Google Voice News

[saptech]

More from the rumor mill about GV & Hangouts...

Google plans to kill Google Voice in coming months, integrate features into Hangouts | 9to5Google

 

[Clementine_3]

Ugh.

I knew this was coming and may be worried for nothing but I hope they don't screw a good thing up. I use GV a lot for calls, it's the number anyone who isn't family has for me. Free outgoing (not VoIP) can't go away, I don't have unlimited minutes and use a ton of them.

I'll (like everyone) wait and see but I kinda have a bad feeling.

Ugh.

 

[saptech]

Same here. I'm on Tmo $30 prepaid plan and have been using GV for majority of my calls, since I only have 100 voice minutes with tmo.

If they do switch to Hangouts, I hope it works just as good for VoIP.

 

[codesplice]

Haven't we pretty well known about this for months? I don't understand what's new about this latest "rumor" versus what we knew at the end of October.

 

[Clementine_3]

Yeah, it's not new news at all. There's just more of a date/deadline sort of thing now

 

[sfbloodbrother]

Its not necessarily killing it off if they are going to merge it. I hope the merge goes well because I really like Google Voice. I also really like hangouts so a merge will be something beneficial to me.

 

[saptech]

I hope the merger go good too. I'm using GV as my primary calling line, but there are some issues using the 3rd party apps. It seems when I call a landline, the call quality is pretty good, but calling other cells, it's more trial & error on how the quality is.

So I hope the merger call quality with cell lines is much better.

 

[saptech]

I find it kind of strange that Google has not offered any type of test trial with Android users before the May 15 deadline. It seems they are only testing it with IOS, strange. I hope this works without too many glitches.

 

[saptech]

Anyone have their GV with third party apps stop working? Mine is still working with GrroveIP, as far as I can tell. I'm not sure what is happening. I haven't heard anything from Google about it. Does Hangouts have VoIP ready?

 

[Clementine_3]

I can't even get Hangouts to open, I'm getting "Something's not right" and "We're having trouble connecting to Google" errors. They must be doing something to something...

 

[saptech]

I just tried Hangouts and it opens and run like normal for me. I'm not sure if and how to make a call. I've never tried to do the video thing.

 

[codesplice]

Looks like GrooveIP is live with their alternative VoIP provider, Ring.To: GrooveIP Gets Updated With Support For A New VoIP Service And Makes Paid Features Free As Third-Party Google Voice Access Ends

 

[saptech]

I don't get it but my GV with GrooveIP is still working, the wife just called my GV number and I talked to her. I did get message about updating GrooveIP but I didn't install it, it may stop it from working!


***EDIT***
Well, I rebooted the phone and that automatically updated GrooveIP, now I can't make those calls. I didn't think to set it up to not auto update.

What is the word from Google and Hangouts? I'm on Tmobile's $30 plan with 100 voice minutes and need to decide if I should upgrade to more minutes!

 

[modhatter]

I don't get it but my GV with GrooveIP is still working, the wife just called my GV number and I talked to her. I did get message about updating GrooveIP but I didn't install it, it may stop it from working!


***EDIT***
Well, I rebooted the phone and that automatically updated GrooveIP, now I can't make those calls. I didn't think to set it up to not auto update.

What is the word from Google and Hangouts? I'm on Tmobile's $30 plan with 100 voice minutes and need to decide if I should upgrade to more minutes!

Can't you just use Skype. You can sign up for unlimited minutes for about $3 a month, or pre-pay .23 cents a minute just to augment your 100 minute allotment. Is there anything stopping you from doing that? Doesn't give you a number and help you in receiving calls I know, but for outgoing, it would be fine. Yes?

 

[AnonGuy]

Can't you just use Skype. You can sign up for unlimited minutes for about $3 a month, or pre-pay .23 cents a minute just to augment your 100 minute allotment. Is there anything stopping you from doing that? Doesn't give you a number and help you in receiving calls I know, but for outgoing, it would be fine. Yes?

Skype's audio call quality is unforgivable, and requires a data connection so it will drop calls where a cell signal wouldn't.

 

[jhawkkw]

Skype's audio call quality is unforgivable, and requires a data connection so it will drop calls where a cell signal wouldn't.

Those who use Google Voice to make calls depend on a data/wifi connection anyways, so there's no difference than what those users are doing now.

 

[mikedt]

Skype's audio call quality is unforgivable, and requires a data connection so it will drop calls where a cell signal wouldn't.

Sometimes I have to use Skype or other VOIP, really because international calls made through the carrier can be stupidly expensive.

 

[UncleMike]

Here it is June 8 2014 and my Obi110 is still working fine receiving calls via Google Voice. I don't ever use it for outbound calls, just for filtering incoming spam calls. It's been working great for 1-1/2 years, and I dread the thought of having to change things and let all those spam calls ring through to my home phone.

 

[Clementine_3]

There's an update for GV now. They've added short code and fixed some bugs. Really? Maybe they are getting ready for more?

Edit: I don't use it for Wi-Fi/VoIP calling, it's very probable that that's what was 'fixed'.

'nother edit: Either I've gone mad (totally possible) or the changelog has changed. I KNOW it said they were adding shortcode so I tried to sign up for some text alerts. Yeah, not working. Went back to Play to view the changelog and, well, it's changed, says nothing about shortcode. Hmmmm.

 

[codesplice]

There's an update for GV now. They've added short code and fixed some bugs. Really? Maybe they are getting ready for more?

Edit: I don't use it for Wi-Fi/VoIP calling, it's very probable that that's what was 'fixed'.

'nother edit: Either I've gone mad (totally possible) or the changelog has changed. I KNOW it said they were adding shortcode so I tried to sign up for some text alerts. Yeah, not working. Went back to Play to view the changelog and, well, it's changed, says nothing about shortcode. Hmmmm.

Yeah, it sounds like any changes in this release were exceptionally minor: Google Voice Gets Its First Update In Nine Months With Almost Zero Changes [APK Download]

I'm still hoping that it gets merged seamlessly with Hangouts as an I/O present.

 

[Clementine_3]

They are up to something, why else would they update it with no real update? I really just hope none of the current functionality goes away, I use my GV number way more than my Verizon number. I don't use Hangouts at all and don't want to start, I've tried it but much prefer stand-alone standard texting and GV voicemail/texting. If it's seamless and works that'll be fine but I'm working on pre-panic anyway

 

[codesplice]

Google Voice features begin trickling into Hangouts

IT'S HAPPENING!

 

[Clementine_3]

I'll wait to try it, let others work out the kinks. When it's really up and running and I can choose which number to use and it works for MMS then I'll give it a go. Voicemail has to work flawlessly too, it's what I use it for most.

 

[codesplice]

More news!

From http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/call-me-maybe-introducing-free-voice.html:

We know how important it is to keep in touch with friends and family, especially when they’re spread around the world. Hangouts already makes it easy to send a quick message, or start a group video chat. But sometimes it’s best to just call to say “I love you,” and with the new version of Hangouts you can.

Starting today you can make voice calls from Hangouts on Android, iOS and the web. It’s free to call other Hangouts users, it’s free to call numbers in the U.S. and Canada, and the international rates are really low. So keeping in touch is easier and more affordable than ever.

To get started on Android, just grab the new version of Hangouts (v2.3, rolling out over the next few days), then install the accompanying dialer to turn on voice calls. On iOS and the web, voice calls will be available the next time you open the app.

Link to that Hangouts Dialer, btw: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.hangoutsdialer

 

[saptech]

I was about ready to give up on it, but now I'll wait for the upgrade to come to my area and see how it work. I know for now there may be some kinks but I will still check it out.