Google Voice app updated, Android and BlackBerry get faster dialing

By on Jul 22, 2010 at 3:55 PM
Software July 22, 2010

google-voice-app

Google has released an update to its Android and BlackBerry Google Voice applications, and is promising faster connection times. As Google states, “Our mantra is faster = better.” Here’s how the updated clients will expedite calls:

Until today, the Google Voice app had to make a request to the Google Voice server every time you wanted to make a call to send us the phone number you wanted to dial. Then the call would be connected via a Google Voice access number. With direct access numbers, we assign a unique phone number to every person you call. This means that we no longer need to use your data network to access the server each time you make a call, so calls will be placed much faster.

We’ve got the rest of the press release queued up for you after the bounce. We’re curious, how many of you give out your Google Voice number exclusively?

Faster dialing with Google Voice on Android and Blackberry devices

Thursday, July 22, 2010

At Google we are obsessed with speed. Our mantra is faster = better. This is true for our Google Voice mobile apps as well. When you want to make a call, your phone should connect you as quickly as possible, whether you’re calling via Google Voice or not.

Today we are launching an enhancement to the Google Voice mobile app on Android and Blackberry phones, which makes placing calls much faster. We call this feature “direct access numbers.” Here’s how it works:

Until today, the Google Voice app had to make a request to the Google Voice server every time you wanted to make a call to send us the phone number you wanted to dial. Then the call would be connected via a Google Voice access number. With direct access numbers, we assign a unique phone number to every person you call. This means that we no longer need to use your data network to access the server each time you make a call, so calls will be placed much faster.

The updated Android app is available from Android Market starting today. For Blackberry users, you can download the app by visiting http://m.google.com/voice from your mobile device. You will need a valid Google Voice account to use the app, and at this time, Google Voice is available in the US only.

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  • Justin

    I want an iOS app… *sad face*

    • Whaaa!!!

      get a new phone. :)

      • OverIt

        Always a comment from the bitter Android.

      • http://www.smiteahippie.com Smite A. Hippie

        bitter Android? I’m sorry, who’s got the Google Voice app? and what company rejected it on the iPhone? oh yeah. that’s right…

    • sprice

      not gonna happen.

    • OverIt

      I find that the web app works better than the app on blackberry. We’re not missing out on anything aside from the address book integration.

      I use my Google Voice number exclusively.

    • NuShrike

      So they copied Rebtel. I wonder if Rebtel patented this first.

  • steve jobs

    Does this mean they will be able to steal our texts and conversations at a quicker rate?

  • red014

    So they’ve taken away the loophole that allowed for unlimited calling to anyone by assigning the access number to your calling circle/faves…

    • WalterSobchak

      Is that what all of this technical mumbo jumbo means, bc I just added my gv routing # to give me free calls out if ever I need to make a long call, and then I see this.

    • Elrabin

      100% correct.

      You used to be able to add the outbound google voice number to your “Friends and Family” list and get unlimited calling to any number as long as you used google voice.

      This is no longer the case.

      Be warned if you were using this trick to make free calls.

      Don’t update.

    • dextroz

      It doesn’t close any loophole. An outgoing free call will always be an incoming cost call for someone else on the network even if it is a Mobile 2 Mobile free call. Verizon/ATT/TMo win both ways.

      Research your facts before spewing conclusions based on FUD.

      • Jack

        You, Sir, are an idiot!
        Currently, GV users can use a slot for Friends/Family, Fave 5, etc… for the GV access number for outgoing calls (it changes on occasion, but then you just update the number) and their GV number for incoming calls to avoid using ANY minutes on their phone.
        The person receiving the call will use minutes if the GV user calls using GV, but a smart GV user only calls non-network numbers using GV (calls that would use minutes for both anyway); of course, calling a land-line has no effect on the call recipient.
        I have not used any minutes since I got a GV number as a result of this process. There is an alternative, but it’s not nearly as convenient, and that is to actually call your GV number, go through the access info and then make the call. If you know how, uninstall the updated version and get a copy of the older code.
        Get educated before you spew your worthless drivel.

