Updates to our Google Voice apps • Hacker News Board

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#251

Post by callalex » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 12:59 AM UTC

ksk wrote: post #185

Q: Does GV have 'access numbers' that you can make calls via so that it looks like the call came from your GV number?

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)

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#252

Post by arrowgunz » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:03 AM UTC

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All these years, even though the product has had an outdated UI, I didn't mind using it, since, it has been functional and served it's purpose.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.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#253

Post by hendersoon » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:09 AM UTC

senorerik wrote: post #201

ashurbanipal wrote: post #194

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.

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).

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.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#254

Post by hendersoon » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:11 AM UTC

cva wrote: post #119

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #24

If anyone has received the update on their iPhone, can you say whether or not it now supports CallKit?

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

It could, as Google allows VOIP calls with the Hangouts app and gmail website. I hope they add this functionality too.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#255

Post by dannyrosen » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:15 AM UTC

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.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#256

Post by xales » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:19 AM UTC

komali2 wrote: post #218

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.

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.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#257

Post by codebook » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:19 AM UTC

stuckagain wrote: post #57

codebook wrote: post #50

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.

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.

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. :(

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#258

Post by jfoster » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:22 AM UTC

saurik wrote: post #226

jfoster wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Yes, it also included Android, Chrome, Analytics, News, Reader.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#259

Post by usaphp » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:23 AM UTC

dannyrosen wrote: post #255

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…

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.

Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps

#260

Post by cft » Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 1:29 AM UTC

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.