Anyone able to confirm the iOS Google Voice app was updated in 2017? https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-voice/id318698524?&ct...
The update may not be rolled out yet -- still see the old version on my phone with no updates available.
Updates to our Google Voice apps
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Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#72So, 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.
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.
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#73I 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'll send this along to the one friend I still know using Google Voice though. I'm sure he'll be excited, he was just complaining about something the other day and I was nudging him toward bailing.
With Google losing interesting in Voice and integrating it into Hangouts, then apparently losing interesting in Hangouts too, I'd been telling him that Voice was probably dead-dead.
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#74Cool. I use the app from time to time and it was really decrepit.
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#75So in the brand new blog post, they link to this page: https://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html
When you click around, you get to see icons and screenshots from a bygone era
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#76I 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…
I just use it as a secondary number because the area code for my real number is for so far away. Sometimes that would seem strange or suspicious, and I use it during those times.
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#77As 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. G…
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?
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.
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#78My 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.
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#79I'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.
Re: Updates to our Google Voice apps
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
Out of curiosity, why didn't you keep using it, but with Hangouts instead?
Group SMS and MMS messages weren't supported by the backing service. As group messages became more popular as more of my friends got smartphones, I'd miss more and more communications that my friends were having. Additionally, there were times when even regular SMS messages would be delivered minutes or hours late. The whole system felt unreliable. It felt like the only purpose was to send outbound messages from the…
Same gripe I've had on iOS past, could never figure out if my response was going to go over sms, imessage, or email, and if email which account, so I just avoid as much as possible, and don't setup additional accounts on my iOS devices or ones i set up. Mostly to avoid getting "why am i getting email responses to my text messages" questions etc.
Not saying it's hard or complicated, just hard and complicated enough for me to avoid. When I send someone a message there should be no guesswork involved. Not sure how both google and apple could mess this stuff up so badly in their attempts to make it "just work." Or how much of the issue is the "use only our ecosystem or your shit may to break" mentality.
:grumble grumble: