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Updates to our Google Voice apps

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Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#211

Post by dlandis »

dpcx wrote: post #188
wvenable wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just switched from an iPhone to Android; there are pros and cons to both platforms. But one of the cons of the Apple ecosystem is how terrible all their (cloud) services are. I still haven't fully bought into the Google ecosystem but I'm slowly move over.

I'd be interested to hear what issues you have with Apple's cloud services. I, personally, have had no problems, but am definitely curious.

One issue is how they nickel and dime you for storage space. I think you only get 5GB free and then have to "upgrade your icloud plan" even after dropping $800+ on a new phone, which you might want to back up.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#212

Post by lightedman »

mevile wrote: post #109

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 h…

"Google's never ending iteration of messaging products comes across as schizophrenic"

I guess Google needs a cigarette or ten.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#213

Post by beambot »

philip1209 wrote: post #169
beambot wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Uber Eats thinks that my former Voice number (now Fi number) is not a real cell number, so it does not let me order. After repeated support tickets, they still assert that it's a virtual number and will not let me order.

Voice & Fi numbers are considered "call forwarders." Call forwarders are not allowed (legally?) to forward numbers to other call forwarders. Hence the issues between Voice & Fi. This might be the same issue with Uber Eats.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#214

Post by dpcx »

dlandis wrote: post #211
dpcx wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be interested to hear what issues you have with Apple's cloud services. I, personally, have had no problems, but am definitely curious.

One issue is how they nickel and dime you for storage space. I think you only get 5GB free and then have to "upgrade your icloud plan" even after dropping $800+ on a new phone, which you might want to back up.

Ah. I thought terrible meant "issues using the service." I do have some annoyances with how I'm charged for things, but I don't mind paying for services ($2/month for 200GB) that give me things without resorting to selling my browsing habits to the highest bidder.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#215

Post by slg »

wlesieutre wrote: post #69
jitl wrote: post #14

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 so…

That's about where I am with this. I got started with GV back when carriers were charging $0.25/each to send or receive texts, and eventually paid Google $20 to port my old AT&T number into their system. Then Google stopped developing the GV app and I switched from iOS to Android to get the Hangouts Dialer integration. With the Hangouts integration instead of a real GV app, they apparently threw away the spam reporti…

>I have no idea how many missed social calls I had from people in college organizing social lives via group texts that I never got, and they never knew I didn't get because there was zero indication on either end that it wasn't delivered.

That is what forced me away from GV a few years back. It is an unforgivable flaw of a communication product for messages to completely disappeared from the system without any party knowing. The fact that Google was comfortable with that flaw for years tells you all you need to know about their commitment to these kind of products. It will take years of updates like this before I start to believe that any renewed commitment will stick.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#216

Post by BHSPitMonkey »

tgb wrote: post #49

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.

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).

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#217

Post by greggman »

dlandis wrote: post #211
dpcx wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be interested to hear what issues you have with Apple's cloud services. I, personally, have had no problems, but am definitely curious.

One issue is how they nickel and dime you for storage space. I think you only get 5GB free and then have to "upgrade your icloud plan" even after dropping $800+ on a new phone, which you might want to back up.

It's not free. You must own an iDevice or a Mac to use iCloud and worse if you pay for one device you get 5gig. If you pay for 2 you don't get another 5gig

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#218

Post by komali2 »

mevile wrote: post #109

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 h…

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.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#219

Post by saurik »

pixie_ wrote: post #190
accountface wrote: post #116

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.

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 fro…

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?
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