my girlfriend I'm still at work whenever she texts me, allowing me to maintain some sort of focus for the next 9 minutes until she texts me again.
• tgb 10y ago
  Just to add a counterpoint, I've been using Google Voice for, I think, 7 years. I've never had any issues with it and the lack of updates always felt like "don't fix what isn't broken." It's gotten slowly better and better with the Hangouts app. I never really needed anything more complicated than texts and voice, but the transcribed voicemail is a godsend.
  • rch 10y ago
    I had the same positive experience until I got a Nexus 6P and decided to try Fi (living in a remote area w/ only wi-fi). The new phone and services were outright hostile to Voice, so I created a new number and left voice alone. Really glad I did, but it will probably be a year before I start handing out the voice number again.
    • sjs382 10y ago
      I've been using it for at least 6 years and have had a very positive experience. It's been a set-it-and-never-think-about-it experience for the most part. I think I avoided the issues that you have just do to a nice (accidental) little quirk, though. I have my Google Voice account associated with my (grandfathered-in) G-Suite address, and Project Fi only allows you to sign up wiht a Gmail address. Therefore, I was able to port my old Verizon number to my @gmail address (which rarely gets used) that's associated with Project Fi and keep my GVoice number where it was, at my G-Suite address. So I'm currently using my Nexus 5X on Project Fi with both my carrier number (which I've had for probably 15 years now) and with my GVoice number (which I've had for 6+).
  • BHSPitMonkey 10y ago
    You probably haven't had to use it very much, then. I've been using for as long, and it took so many of those years just to be able to finally receive pictures and group texts. (I think those two have only really worked for a year or two now.) When group messaging was broken, it was really broken; I missed out on conversation entirely, or received the messages such that each participant had their own individual thread. And even today, I still often find situations where I have a new voicemail despite my phone never ringing. I even check the call log on my phone and nothing ever came in. The MMS updates and this new suite of UIs are definitely welcome additions if you ask me, and hopefully indicative that the service isn't circling the drain after all (which I've been anticipating for some time now).
• codebook 10y ago
  As a Fi user (and the number was used from Google Voice), still Fi/Google Voice has problem that the phone doesn't ring even the call goes to Voicemail. Phone has no 'missed call' and suddenly voicemail is received. This issue has been addressed a few years ago but still they never give any option to extend ringing time. What a poor service.
  • stuckagain 10y ago
    I think this is an Android problem and not specific to Fi. On Android when the phone rings every process on the device absolutely freaks out. THE PHONE IS RINGING OMG OMG INTERPROCESS MESSAGE BUS TRAFFIC!!!!!!1111111ONE The process that plays the sound that rings your phone is just another process fighting it out with all the other ones for CPU time. Sometimes it loses.
    • codebook 10y ago
      Even Android shows slow responses, the problem of Fi is that the ringing time is just TOO short. really short. maybe 15 seconds in total? So if my phone tries to connect wireless between TMO and SPRINT, it has really high chance to drop the call without any notice. And Fi doesn't give any option to change ringing time. :(
• draw_down 10y ago
  Cool. I use the app from time to time and it was really decrepit.
• tapsboy 10y ago
  So in the brand new blog post, they link to this page: https://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html https://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html When you click around, you get to see icons and screenshots from a bygone era
  • ibejoeb 10y ago
    Interesting. What's the conference/merge feature? I've never seen that. I've used the service since GC.
  • rconti 10y ago
    That's fantastic. https://www.google.com/googlevoice/images/sms-to-email.gif https://www.google.com/googlevoice/images/sms-to-email.gif
• xd1936 10y ago
  My main number is in Google Voice, and has been since 2010. I've lived every day in fear that they would 'spring clean' the product, like they did for Google Reader. I'm just happy to see a commitment to the product, and to future updates. There really isn't anything else like it out there. I love it.
  • tomcam 10y ago
    This week, anyway!
• morgante 10y ago
  I'm really happy they're showing Google Voice some love. It's certainly been neglected over the years, but despite that I've stuck with it (all the way since the GrandCentral days) because the alternative is so much worse. I've changed phone providers numerous times and also travel internationally: the fact that each of these moves would've otherwise required either complex number porting or letting people know about my new number is enough to make me put up with Google Voice's inadequacies. Plus, I love being able to manage SMS from my computer, just like it's another inbox. I hope they're serious about maintaining and updating GV going forward. It's conceptually essential.
  • panda88888 10y ago
    Hi, sounds like you have experience with Google voice and international numbers. I haven't tried in a long time, but does google voice support forwarding to international number?
