Changes/updates for Google Voice??

[Taoman]

This article showed up on Tech Crunch. Any insight on any of this, SteveInWa?

Google's somewhat aging VoIP calling service, Google Voice, is preparing to roll out a significant update, the company has confirmed. Several Google Voice users this week reported seeing an upgrade link touting "the new Google Voice" on the web version of the service, along with a link that would let them try it out. Clearly, the message was posted too early because the upgrade didn't come through when the link was clicked.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/10/google-voice-is-getting-an-upgrade/

[SteveInWA]

Um, that was a hallucination.  Nothing to see here, move along...

That message was a red-faced oops by the Google Voice development team.  Yah, UI / UX changes are coming.  That's all I can say at this time.  No impact whatsoever for OBi users.

[Taoman]

No impact whatsoever for OBi users.

Thanks. That's what I wanted to hear.

[Taoman]

Looks like Google is giving Google Voice a face-lift on both the mobile and web versions.

Google today has launched a refreshed version of its VoIP calling service on mobile and the web. Largely, the update is about giving the product a more modern look-and-feel, after having not received a major upgrade in years. But the relaunch also includes a few new features, like support for photo-sharing, group conversations, Spanish-language voicemail transcription, and more.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/23/the-new-google-voice-launches-bringing-a-modern-look-group-chat-photo-sharing-more/

[SteveInWA]

Yes, it's rolling out now.  Here is the official announcement:  https://www.blog.google/products/google-voice/ringing-2017-updates-our-google-voice-apps/

Here is a post by the Google Voice Help Forum Community Manager, Vanessa, describing the changes.  Note that some of the um, less-than-optimal, or missing features, will be added or updated over time.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/voice/NPMlx64-UBs

Again:  this has no impact on OBi users.

[Taoman]

Again:  this has no impact on OBi users.

Thanks again for reiterating that point and also for the links.

[LTN1]

Again:  this has no impact on OBi users.

I'm having a hard time understanding this for the third time. What does "this" mean? Is "this" the subject of the sentence? Does "this" have any correlation to "impact?" Finally, I don't understand the definition of "OBi users."

[drgeoff]

Again:  this has no impact on OBi users.

I'm having a hard time understanding this for the third time. What does "this" mean? Is "this" the subject of the sentence? Does "this" have any correlation to "impact?" Finally, I don't understand the definition of "OBi users."

You are not usually so thick!  

'This' is the changes/updates to Google Voice. 'no impact on OBi users' means that use of GV via OBi devices is not affected.

[SteveInWA]

Again:  this has no impact on OBi users.

I'm having a hard time understanding this for the third time. What does "this" mean? Is "this" the subject of the sentence? Does "this" have any correlation to "impact?" Finally, I don't understand the definition of "OBi users."

You are not usually so thick!  

'This' is the changes/updates to Google Voice. 'no impact on OBi users' means that use of GV via OBi devices is not affected.

The Lt. was kidding/being sarcastic.

I am dreading the shit-storm of questions over on the GV help forum.  Just today, after Vanessa posted the announcement, people started replying with unrelated problems.  You can't fix stupid.

[SteveInWA]

Note:  somebody will call me out on the "no changes for OBi users" comment, so here is my preemptive answer:

The new Google Voice web interface no longer shows "Google Chat" as a forwarding "phone".  OBi users wishing to either enable or disable that setting can click the "Legacy Google Voice" link to return to the old GV GUI and settings to do that, along with the other miscellaneous settings that haven't migrated over.

[flamaest@gmail.com]

This seems serious since google will move to the new interface soon.

I agree that this option is missing in the updated G-Voice interface. 

Can OBIHAI comment on this please..?

[Taoman]

Can OBIHAI comment on this please..?

Why would Obihai need or want to comment on a UI change that Google made on Google Voice?

There's already a link to the old "Legacy Google Voice" where you can enable/disable Chat.

In what way do you find this a "serious" issue? What am I missing?

Only interest I can see Obihai having is changing some of the screenshots in their tutorials to reflect the new UI.

[SteveInWA]

This seems serious since google will move to the new interface soon.

I agree that this option is missing in the updated G-Voice interface. 

Can OBIHAI comment on this please..?

Did you not read my post, complete with a picture, right before your post?  WTF?

[LTN1]

This seems serious since google will move to the new interface soon.

I agree that this option is missing in the updated G-Voice interface.  

Can OBIHAI comment on this please..?

Did you not read my post, complete with a picture, right before your post?  WTF?

You disgust me with your high IQ. Not all of us have an IQ over 80. You need to write sloooower.

[flamaest@gmail.com]

The new G-Voice interface GUI will eventually remove the ability to get to the old G-Voice interface.

You will eventually not be able to select "Google Chat" anymore, unless a work around is noted, to control your 'forward' option to your OBIHAI.

