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Google Voice Apps Arrive For Android and Blackberry
Mark Mathson writes "Two Google Voice apps have been released for Blackberry and Android phones. The Android app is the most complete, and it takes over the native dialer, address book and call log. Users won't be bothered with accidentally dialing numbers through the device phone number. The Blackberry app is less integrated, accessing only the native address book, and uses its own dialer. Users can't simply go into the call log and return missed calls. They need to go back to the address book and select Google Voice to make the call. Still, it solves a big problem. The apps also allow users to access the core features of Google Voice. You can listen to or read voicemails and text messages (all voicemails are automatically transcribed), access call history, send SMS messages and place international calls at low rates."
Just imagine what things like this will mean for Chrome OS too! I have Android running on a quad-core Core 2 Duo system and performance is amazing--GO LINUX!!!
But I suppose that's because I'm usually on the phone less than an hour a month.
Just how ubiquitous do Google have to be before geeks realise they're far, far worse than Microsoft and Big Brother combined?
"Why did they cancel my favorite Sci-Fi show? I downloaded ALL the episodes!"
I have a G1 through T-Mobile in the UK. My terms and conditions say that I'm not allowed to use VoIP services (well, the wording's a little more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it).
Be interesting to see what happens as and when Google Voice gets rolled out to the UK. In the meantime, can somebody invite me to join the US trial and provide the necessary details of harbour?
Nick.
Just add your Google Voice # to your Fav5 plan or whatever and use these apps w/Google Voice to route all your outbound calls, the cellular company only thinks your calling the same number and google is routing it for you. If you willing to ditch caller-id you can configure google voice so all inbound calls have your Google # as caller ID.
This is the second time I've come across issues with GAFYD and google services. I'm using GAFYD on my g1 and I have a google Voice account with the same account, yet when I try to run the android voice app it says I have no GV account associated with a different google account I have (one that isn't setup on the phone, not sure how it knew it was associated to me at all). Anyone get it working successfully with a nonstandard google account?
It probably isn't using VoIP. Google Voice has a feature where it will call your phone, then connect you to the person you want to call. I imagine the app just calls the web service, which dials your phone, the app auto-answers, and then you're connected as a regular voice call.
Trying to run VoIP on T-Mobile's data network would fail pretty fast.
The Android Market has had an app available for some time now called GV, written by Evan Charlton. Not only does it have the "official" Google Voice app functionality, but allows for greater customization of what calls you route through Google Voice vs your regular number.
"Sorry, Google Voice is not supported on your device."
Happens when I hit that site with my G1. OTOH, GV for Android still works well: http://docs.evancharlton.com/docs/GV
Since you mentioned it, I'm not sure what this development means for the future of my GV application. You can read more about my thoughts on the matter in my blog post
For those slashdotters who are GV users--what are your thoughts on the matter? Is the official app sufficiently crippled that I should continue? Should I aim for a peaceful coexistence?
I bet Symbian and even high end J2ME client will follow soon and if people choose an officially shipped, supported application instead of 3rd party clones, Skype will be really hit big time.
It has been YEARS that Symbian S60 client of Skype, the one you can click and download to any S60 device was promised but never shipped. It comes with some phone in UK I heard. That is it. They also spread some real FUD about J2ME in the process when people were naive enough to ask them.
Skype and eBay suits running it really needs a lesson. How hard to admit that it was a really massive fault, they can`t run a VOIP company which has to support thousands of different configurations and put it to market or something? Not just that, they released iPhone version in matter of months and Windows Mobile version is there for ages. Something really goes on in those offices, something really interesting.
...if they released a few more invites to Google Voice to go along with this so people could test -- I mean, I'm sitting here with a G1 and I can't even use it. :P
It is by my will alone my thoughts acquire motion; it is by the juice of the coffee bean that the thoughts acquire speed
Sure, they say it can make "cheap international calls", but can it understand if I ask it to call someone in my native language (which, for the record, is not English)?
Can it transcript voicemails that are in another language than English? Because very few of my voicemails are in English. Very few of my contacts on my phone has an English clinging name.
When Apple released their Voice Control for the iPhone 3G S, they never came around this issue, yet speaking of it in the same keynote as they talked about how many countries they were going to sell it in and not only that, how great their internationalisation was going.
I guess multiple language support is just a fevered dream of mine.
Clicked pie.
Just need a Google Voice invite now!
You cannot warp because you are warp scrambled.
I don't think your summary does Google Voice justice. Within their database they have phone numbers with the area code 406 dynamically assigned to a Google voice subscriber and each of that subscriber's contacts. This means that if you call from your phone which is registered under Google voice the 406-xxx-xxxx that corresponds with a certain person within your contact list, you will be in turn calling that person transparently, and they will see on their caller id your GV number not the actual number of the phone your dialing from. This gets around the whole "Hey everybody! I have a new phone number, don't use the old one" problem as well as the manual proxy that is calling your own GV number from your phone then putting in the number of the person you want to call. Since the 406 number is personal to you and is dependent on you and who you are calling, Google only needs to buy enough 406 numbers from a Telco provider to fulfill the person has the largest contact list. It is hard to describe but, in effect, they have reduced the need to know phone numbers because they do it all in the background transparently, as well as the manual proxy annoyance. The downside is that it is not fully implemented. To see one of your contact's own 406 number, you have to SMS them from your GV number and they need to reply back. There is a rumor that Google may be automating this soon. If you don't think about the security concerns, Google's got a winner here
Once again us PalmOS users get left in the dust.