    • morgante 10y ago
      I've never tried, since when I'm traveling internationally I always have data and just use the Hangouts app. The important part is it's totally seamless: contacts don't need to know I'm traveling and I avoid any huge roaming fees.
      • panda88888 10y ago
        Got it. Thanks.
• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• divbit 10y ago
  Nice - google voice is the one google service I use consistently. One thing that I think could improve it would be a usable / documented API or something like federation with other messenger services - could probably get by with a rate-limited outbound endpoint which starts one of the e-mail conversations you get when using the 'forward to e-mail' option. I wrote myself a google voice app at one point and wasn't able to get something non-hacky working- it feels a little bit like the current service locks one to android / ios, whereas some of their competing messenger services (e.g. messenger / skype / whatsapp) also work on windows platforms- not everyone uses that, but I think it's good to have freedom of choice of hardware.
• altometer 10y ago
  Can we just get them to stop screwing with all the different services? I have tried for years to use Google apps as my main communication routes, but their reliability is a joke. My wife just texted me, "Hey, I got two calls today that went straight to voicemail?" I switched her to google voice a month ago, and it generally works. Stuff like this, the syncing issues with their messenger platforms, delayed or randomly missed messages, are just not acceptable.
• CharlesW 10y ago
  As part of this they're touting much-improved transcription. Does anyone know if the the transcription system used for this is available for developers?
  • skoocda 10y ago
    https://cloud.google.com/speech/ https://cloud.google.com/speech/
• protomyth 10y ago
  Did they ever stop blocking certain phone numbers[1]? Since they block a tribal community college, they are on my "not happy" list. I surely hope no recruiter uses Google Voice if this is still true. 1) http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/10/google-voice-were-not-serving-high-cost-destinations/ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/10/google-voice-were...
• alecsmart1 10y ago
  Am very confused. Only after reading the comments I've realised that you can link Google Voice to Hangouts and answer calls there. Till now I had no idea how to answer calls on iOS as the Google Voice iOS app is of no use. I wish there was a clear strategy and use case for each messaging app available from Google.
• ikeboy 10y ago
  Someone remind me again why Google Voice and Google Hangouts co-exist? I'm sure there was an amazing answer that got lost in the margin of my brain, anyone remember?
• julbaxter 10y ago
  Still no support for Canada?
  • michaelmior 10y ago
    I believe this is due to regulatory issues with the CRTC. Skype also has this problem when it comes to offering Skype Numbers for Canada.
• reitanqild 10y ago
  The writing os more like the old google, frlm the top of my mind from the google desktop search click through ten years ago: "read carefully, this is not the normal yadda yadda". I hope hope hope that we can get old google back. I used to be a fanboy back in tje day but they have made a decent effort to get rid of us over the last ten years. For me it has been the breaking of blogger (bad js + redirect to country specific domain), tasteless heavy pushing of Chrome, making Android closed, killing gds, still pretending Europeans are less worth than Americans (actually we never got access to google voice). Theres a lot of stuff that could need old google like social networks (google+ is wonderful but few uses it), communication (I was a walking billboard for Whatsapp, but they sold out to Facebook and Facebook went ahead to confirm all our scepticism as valid) etc etc.
• mevile 10y ago
  Google's never ending iteration of messaging products comes across as schizophrenic. They have no focus, no discipline, no willingness to stick with an existing solution. I actually want them to just leave GV alone since it just works for me and now that they've turned this into a messaging product I know its days are numbered. It's like maybe I'm thinking I should now move away from GV because their executive team has shined their spotlight on it, unearthed a working service and will now exploit it for their own professional benefit, sucking the value out of it to achieve personal career advancements leaving users in the dust once it all falls apart and the next iteration begins. My phone number isn't a product that's ripe for Google-style innovation. I value stability and want to depend on it. I'm really unhappy about all this.
  • lightedman 10y ago
    "Google's never ending iteration of messaging products comes across as schizophrenic" I guess Google needs a cigarette or ten.
  • komali2 10y ago
    I don't understand why they did this. I have used Voice as my primary number for maybe 5 years now. Hangouts was working fine with it. Now I need to decide between using hangouts or google voice? Honestly google, what the fuck.
    • xales 10y ago
      Hangouts is now being marketed as a business product, they'll probably take it away from non-org accounts soon enough; perhaps this is the alternative.