[mo832]

The new G-Voice interface GUI will eventually remove the ability to get to the old G-Voice interface.

You will eventually not be able to select "Google Chat" anymore, unless a work around is noted, to control your 'forward' option to your OBIHAI.

I concur with the above comments. In addition:

I just received the update today. I noted at least one other important change for Obi users.

If you want to call somebody from the web page, there is no longer a "call" button. A look at the new help files reveals the following advice:

"To call someone you haven't called before, use your phone instead.

To call someone you've already talked to:
<instructions to call from the browser>
xxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx    "


WTF??
Ummm, if you are using it for the callback feature (and if you don't have an outgoing plan or don't have credit to call the target number), how do they expect that to happen? If you can't dial direct from your phone thru GV the first time, you can't ever select that number from a previous call.

This is especially relevant to those like myself who use a Callcentric DID for CNAM purposes, but don't use that number to dial out. The only way to insert your GV number on an outgoing call is to call from the web and have it ring your phone.

[SteveInWA]

The new G-Voice interface GUI will eventually remove the ability to get to the old G-Voice interface.

You will eventually not be able to select "Google Chat" anymore, unless a work around is noted, to control your 'forward' option to your OBIHAI.

You are creating "fake news".  Stop fussing over nothing.  Google has not announced ANY plans to remove support for OBi devices.

[LTN1]

You are creating "fake news".  Stop fussing over nothing.  Google has not announced ANY plans to remove support for OBi devices.

It makes a segment of society feel better. They love to make fake news out of thin air--rather than relying on supportable facts. Never mind that Google Voice has been around for over 8 years...they need to feel that it could end very soon and that the "man" (Google), will give them the shaft...very "bigly."

[SteveInWA]

Here is the announcement of the new GUIs for the web, Android and iOS, by Google employee and Forum Community Manager, Vanessa.  Google is not taking away the ability do do anything you could do before.  They simply released a new UI with the most-often-used features, and haven't yet moved over some of the lesser-used features.  They are NOT going to simply turn off the "Legacy" UI; there are simply too many essential settings in the old UI that still need to be migrated (as noted in Vanessa's post).  No, Google never publicly announces future plans, and no, they have not, nor will they, announce when the next round of UI changes may take place.

From:  https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/voice/NPMlx64-UBs

Vanessa, Community Manager @ Google (Google Employee)
   
Jan 23


Hi Everyone,

Today we announced an update to the Google Voice apps and web interface focusing on refreshing the look and feel, and improving speed and reliability.

We wanted to highlight some of the changes:  

New Features:

Conversations stay in one continuous thread
Support for photo sharing and group messaging
New inbox with a separate tab for texts, calls and voicemails
Per message deletion (ability to delete a specific message). Right-click or long-press on a message to delete it.
Mark all items as read. You can now reset your unread counts and mark all calls, texts and voicemails as read. This is accessible from the app menu


Feature Changes:

Trash -- Deleting messages/calls is permanent. The new apps do not have a trash.
Archive -- Archiving now affects the entire conversation thread. If you receive a new message, the entire thread moves back out of archive and into the inbox. Archived messages can be found in the "Archived" folder.


Features not available in the new apps (Visit the legacy website to access these):

Some settings -- The updated apps don't support changing all the existing Google Voice settings (e.g. voicemail greeting). To change one of the missing settings, open the left navigation in the web client and click "Legacy Google Voice" and change your settings there.
Batch actions (e.g. to delete multiple messages at a time). Please visit the legacy website to delete multiple messages at a time
Number porting, number deletion, number transfer between accounts
Adding credit for paid calls, billing history
Calling on web -- only available to numbers you have communicated with already (by text, phone or voicemail). You cannot dial a new number on web
Marking as unread, marking as starred
Activating Google Voice voicemail on a linked number
The Android app widget


If you currently use Hangouts for your Google Voice SMS and MMS, you can continue using Hangouts. Messages sent and received in Hangouts will stay in Hangouts and opting in or out of the Hangouts integration will not remove any messages (that means you can try opting into using the updated Google Voice apps and revert back to Hangouts without data loss). Voicemails are visible in both Hangouts and Google Voice apps. Similarly, all Google Voice users (regardless of whether you use Hangouts or the Google Voice apps) can make and receive calls in Hangouts over wifi or mobile data.


The Android and iOS apps are launching as an app update to existing Google Voice apps and will be rolling out over the next weeks. Once you start using one of the new mobile apps, your web experience will also be updated so you can continue to use voice.google.com on web.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to post here in the forum, and we'd be happy to help out!

Thank you!
Vanessa
Google Voice Community Manager

[LeVinz]

I have a google voice number connected to my Obitalk, and we just changed internet providers. Now I can't make a call from my phone. Is this the right forum for this problem?