Outbound SMS worked and appeared to come from my Google Voice number. My friend replied, and the SMS I recieved did not have his cell number as a sender. It did have my contact entry prefixing his message, though.
Example SMS Body: -John Smith: Hey, I got your text.
Outbound calls using the Blackberry app looked like they were trying to connect but never went through. Maybe the load from the app release is a bit more than they planned on.
It would be great if someone wrote a voice app that allowed you to dicate text messages to your friends, since typing on those little keypads can be a pain.
And it would be even cooler if your friends' phones had a voice app that could then dictate the text message back through the phone's speaker.
That would be a great set of apps for a phone, I hope someone comes up with it :p
(Yuk Yuk)
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Try joining Google so you can work on their new app. Use your existing app as reference.
I was using the app on my G1 when it was still called grand central.
It's an excellent app. Now you can place calls direct with GV.
The SMS portion is useless since I use the googletalk app.
The voicemail is great. I just wish they included GV configuration in the app and the ringshare service.
They're using their grammar skills there.
"Since you mentioned it, ANONYMOUS USER THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE ME, I'm not sure what this development means for the future of my GV application [evancharlton.com]."
Fix'd! :D
Since you felt the need to ask, no, it wasn't. You can choose believe that or not--it makes no difference to me.
This is exactly right. (Just needs some paragraphs.)
Is there a way to configure the phone to direct all calls through a wireless router, when the router is in range? I would like to make internet-based calls rather than cell-based calls when I am at home.
The reason for this is that I make very few calls away from home. This sort of setup would allow me to pay under $10 per month for all my phone calls, and yet have only a single number.
Currently I use a pay-as-you-go cell phone for when I am out, and Skype for when I am at home, but this is not ideal. I have to juggle two phone numbers, and I have to use my computer to make most calls. This could solve these problems once and for all.
Google voice doesn't take the place of your phone service, it uses it. What you do is call the number Google gives you, then it places the call. So as far as your phone company is concerned, you spend the entire call connected to Google.
I was using the app on my G1 when it was still called grand central.
yeah, but you still ahve a 6 digit ID, Loser~
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Google Voice is a really nice service but the key issue I have with it is that I can't port my number. Sure, I'd love all the extra little perks it offers like visual voice mail, but I won't get any of these features until I tell everyone to use my new Google number. Call me attached and lazy if you will, but that's a fair amount of effort. Let me port my number and then I'll use your services.
That being said I've only used my Grand Central / Google Voice number on two occasions: helping my parents buy a car and buying a car myself. It's fantastic to give them this number and throw it on Do Not Disturb mode. I never had to deal with a single sales call.
At the moment, the official Google App doesnt even work for me because I use a different Google account for the Google voice than the one associated with my Android and your app lets me configure that but Google's doesn't. So I can't compare the differences because Google's app doesn't even work on my phone. However, I've also read that yours has other features that Google's doesn't have, for example, the ability to choose whether or not to make the call through Google voice or not. I really like that feature.
I say you should keep up the good work on your app for the moment, and where Google's works better see if you can polish yours to the point that those features work just as well. Your app is slow at placing outbound calls. Anyway to fix that? I hear it going through menu prompts or something. Also, it would be really cool to be able to do SMS intercepting as well (like you do with voice), and have that work seamlessly (while still being able to choose between normal and GV).
Another feature suggestion: cache some of the stuff like the Mail tab and the Call Log, so I don't have to wait for it to "log in" just to see what was already there previously.
You can set your Google Voice number to be your default voicemail answering number. I use it and it's great. It's in the setup for voicemail - you can set the phone number of the answering service to any number you like. I don't know if Verizon, etc, allow this, but I love having customized answering messages for my friends and family.
Ask Me About... The 80's!
Google voice doesn't take the place of your phone service, it uses it. What you do is call the number Google gives you, then it places the call. So as far as your phone company is concerned, you spend the entire call connected to Google.
My phone tariff (I've got an HTC Magic) provides unlimited landline calls - so does that mean if I can call a "landline" Google Voice number, essentially (tariff aside) all calls will be free?
I got my invite last week, but since GV is not "available" outside the US, I'm not even allowed to register..
It's (again) a US-only thing..
While you are using the mobile phone service, you are using the Internet access side of it. So you avoid using the (probably) more expensive cellular voice system.
This could really eat at the heart of the profits of the traditional carriers.
Another example would be using Google voice via a web browser to send/receive SMS. A few seconds usage of my Verizon account's "unlimited web and email" could transfer thousands of text messages. Net value of 1000 SMS is $150.
Today you will probably still want a cell phone service. But if you spend 90% of your time within range of a wifi access point, how about a mobile device that looks like a cell phone, but uses wifi and costs about zero $ per month. A fancier version could switch to a pay as you go plan when out of reach of wifi.
People have other phones than the iphone, its not the end all and everywhere machine you think it is. Android is googleâ(TM)s phone, its natural they would come out with the app for their products before others. Also, Blackberrys (RIM) have more marketshare than iPhones (Apple) too
Just open talk to cell phone discussion
No I mean with Google Voice it's still a normal call, not an internet call. There's no fancy program on your phone, you just call the number they give you.