      • rconti 10y ago
        I have literally no idea what products Google has in this space. I think I've used all or most of them, but they keep changing names, apps browser integration, etc. Google still insists on using their terrible app-in-a-browser UI for everything (what do you think I have a window manager for??), the various extensions and plugins are inevitably crap, and the feature set is lacking. I can't mute a conversation on a specific device, I can't schedule when I'm on hangouts.. it's just a pain, so I leave my phone signed out even though we use hangouts at work.
• Animats 10y ago
  Google didn't "introduce Google Voice" years ago. They bought Grand Central and rebranded the service. If H.R. 460 passes (unlikely), Google may have to become a real telephony provider, with service standards.[1] [1] https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/460/text?r=460 https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/460/...
• midnitewarrior 10y ago
  Fool me once Google Voice...
• accountface 10y ago
  First they pushed me to Hangouts from Voice and now they're telling me Voice will be updated more often and I should switch from Hangouts? Also that one time you tried to get me to switch to Allo? Get your shit together Google.
  • derelk 10y ago
    Agreed, I'm more confused than ever. I've been really sad to watch Voice die, and begrudgingly migrated towards Hangouts. Now I don't know what app I'm supposed to be using. Do I opt-out of having SMS go to Hangouts now? This is ridiculous.
  • pixie_ 10y ago
    Same here. They pushed me from voice to hangouts for all the group SMS and MMS support. So now I have some chat history in voice and some in hangouts which is impossible to search through unlike with voice. Now they want me to go back to voice. What the hell is going on at Google? Is there anyone with an actual strategy for anything? I thought about getting Google Fi, but right on their page they said if you move from Voice to Fi you can't go back. I would easily pay $5 a month or more for a company that could give me a single number and not be terrible. I think if Google actually charged for a lot of their free stuff it wouldn't be so shit/never updated/abandoned/etc.. - like an Amazon Prime type thing.
    • saurik 10y ago
      There are tons of companies in this space; have you considered actually doing the "pay for the service" plan and evaluate these options? What did they not do that you wanted?
      • frankydp 10y ago
        I search for a replacement every year. I have never found a near competitor. Vonage used to have a desktop app that was at least in the ballpark, but they dropped support years ago. Feature set: Voicemail integration with carrier Voicemail to Text with notifications Voicemail specific to groups Desktop app/Browser plugin Web message interface Mobile App Long distance International voice and text MMS Group Forwarding
• wnevets 10y ago
  voice and gmail are really the only two google products I can't live with out. Just dont fuck voice up.
• memco 10y ago
  Great and timely news for me. I have been very disappointed with the iOS apps since upgrading to new high-res devices. The UI, the inability to search message history and the discontinuity of conversations were all pain points that had me in the past week considering whether I would pursue something like twilio + a self-hosted app or just give up on the niceties of web access to all my messages. That, and the fact that Apple now has messaging and call support (albeit only to other Apple devices seems to work for me) means that GV has been losing value and appreciation steadily. Looks like I'll be keeping it around a little longer.
• niftich 10y ago
  A timeline of Google's messaging rivalry with Facebook. Original inspiration from source [23], enhanced and corrected from [33]: - 2006-02-07: Google Talk integration inside Gmail goes live [35] - 2006-09-26: Facebook opens up to everyone (not just colleges) [36] - 2007-02-14: (corrected date) Gmail opens up to everyone (not just invite-only) [37] - 2008-04-06: Facebook chat goes live [34] - 2008-07-11: iOS App Store launches [38] - 2008-08-26: Facebook hits 100 million active users [24] - 2008-09-23: Android 1.0 launches [39] - 2008-11-11: Google Talk introduces voice and video calling [40] - 2009-03-11: Google buys GrandCentral, launches Google Voice [1] - 2009-04-08: Facebook hits 200 million active users [25] - 2009-06: iOS gets push notifications [42] - 2009-06-25: Google Voice invitations being serviced [2] - 2009-09-15: Facebook hits 300 million active users [26] - 2010-02-04: Facebook hits 400 million active users [27] - 2010-05-20: Android gets push notifications [41] - 2010-06-21: FaceTime released with iOS 4 [43] - 2010-06-22: Google Voice opens up invite-free to everyone in the US [3] - 2010-07-21: Facebook hits 500 million active users [28] - 2011-01-05: Facebook hits 600 million active users [29] - 2011-05-30: Facebook probably hits around 700 million active users [30] - 2011-06-28: Google+ launches, with text chat "+Messenger" and video chat "+Hangouts" [4] - 2011-07-06: Facebook introduces video calling powered by Skype behind-the-scenes, needs installation [5] - 2011-08-09: Facebook introduces Messenger app [6] - 2011-09-22: Facebook hits 800 million active users [31] - 2011-10-12: iMessage released with iOS 5 - 2012-04-23: Facebook hits 900 million active users [32] - 2012-09-20: Facebook tries SMS sending from Messenger [7] - 2013-04-17: Wired editorial on "Will Google Hang Up on Voice?" [8] - 2013-05-15: Google launches 'Google Hangouts', which subsumes Google Talk, Google+ Messenger, Google+ Hangouts [9] - 2013-10-29: Facebook discontinues send-SMS support in Messenger, sends Messenger message instead [10] - 