    • http://gildude.blogspot.com Jerry

      No, the loophole still works. I tried the new version this morning. I had it call two different people (before they were in the office) and it used the same access number it did before to make the call. Apparently it does the work of assigning unique numbers to your contacts on the back end or something because it was definitely calling the same access number. Oh, and YES, I did update the app first thing this morning.

      I only give out my GV number. My other numbers are now super secret.

  • Steve B Job

    Jony,

    I cant sleep, I cant believe android will beat me in 6 months time. I know gartner predicted this will happen in 2010 but my gut feelingi s I have 6 months. I mean, how on this world can they beat my iphone ???. Is my strategy to block GV from iphone biting me back ??. Damn, can I not fool my customers anymore ??. My beautiful device, my iphone cant take this humiliation. I wish I will never see that day where android takes over. Hopefully I wont live that long. I cant believe you designed a damn antenna. DO something better. We cant be arrogant, complacent anymore. These google kids are not MS. God, plz save me

    -Steve jobs to Jony Ive

    Sent from iphone4, holding

    • OverIt

      Ummm… OK

  • James

    I give out only my Google Voice# – though I still can’t text under that number from my standard messaging app (Droid) – I have to go into the Voice app to text through my GV#.

    So unfortunately my friends need both numbers in their phone, since I don’t text from the Voice app.

    • xxx

      Just doing your texting through the google voice app.

    • X Glansburg

      noob, even I know how to do that

    • OverIt

      Not that you want your text messages going to email but I use the email feature for receiving and sending and it works great!

      I hope they introduce MMS… but then I wonder… with more and more people getting smartphones…. will we all just switch back to email?

    • http://www.stephencondra.com zephyr757

      I always get my GV texts sent to me as an SMS, and it gives a different caller ID, when I respond to that SMS, it uses GV. That’s how I get around using the GV app to SMS. Unfortunately this only works on replies, though.

  • bob

    why dont they have a voip version?

    • serpentor

      I think gizmo will take care of that.

      But in the mean time, GV with skype works fine.

  • Lakahata

    Dammit Steve – Give me my GV App!!!

  • Allen Walker

    People actually use GV? Just don’t talk as much… Christ..

    • serpentor

      I use it as my business number. Makes record keeping a breeze.

  • Adam

    Yeah, I went all out – use ONLY my GV number on my Moto Droid. Super annoying when people are like, “Did you get my text? Sent you a pic” and I have to text back, “Send it via email pls.”

    It was fine, used it for awhile. Updates like these are scary – do you think Verizon is cool with people like me who text, but since I’m using GV it comes in via data as opposed to real MMS?

    Regardless (I feel like I have to wrap the story up), I’m getting an iPhone next week and selling my Droid. It’s been a fun 8+ month run, but I’m ready to bitch and moan about AT&T like the rest of you.

    • Steve B Job

      What a crap story ??. How can you afford iphone4 if you are making $8 an hour at wendy’s ??.

    • xxx

      Maybe you’re going iPhone for other reasons.. but your post makes it sounds like it’s because GV doesn’t support mms… and *that* makes you sound silly because nobody is forcing you to use GV for anything.

  • dextroz

    Google fucked this one up big time – follow this thread boys:

    http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/voice/thread?fid=68b66765e4e4ada200048bffcdb7d0cf

    • Steve B Job

      NO apple fanboy. You are just jealous that you can do this thing on iphone !!. Tough luck.

  • S T

    Noob question (I don’t have android so this may be what the app solves, but a general GV question nonetheless) – if you give out your GV number, how do you handle outbound calls? Are contact’s numbers saved in your phone as 20 digits to dial the GV service first? I can’t imagine explaining to everyone that they need to have 2 entries for me, one for calling me and one that I will call them on…

    • xxx

      In the GV settings you can set it to call all phone numbers using your GV #.
      So everybody only needs one contact # for you.

