Google’s new Phone app Beta can be installed on most android phones

[TrigrH]

 

Summary

Google's custom dialer app which was previously only on pixel devices is now available on most android phones, it offers more features than most stock dialer apps. 

 

Quotes

Quote

Google’s Phone (dialer) app was added to more, non-Google devices back in April. As per Android Police, the Phone app is now available to download on more smartphone brands as well. The app works on both Samsung and OnePlus devices as Android Police has pointed out. We can corroborate that it works on the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Quote

CALL SCREEN
Avoid unwanted calls - Screen spam, scams and other unwanted calls. Get real-time transcription and block unwanted callers so you never hear from them again. (Available in US English on Pixel devices)

GOOGLE DUO VIDEO CALLS
To make the highest quality one-to-one video call, simply tap from the call log, search, or contacts card. Easily switch a voice call to a Duo video call with Google Duo installed and activated.

SPAM PROTECTION AND CALLER ID
See warnings about potential spam callers and report suspicious calls to help protect the community from telemarketers, fraudsters, and spammers. Block numbers to prevent them calling you again.

VISUAL VOICEMAIL
Check your messages without having to call voicemail - view, playback and delete them right from the Phone app and download the audio to your device.

MINI CALL VIEW
Switching from a call shrinks the call screen so it can be moved while multitasking in other apps.

My thoughts

My stock Xperia app is garbage, buggy, no dark mode, poor interface and you need to go into a separate app to manage contacts. So using this dialer is awesome in contrast. 

 

How to install

Be logged into google on your browser.

Sign up here: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.google.android.dialer?authuser=0&hl=en

Then download to your device here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.dialer

 

Sources

https://www.gsmarena.com/googles_phone_app_beta_can_be_installed_on_any_phone-news-44707.php

https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/08/11/google-phone-app-beta-can-now-be-installed-from-the-play-store-on-pretty-much-any-phone/

[Skipple]

Am I the only one who feels like navigation within the phone app itself unintuitive as hell? I mean, it should be really simple but I find myself fumbling around to try and make a phone call to a contact sometimes and this is after owning a Pixel for well over 2 years now.

[RejZoR]

1 minute ago, Skipple said:

Am I the only one who feels like navigation within the phone app itself unintuitive as hell? I mean, it should be really simple but I find myself fumbling around to try and make a phone call to a contact sometimes and this is after owning a Pixel for well over 2 years now.

And people just always assume I'm dumb when I say Google does a lot of shit like they are retarded, but everyone shots me down just because Google is a multibillion company that can't fuck up anything apparently. Just because you have fuck ton of cash and people to throw at things it doesn't mean you also do them well.

[strajk-]

I'll rather just keep using the "Should I Answer" phone app, don't change a running system, specially a reliable one. 

[Guest]

That voicemail thing is a game changer tbh. I wish!

 

that spam protection is great for older people or naive people who don’t know any better. Scammers still are quite prevalent and they get people.

[Vishera]

3 hours ago, RejZoR said:

And people just always assume I'm dumb when I say Google does a lot of shit like they are retarded

True,Stadia is an example for it,also their Chromecasts overheat like crazy and have no venting holes (Who taught it was a good idea?!)

[paddy-stone]

5 hours ago, TrigrH said:

Snip!

Thanks for the info... will give it a try.

 

At the moment I have been using Drupe dialler, it's pretty good with some of the features, but can be annoying to navigate sometimes. But could be my old ass fingers... LOL, no matter how I word that it makes it look like I have "ass fingers"

 

[edit] Tried it and didn't like it one bit. I have dual sims, plus 3 google accounts on my phone, and couldn't see any way to only display certain ones, so it defaulted to showing all accounts, and all sims... not good at all.

[yolosnail]

Can't be any worse than the LG phone app, I think I'll give this a try and see what it's like