2013-10-29: Google Hangouts Android App gets SMS handler support [11] - 2014-02-19: Facebook announces it will acquire WhatsApp [12] - 2014-04-09: Facebook removes chat from its main app, forces people to use Messenger [13] - 2014-09-11: Google Hangouts gets Google Voice integration [14] - 2015-03-25: Facebook announces Messenger Platform for business, bot, and ad integration [15] - 2015-04-27: Facebook Messenger gets native video calling [16] - 2016-01-27: Hangouts 7.0 asks users to use Google Messenger for SMS instead [17] - 2016-06-14: Facebook Messenger gets Android SMS handler support [18] - 2016-07-13: Hangouts 11.0 removes support for merged conversations [19] - 2016-08-16: Google releases Duo [20] - 2016-09-21: Google releases Allo [21] - 2016-10-07: Duo is replacing Hangouts in the base Android install [22] - 2017-01-23: Google launches rebooted Google Voice app, with Hangouts-like UI [1] https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/here-comes-google-voice.html https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/here-comes-google-vo... [2] https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-voice-invites-on-their-way.html https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-voice-invites... [3] http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/google-voice-for-everyone.html http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/google-voice-for... [4] https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/introducing-google-project-real-life.html https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/introducing-google-p... [5] https://www.facebook.com/notes/philip-su/building-video-calling/10150229123673920 https://www.facebook.com/notes/philip-su/building-video-call... [6] https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2011/08/a-faster-way-to-message-on-mobile/ https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2011/08/a-faster-way-to-message... [7] https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/20/facebook-android-update-you-can-now-text-using-facebook-messenger-messages-section-redesigned/ https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/20/facebook-android-update-yo... [8] https://www.wired.com/2013/04/google-voice-future-uncertain/ https://www.wired.com/2013/04/google-voice-future-uncertain/ [9] http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/15/4318830/inside-hangouts-googles-big-fix-for-its-messaging-mess http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/15/4318830/inside-hangouts-go... [10] https://techcrunch.com/2013/10/29/facebook-messenger-phone-number/ https://techcrunch.com/2013/10/29/facebook-messenger-phone-n... [11] http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/09/google-hangouts-gets-a-huge-update-including-google-voice-integration/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/09/google-hangouts-gets-... [12] http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/02/facebook-to-acquire-whatsapp/ http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/02/facebook-to-acquire-what... [13] https://techcrunch.com/2014/04/09/facebook-messenger-or-the-highway/ https://techcrunch.com/2014/04/09/facebook-messenger-or-the-... [14] http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/09/google-hangouts-gets-a-huge-update-including-google-voice-integration/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/09/google-hangouts-gets-... [15] https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2015/03/25/introducing-messenger-platform-and-businesses-on-messenger/ https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2015/03/25/introdu... [16] http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/04/introducing-video-calling-in-messenger/ http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2015/04/introducing-video-callin... [17] http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/01/google-hangouts-7-0-for-android-asks-users-to-stop-using-it-for-sms/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/01/google-hangouts-7-0-f... [18] https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/14/facebook-messenger-texting/ https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/14/facebook-messenger-texting... [19] http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/07/google-hangouts-for-android-removes-merged-sms-conversations-adds-video/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/07/google-hangouts-for-a... [20] https://blog.google/products/duo/meet-google-duo-simple-1-to-1-video/ https://blog.google/products/duo/meet-google-duo-simple-1-to... [21] https://blog.google/products/allo/google-allo-smarter-messaging-app/ https://blog.google/products/allo/google-allo-smarter-messag... [22] http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/7/13202866/google-hangouts-allo-duo-core-android-apps http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/7/13202866/google-hangouts-a... [23] http://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2014/10/22/instant-messengers/ http://www.whoishostingthis.com/blog/2014/10/22/instant-mess... [24] https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/our-first-100-million/28111272130/ https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/our-first-100-millio... [25] https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/200-million-strong/72353897130/ https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/200-million-strong/7... [26] https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/300-million-and-on/136782277130/ https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/300-million-and-on/1... [27] http://web.archive.org/web/20100212075226/http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=287542162130 