      • S T

        Gotcha, so only works on phones that have the GV app. Does that mean for outbound calls you have to open the app each time?

      • xxx

        No, you don’t have to open the app each time. It integrates with the core OS on Android. You just dial a number just like you always would. If your set it to ‘always use GV’, then the recipient on the other end will see your GV #. Or you can tell it to prompt you every time on whether or not to call out using GV. Anyway, point is, it’s all integrated.. you don’t have to open the app to use it.

        As for using it only on phones that have the GV app… technically, you can use it on any phone. iPhone doesn’t allow the native app, but you could still use it through the browser… it’s just more cumbersome.

      • kirk

        no, it’s integrated with the phone app. when you config the gv app, it asks if you want to always/never/choice to use gv for outbound calls.

      • Luke in DC

        @ S T – On an andriod phone, you don’t need to open the GV app to make a call. You can tell GV to make all the calls for you and then just dial normally. On a blackberry, you have to use the GV app. On an iphone, you have to use the web…

    • Cinspade1

      your question is good, I have had to explain to many people why i have 2 phone numbers. So now I primarily use my sprint # and give out my GV # to people I want to screen. GV is a new service with a lot to offer, most people find that they will not use some feature’s.

      outbound calls with the app you can toggle thru the multiple calling options by tapping the icon it give’s you choice’s like (only use google voice for international call’s), ( ask everytime i make a call) ( use google voice to

  • michael

    I don’t care about this, I want number portability as nothing else matters.

  • Blindman McSqueezy

    The previous version of GVoice stuck with a single relay number, so you could put that number into your Friends & Family list for unlimited free outgoing calls. The number would change every few months, but you could just update your list when that happened and continue on like before.

    This new GVoice setup makes that unworkable, as every contact now uses a different number.

    If you installed the new one and want to switch back, you can download the .apk file for Android here:

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7440470/com.google.android.apps.googlevoice.apk

    Once you uninstall the new version and reinstall the old, set it up and it should all work as before.

  • David

    I really with they’d allow me to port my current number TO Google Voice. Then I’d make the switch.

    • David

      *wish

      • Talim

        You could forward your current number to google voice I guess. There’s an idea I’m sure few people have thought of.

  • buzzdar

    ITS FREE… This is a free app you are using and your complaining because they updated it? huh your kidding me. if i was paying for this app yes i would complain too but its FREE if you dont like it dont use it.

  • TomCruise

    free international sms no longer works. don’t know if it is related to this or something google changed recently.

    i was able to send one last month, but not anymore.

  • http://www.stephencondra.com zephyr757

    FYI, using your GV number in your Friends and Family, Fave 5, or whatever other plan you have in order to avoid using minutes is against your carrier’s TOS, and that loophole is most likely why Google had to change it, to avoid a messy lawsuit with the carriers. Just my 2 cents.

    • upickapro

      The carriers would not have grounds to sue Google as Google is not using Fave Five, FF or Circle counter to TOS. The customer is and the carriers would have to sue their own customers. Let’s face it, telephony is becoming a commodity like electricity. Does the electric company charge you different rates for different appliances and prevent you from plugging, say, a fan into the wall because it cuts down on the need for an air conditioner, which would generate more revenue for the electric company?

      Enough getting raped by wireless companies who are overcharging us for calls and SMS.

      I am absolutely shocked at the stupidity and rudeness of Google to not consider the ramifications of number switching on “free FF/F&F/Circle” people and the HUGE bills they are going to get surprised with. Google should have at least warned these people. It doesnt matter if the service is free if it ends up burning through minutes and then dinging customers 45 cents per minute. Makes Google untrustworthy. I got dinged big time a few months ago when they changed the number. Now, I just discovered they changed it again but now every call is a different number.

  • Harmar

    you won’t believe this, but I honestly don’t know my cell or home phone number. I ONLY give out my google voice number ever. no questions asked

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