Google Voice Resurrected

[Guest Kloaked]

CLICK HERE FOR SAUCE

 

It wasn't that long ago when Google finally released its new messaging platform dubbed Allo just before the Google Pixel launched. The integrated Google Assistant was a preview of the one that would be baked into the Google Pixel phone's version of Android which would replace Google Now/On Tap.

 

Today, Google has announced that its old Google Voice platform has received a makeover and the update will be rolling out today.

 

ALL REJOICE. GOOGLE HAS YET ANOTHER MESSAGING PLATFORM TO DIVIDE ITS USERS.

 

I would like to add that Google is not planning on creating a new all-in-one application for texting (MMS, SMS), video, group chats, whatever, that which would replace Hangouts. Google "Engineer" Justin Uberti confirmed sometime last year that they have no plans on doing something as convenient as an all-in-one communication platform that which would be easier to get more users on board with.

 

 

As a Pixel owner, I will most likely be moving to iOS this year.

 

#HeWillNotDivideUs

 

Google Voice was a big deal when it launched back in 2009—there was a waiting list to get access, and the entire concept seemed magical. However, Google seemed to give up on Voice some years ago, offering users the option to port some features of Voice into Hangouts and Project Fi. Now, Google Voice is back and completely revamped.


The Voice app was in a pretty sorry state until now with a thoroughly Holo interface. The new app looks like it belongs on a phone from 2017, and you can navigate to your texts, calls, and voicemails using the inbox tabs. Some of the features that were only available if you ported messaging to Hangouts are now available in Voice, including MMS for photos and group texts. Since this is now a modern Android app, you can also expect to see nice animations, brighter colors, and quick replies from notifications.

 

I'm taking this as another project that Google decided to play around with and not make it actually sustainable and appealing, just like everything else. This is the same company that released a smart home hub that cannot make reminders for users. Don't fret, though. Next year there will be a Google Apartment, Google Garage, Google Living Room, Google Bedroom, etc, for all of your needs. None of them will be integrated either.

 

That was a joke that was also aimed at Google's many communication platforms that don't work together at all.

 

Thoughts?

[Guest]

Nobody cared much for G+, neither will people care for Google Voice. There is already Viber, Whatsapp, Gmail, FB Messenger and KIK for that. 

[Tech_Dreamer]

 

[Guest Kloaked]

1 minute ago, Tech_Dreamer said:

 

This is what I was referencing, lmao

[Trixanity]

US only so I have zero fucks to give.

[PLME888]

"Google Voice is only available in the U.S. If you're outside the U.S., you can make calls with Hangouts."

 

Why Google, why?

[Guest Kloaked]

Just now, PLME888 said:

"Google Voice is only available in the U.S. If you're outside the U.S., you can make calls with Hangouts."

 

Why Google, why?

#GoogleWillNotDivideUs

[The Benjamins]

I still can't go to Google voice page, it will redirect me to my fi page

[Doobeedoo]

Yeah it's US only but still, meh why'd you need this now.

[SansVarnic]

Hey its not Google any more its Alphabet now so now you have more letters to confuse people with  /s 

[LAwLz]

I wish Google would just release a single, good "communications" app.

Surely it must be bad for everyone to have to develop 4 different apps when they could all be combined into one. Much higher development cost, as well as consumer confusion.

The fact that some of them only works in the US is a real pain in the ass too. No wonder people just use Facebook Messanger, WhatsApp, Telegram etc...

[elfensky]

Hangouts was great when it supported SMS. I was able to convince people to use it cuz it looked better than most stock SMS apps, and it had the additional "free" messaging capability if you had internet access. Then they removed that functionality and so everyone (me included) uninstalled.

 

Why Google, why.

 

Microsoft did the same thing with the messaging app and Skype. I LOVED it when the two were integrated, it was (and worked) amazing.

 

Fucking corporations that split up their services.

[Guest Kloaked]

18 hours ago, deXxterlab97 said:

Nobody cared much for G+, neither will people care for Google Voice. There is already Viber, Whatsapp, Gmail, FB Messenger and KIK for that. 

I think consumers would care if Google actually had a decent app that people could get on board with and not have to use 10 different ones to keep up with everyone. It needs to be easy to start using, it needs to have everything that Hangouts, Allo/Duo and Messenger has.

 

But you know Google's motto: we know better and we can do no wrong.

 

Almost as bad as Blizzard's motto: fun detected, fun removed.

[Trixanity]

5 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I wish Google would just release a single, good "communications" app.

Surely it must be bad for everyone to have to develop 4 different apps when they could all be combined into one. Much higher development cost, as well as consumer confusion.

The fact that some of them only works in the US is a real pain in the ass too. No wonder people just use Facebook Messanger, WhatsApp, Telegram etc...

This. So much.

 

Just one well-functioning app. Or two perhaps (a dialer and a messaging app).

But alas Google apparently operates with the idea of making five messaging apps that mostly do the same but with a few unique features and then see what sticks, kill two of the apps and make three new ones and see what sticks this time. It's infuriating.

 

People just want an iMessage clone but Google seems opposed to it because iMessage is popular and actually works, so they decided to make something that no one wants and then deem it a failure when no one uses it.

 

It's really simple: make a cross-platform data-based rich messaging service that falls back to RCS SMS and all of it working seamlessly. Done. You've made the best messaging platform for everyone.

 

Edit: and make a cross-platform data-based dialer that falls back to cellular seamlessly. Done. You've made the best voice call platform. If possible, merge it with the aforementioned messaging platform but it needs to be seamless, easy and clean.

[silberdrachi]

The fact that apple has a very well integrated cross system iMessage design, and google has 40 different apps that do different things but nothing tying them together is a real pain point for me.

 

I just want GoogleTalk to have everything built right in, if they put all their features into one app it would just be killer for the android side. But as it is each app is missing a key piece of functionality that makes working with them more of a pain than they are worth.

 

Id love to kick fb messenger off my phone, id love to disable my fb account, but as of now its the only way i can get in contact with a lot of people.