http://web.archive.org/web/20100212075226/http://blog.facebo... [28] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jul/21/facebook-500-million-users https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jul/21/facebook-... [29] http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-has-more-than-600-million-users-goldman-tells-clients-2011-1 http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-has-more-than-600-mi... [30] http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/facebook-nears-700-million-users-132116 http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/facebook-nears-700-mil... [31] http://mashable.com/2011/09/22/facebook-800-million-users/ http://mashable.com/2011/09/22/facebook-800-million-users/ [32] http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/23/technology/facebook-q1/ http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/23/technology/facebook-q1/ [33] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11114518 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11114518 [34] https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/facebook-chat-now-were-talking/12811122130/ https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/facebook-chat-now-we... [35] https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/chat-email-crazy-delicious.html https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/02/chat-email-crazy-del... [36] https://techcrunch.com/2006/09/26/facebook-just-launched-open-registrations/ https://techcrunch.com/2006/09/26/facebook-just-launched-ope... [37] https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/from-gmail-with-3.html https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/from-gmail-with-3.ht... [38] http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/06/09Apple-Introduces-the-New-iPhone-3G.html http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/06/09Apple-Introduces-t... [39] https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2008/09/announcing-android-10-sdk-release-1.html https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2008/09/announcing... [40] https://gmail.googleblog.com/2008/11/say-hello-to-gmail-voice-and-video-chat.html https://gmail.googleblog.com/2008/11/say-hello-to-gmail-voic... [41] https://blog.serverdensity.com/android-push-notifications-tutorial/ https://blog.serverdensity.com/android-push-notifications-tu... [42] https://www.urbanairship.com/push-notifications-explained https://www.urbanairship.com/push-notifications-explained [43] https://web.archive.org/web/20100609163523/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/facetime-video-calling-added-to-iphone-4 https://web.archive.org/web/20100609163523/http://www.engadg...
• hobarrera 10y ago
  Looks like the iOS app is only available inf you're in the US - even if you've already enabled and used google voice on the web (or on a different device).
• justabystander 10y ago
  I still use GV, but it's been frustrating. I stuck with the actual voice app as long as I could manage, but Google was making it really difficult to avoid using Hangouts. As in, there were features you wouldn't get if you didn't switch. Post-switch, MMS and group texts mostly work (although it still fails whenever someone tries to send me a phone contact). Prior to the switch, MMS showed up as emails and it was annoying. They worked really hard to make it inconvenient outside of Hangouts. But, of course, the web and phone versions of hangouts have serious UX problems because it's a chat app first and a SMS/MMS app second. Instead of directly searching for people in the messaging, which will give me 2nd-degree contacts I've never spoken with instead of my actual google contacts with phone numbers, I search through the phone call interface and click the SMS button. On the phone, it tries its hardest to hide the SMS functionality behind Hangouts. And of course, Hangouts is less popular since they gutted that product. They need to stop their forced upgrade attempts. And incoming GV phone calls only show up in the Phone app's history, while outgoing only show in Hangouts. Not to mention how utterly difficult it is to search just GV SMS/voicemail history now. It's like they rounded up every stoned-useless intern they could and told them to break the product. Also, I'd much rather they build their feature set around an API than around apps. They've already proven they have no idea on how to manage apps. I'd rather just have an API we can build against and use. Or even just treat GV as a SIP number that we connect to. I could build myself a pretty sweet SMS/VoiceXML gateway app for routing my calls. But depending on Google to not ruin things is kind of a lost cause at this point. Free, carrier-agnostic web SMS should be an international thing, as long as it's not abused. And that ideal is probably one of the main reasons I stick with it.
• dirkg 10y ago
  What does this mean for Fi users? I guess someone inside Google must have a soft spot for Voice, neglecting an app for 5 years and then resurrecting it is very unGoogly.
• swagv1 10y ago
  Awesome
• daveloyall 10y ago
  Over the years, I have sent the GV team various strongly worded reminders of the promises they made me. Personally, I choose to interpret these updates as a their response to me. Finally! Thanks for making good, big G. Keep it up.
• frankydp 10y ago
  I am glad that I am not the only person that saw this headline and thought "OH NO" they remembered GV is still running. Updates on older services seem to be the kiss of death at Google. Lets spend a little money on an update, if it doesn't grow like (insert cool new thing) kill it. Internal investment in any established Google service seems to be a liability not a benefit, when all of a sudden the balance sheet is worse.
