Updates to our Google Voice apps • Hacker News Board

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#221

Post by ghostly_s » Mon, Jan 23, 2017, 11:53 PM UTC

djsumdog wrote: post #134

baggachipz wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was a die-hard Google user/fanboy until about a year and a half ago. I was a Fi user, Voice user (before Fi), Hangouts, Nexus buyer, you name it (I even had a Google TV and almost bought an OnHub). I bailed on it all when I realized that Google has absolutely no long-term vision or desire to support what they produce. I went to an iPhone and despite Apple's warts, it's a night-and-day experience. I'll never again t…

I've never had an eyePhone and switch to Android from Palm's WebOS. But for years I've always used 3rd party ROMS (Cyanogen mostly). Google has a vested interest in not fixing Android's brokenness. They make a lot of money off phones that needs to be replaced every 2 years. With their strict control over OHA, they can easily mandate PC style platform standards to reduce e-waste, fight planned obsolescence and offer r…

'eyePhone'? Is there supposed to be some meaning behind that?

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#222

Post by komali2 » Mon, Jan 23, 2017, 11:54 PM UTC

akhilcacharya wrote: post #3

> 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.

I wish. Now Google is aware of it again, it'll be gone within a year.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#223

Post by derelk » Mon, Jan 23, 2017, 11:54 PM UTC

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.

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.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#224

Post by canes123456 » Mon, Jan 23, 2017, 11:55 PM UTC

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.

Importing thousands of pictures from my honeymoon lead to tons of duplicates. I tried to consolidate the library and a bunch got deleted. Luckly I backed up everything but I know not to fully trust apple.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#225

Post by saurik » Mon, Jan 23, 2017, 11:55 PM UTC

hackcrafter wrote: post #44

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 lis…

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"?

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#226

Post by saurik » Mon, Jan 23, 2017, 11:58 PM UTC

jfoster wrote: post #11

mynameisvlad wrote: post #2

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.

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.

When was this "a time", and did it include more than Mail, Maps, and Docs?

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#227

Post by komali2 » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 12:02 AM UTC

fooey wrote: post #205

tw04 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The answer to this is easy: copy imessage. If Apple had even a little bit of common sense they'd support imessage on windows and android and just charge a small fee of some sort to make money off of it. They're blackberry right now, they could own the market if they were willing to eat their own market share. As for google: I have no idea what is up with the stupidity. What people want is simple: an app that works on…

Opening iMessage to other platforms would cannibalize iOS sales. I hear soo many people say they'd try Android, but they can't lose iMessage

I don't think "desperately force our users to stay in our ecosystem" is a very successful business model.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#228

Post by chrsstrm » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 12:06 AM UTC

knz wrote: post #124

hamandcheese wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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

Hangouts does not ship with the Pixel, you have to download it separately. IIRC it was also not easy to find in the Play Store.

The Pixel pushes you to use Allo which is based on phone numbers and your phone's contact list, not your Google account contacts. If I want to message someone on Hangouts but I only know their email address (which pops up helpfully if I have corresponded with this person in Gmail), no problem. You can't do that in Allo - the people you message are identified by their phone number, not the fact that they have a Google account. In fact, you can't use Allo until you register your own number. So what is Allo? Is it SMS? Hangouts could already handle SMS and Google also released Messenger intending it to be your phone's default SMS client. The only entity you can message in Allo that doesn't need a phone number is Google Assistant, which isn't that great. If Allo requires you to be identified by a phone number, how is it better than SMS? If I change my phone number, am I just hosed? The best thing about Hangouts is that it let you message damn near anyone in any manner while being platform independent.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#229

Post by vacri » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 12:06 AM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #83

vostok wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've already told all my friends to forget my Google Voice number. Why didn't you migrate your GV number? That seems a lot less painful than telling everyone to update your contact information.

This is a nerve-wracking process as there's little to no feedback on how this process is progressing, but it does work! I migrated my Google Voice number, which was long since my primary, out of Google Voice over to my cell carrier about a year ago.

I have this problem at both places where I work, but with gmail. In both companies, the gmail account was registered under the business name (=paperwork name), but the trading name (=public name) is different. So you have to train your users to log in with the business name, even though that's the only time it's ever seen by anyone except the lawyers.

Then you have the problem of emails going out under that name instead of the trading name - while the aliases generally work well, you have to train users in setting their accounts properly. I've contacted gmail support about switching over names, but their response was "it'll take around three days, and you may not be able to access email for that time", sprinkled with a tone of "it'll probably work without a hitch".

Yeah, you try telling the business side staff that they might not have emails for three days in a busy place... unfortunately I was too spooked to proceed, so can't vouch that it works :)

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#230

Post by pokemongoaway » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 12:10 AM UTC

megablast wrote: post #172

nextos wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Frankly, I can't understand how Google is so chaotic. Perhaps it's the organization, which looks more like a conglomerate than a cohesive corporation with a clear vision. They release products, only to abandon many of them without a clear reason (like Google Talk). Or they release two products that should be one instead (Android & ChromeOS, or Allo & Duo). The Google Talk fiasco got me particularly disenchanted. A be…

Stupid theory: It is fun working on projects, it is not fun supporting projects.

The problem with this idea is that once the project becomes a product or services of Google's, then it is supported by official paid working hours of its employees.