• Xunxi 10y ago
  I have the old google voice app as well as a google voice number, granted MMS didnt work but other features such as spam filtering is the reason I adopted for official use. I routed 2 numbers to each (landline) account and havent looked back
• nkkollaw 10y ago
  Is it still not supported in Europe? It doesn't even show up in Google Play...
• dcdevito 10y ago
  It's nice to see GV isn't dead (yet), but unless I can make it my default SMS app it's pointless - so I am keeping my GV number integrated into hangouts.
• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• nialv7 10y ago
  The fear that Google Voice would be cancelled soon has always been in me. (There apps hadn't been updated for a long time). This news is a relief.
• CodeSheikh 10y ago
  Long time coming! I use Google voice very often to make international calls (I was a Grand Central subscriber before Google acquired them). Their iOS app was just a design nightmare (ios 6 UI aesthetics). Functionality of the app was also limited. Setting section of the app was just passive, you can't change much and you have to login ona desktop version. I am not going to lie but as a Google Voice customer for a long time, I am very disappointed with this update. It is just a design change and I hope they will roll out several new features slowly. For example I still would like them to add a feature where I can add credit to my Google Voice account through the phone app. Among the top three features they have listed as new in the blog post, I feel like that those functionalities already exist on the current iOs app. Lets see. 1: Easily check messages, calls and voicemail(s) Already there. Using the same top left corner main menu. 2: Keep in touch with group messages This already exists as well. You can start message threads with multiple people. Except the media support I guess. 3: Save time with transcribed voicemail This feature is already available. In current version, go to Menu -> Voicemail and you will see transcribed messages in your inbox. I am honestly very confused if this just a teaser in to what is about to become a major project within Google or just a marketing team being busy.
• jdeibele 10y ago
  Google Voice has been awesome for us with a little Obihai box. I use it every day to check on my mom (who has medical issues) and we have glitches occasionally but they are almost always cleared up by re-dialing. It let us replace our $40/month CenturyLink landline (including taxes and caller ID) with a one-time purchase of the Obihai box ($40 on special) and the $20 porting fee to make the number permanent with Google Voice. Our school district uses automated phone calls. Having Google Voice answer them, transcribe them, and send them to both me and my wife has been awesome.
• rw2 10y ago
  Google voice could have replaced twilio if they just got an api up. Years later, still no api.
• spilk 10y ago
  I've been using Google Voice since before it was Google Voice (it was called GrandCentral before Google acquired it). I've been fearing that Google was going to silently kill it constantly because of the lack of attention. Guess this means it's going to stick around for a while longer.
• ksk 10y ago
  Q: Does GV have 'access numbers' that you can make calls via so that it looks like the call came from your GV number?
  • callalex 10y ago
    Not exactly, there are a few ways to establish a call and have your GV number be the "from" number 1) Use the app on your phone which will transparently create a temporary number that your device calls that then connects you to the other party. 2) Use the website/apps/apis to do a "Callback" where your GV number calls you, and once you answer, calls the other party 3) Call your own gv number, hit a key, enter your pin, then enter the number you want to dial (no internet required)
• jdeibele 10y ago
  Google Voice is GREAT for non-profits. For my son's Cub Scout Pack and my kids' soccer club I paid the money to get permanent numbers for them both. Now they each have a permanent number that goes just to voicemail. The messages are transcribed, sent to a gmail account set up for just that number and then forwarded to the people that need to receive it. Personally, I have a lot less trust in any organization that won't put a phone number on their website. But I also understand why people aren't anxious to give out their own cell or home phones. PS: It was $20 for one (because I transferred a number) and $30 for the other (because I requested a second number). The gmail accounts are free. It takes some knowledge to make this happen but it's a much better deal than $9.95/month to a voicemail provider.
• ashurbanipal 10y ago
  It looks like Hangouts can make free calls, but GV cannot. At least according to their respective descriptions in the Play store. That seems like a major downgrade.
  • senorerik 10y ago
    GV could never make calls. It is primarily a call forwarding service (with tacked on free SMS and now MMS) which allows you to make calls to numbers in other states with no additional cost and make international calls for a low rate. You still need to go through your phone service; as far as your service is aware, these calls are going to a local number (the area code of your google voice number).
    • hendersoon 10y ago
      That's true, but deceptive. Google Voice itself can't make calls in the app or website, but Gmail (web only) and Hangouts (web and app) can. They're offered this service for a very long time.
• apeace 10y ago
  Wow, what a shocker! I used GV for _years_ as my primary number, but had to stop recently because the apps were so terrible. Something else I hope they've fixed: many web sites could not send SMS to GV numbers. For example my Chase bank account. I could never get a text code to login with a new device, so had to use email to verify instead. I experienced probably a dozen services that could not send to GV. Refresh looks great! Can't wait to try it out.
• vowelless 10y ago
  Are there alternatives to Google Voice? I am looking for a phone number, web based interface for sms, vm, etc.
• pokemongoaway 10y ago
  The guy on this page is, "Jan Jedrzejowicz." I'm going to hit him up on LinkedIn and ask him if he can ask his superiors about their focus or lack thereof on GV's future. And if they're not willing to give a detailed answer, then whether they believe their GV customers are entitled to one...
• hendersoon 10y ago
  Oh thank GOD. I live in terror that Google will kill Voice. I _live_ in Voice. I dread that day. Instead, they release updated apps... this is about killing _Hangouts_, which I don't particularly care about. Whew!! Honestly, I would be _ecstatic_ if Google started charging for Voice. $1/month, $12/year seems about right. I want confidence the service is going to be around for years to come. Also, ios10 call integration would be very sweet. Hopefully this new update has it.
• aditya 10y ago
  Where in gods name are these new apps anyway
• arrowgunz 10y ago
  I've been a Google Voice user since 2009, when it was initially launched. I absolutely love the product. It is perhaps the only Google product, beside Gmail, that I have been using on a daily basis since the past ~8 years. Initially I only used it for its voicemail functionality and later started using it as my secondary phone number and for international calling (Google Voice's international calling pricing is decent). All these years, even though the product has had an outdated UI, I didn't mind using it, since, it has been functional and served it's purpose. Now that Google is starting to invest more resources into Google Voice, my only hope is that they don't kill any of the existing wonderful features. I love the product and it would be awesome if they don't add any kind of "social" aspect to a very functional and useful product. I haven't received the iOS update yet, but, I'm really looking forward to it.
• dannyrosen 10y ago
  There's someone very high up at Google who believes that Google can disrupt telephony. Fi and the lifeline of Voice are proof of this. The fact that this project got refunded is also a tell that Google finds value in Voice (maybe). The question I'd ask is what value is it that they see? A couple of thoughts: * Move voice users out of Hangouts to reduce users of the monolith. * Test the current user bases' interest in updates - maybe there's something bigger brewing and this update is an experiment to learn about user habits. * Create a pipeline program to covert users to Fi. * Release work done over the holiday vacation that was cheap enough / good enough to release.
  • usaphp 10y ago
    I wanted to switch to Fi many times, but I have an iPhone and when you use Fi on iPhone, only t-mobile network is accessible and they don't have an app for iOS like they do for android.
• cft 10y ago
  If someone from Google is reading this: there's a need for a business version, that has paid features: multiple lines with a single number ( "press 1 to talk to billing, press 2 to talk to support"), multiple numbers tied to one account, etc.
  • nickyman 10y ago
    http://www.dialpad.com http://www.dialpad.com
• matthberg 10y ago
  An extremely relevant (and timely) XKCD about having too many phone numbers: https://xkcd.com/1789/ https://xkcd.com/1789/
• joelbondurant 10y ago
  Great, right as Google Fi is adopting zero features.
• vit05 10y ago
  Facebook has recently added audio options. Google will invest more in voice and audio. It is clearly, for me, that we will see something great happen in audio as we saw before in video and photo
• quantumpotato_ 10y ago
  Bug: (where do I report this?) Number A, Number B. A receives text. "B" is set as my default but I see A's message in my inbox. I reply. The reply is sent from "B".
• SwellJoe 10y ago
  Google has kinda proven themselves untrustworthy when it comes to relying on their services; sometimes, they just kill products off. That'd really suck for a phone number. Nonetheless, I find Google Voice so valuable that I overlooked the potential hassle of it going away. It's just amazingly convenient to get my texts on my computer, tablet, and phone. It's so nice to get voicemails transcribed and in my inbox...I hate making phone calls and I hate listening to voicemail. So, for all of Google's long neglect of the product, I don't know of anything as good, even among products that cost money. So, I'm not gonna trash talk them now, after they've finally done an update and exhibited some evidence that the product has a future. I'm just glad they seem to plan to keep it alive. And, for all of Google's neglect of the product, it is still the Google product I recommend more than any other (I think). I may use GMail/Inbox more often, and I may interact with more people via Docs/Drive, but so few people know about Google Voice that I end up recommending it a lot more than anything else.
• joecool1029 10y ago
  Oh great, announce the fucking update that may or may not come this week. They already leaked a banner some weeks ago by accident that linked nowhere. Meanwhile I'm pulling in the 6th update in two months on T-Mobile DIGITS, which will hopefully be the service to replace Google Voice. Oh, and when DIGITS has bugs I can pick up the phone and speak to a person, get it assigned and fixed. It's been around 3 years since Google started to scare all its users into thinking Voice would be shut down or merged with another service. I need a working commercial solution and I don't mind paying for it. I'm sick of Google halfassing every product they work on that isn't Search or AdWords.
• dcow 10y ago
  I just ported my voice number over to fi because as far as anyone could tell that was the direction Google was headed. Now this.
• tlow 10y ago
  You know what this is? This is an attempt to cover their asses for forcing G+ that nobody wanted. I refused to ever signup for Google Plus and was excluded from Hangouts for a longtime and thus even though hangouts supported Google Voice MMS sending and receiving, that could only be done in hangouts which could only be accessed via a G+ account. That restriction was lifted and now they're bringing features they were witholding for G+ signups to GVoice b/c nobody likes G+. Edit update: This is similar to forcing sign in on maps (via dark ux) and search (for cross device attribution, ie squeezing more $ out of you, not providing a better service).
• marlenephillps 10y ago
  I did not believe is possible that HIV can be cured because i have been scammed so many times not until i came across this great man dr ohikhobo who helped me at first I never believe all this comment and post about him and I was very sick because i have been infected with HIV for the past seven years,just last year I keep reading the testimony about this man named dr ohikhobo they said that the man is so powerful he have cured different type of diseases, I keep monitor the post of some people about this man and I found out that he was real so i decided to give him a try I contacted him for help and he said he was going to help me get my cure that all i needed to do was to send him money to prepare the medication after which it will be sent to me via dhl service which i did to my greatest suprise the medication was sent to me he gave me instructions on how to use it that after three weeks i should go for check up at first i was shocked when the doctor told me that i was hiv negative i ask the doctor to check again and the result was the same that i was now free from hiv at of the shock i decided to come and share my testimony with you for those who think there is no cure for hiv the cure as finally come stop doubting and contact dr ohikhobo via email drohikhoboherbalcenter@gmail.com he will help you out you can also wattssap him via +2348103601042 he said he also as cure for DIABETICS,HERPES,INFERTILITY;ALS,ANCE PIMPUS,LUPUS VIRUS AND PENIS AND BREAST ENLARGEMENT,HERPERTAS B,HPV,ANCE PIMPUSAND LUPUS VIRUS
• nagarjun 10y ago
  Has anyone been migrated to the new web version? I still see the old interface and it looks like the Indian Play Store hasn't received the new app either.
• withdavidli 10y ago
  They really blew it. Like many, I used GV cause I didn't want to pay for text messaging back in the day. I also was able to get a good number that spelled out a phrase relating to the profession I'm in. But after all 5 years, no group messaging... seriously. No MMS, went to email in an attachment. Remember back in 2011 there was a month where all my texts received were delayed by hours. When I heard they were concentrating on Hangouts instead I didn't understand why they kept GV around. It should have belonged in their graveyard. Now they're reviving it? Got the unlimited T-Mobile plan, and so many people have free texting now bundled into their plans. I've been using FB Messenger now as my main text program for years. Google blew this, but granted I would have never guessed text messaging would have gotten this big. My bet would have been on Video Calls.
• peterwwillis 10y ago
  Am I the only person here who is happy with Google Voice? The whole point of GV has always been to be a free PSTN<->VOIP gateway. That's a very valuable feature by itself. AFAIK, only FreedomPop offer mostly the same functionality for free (though not unlimited). Aside from carrier issues, I haven't had any problems with GV. It just works, it's very useful and it's free. I'm happy with it, and I hope they improve the existing functionality before they add features.
• mherrmann 10y ago
  I didn't know there was a .google TLD. Scary.
• plorg 10y ago
  Maybe now they'll address the Takeout format to return a sane, digestible form of GV data, rather than the frequently-broken HTML form that it currently returns.
• awiesen 10y ago
  If you'd like to better understand the background behind the new Google Voice apps, check out my G+ post here. https://plus.google.com/+AlexWiesen/posts/EEVjRbbKz65 https://plus.google.com/+AlexWiesen/posts/EEVjRbbKz65
  • stickfigure 10y ago
    Note to HN readers: This is a Google Voice team member providing some background information on how the new apps came about.