Hangouts, phone calls and Google Voice
Thanks for all of your feedback on last week's Hangouts launch. We just posted an update on Google Voice and Hangouts on Google+.
Drop in and get a call from Santa
(Cross posted on Gmail Blog)
With the big day right around the corner, activity in the North Pole is hitting a fever pitch.
Two new groups of callers to help you manage your privacy
Google Voice helps you customize how you treat callers by giving you the ability to play a custom greeting for your parents or send your chatty neighbor straight to voicemail.
Many users have asked us for controls aimed at people who are NOT in their address book.
Google Voice expands to new markets
When we asked our users what features they’d like to see in Google Voice, we heard a lot of different answers. And we listened very closely to all of them.
Google Voice for Android, now with Ice Cream Sandwich voicemail integration
Since we launched Google Voice back in 2009, we’ve supported visual voicemail so you could open the Google Voice app, see all your voicemails with text transcripts, and play them on-demand.
Your Circles, now in Google Voice
To help make it even easier for you to organize your contacts, today we’re adding Google+ Circles to Google Voice.
Google Voice Android app - now with offline texting
Sometimes the times that we’re offline can be our most productive times. However, whether on a plane or out of range of coverage, it’d still be nice to be able to draft text messages.
Free calling within the US and Canada through 2012
(Cross-posted from the Gmail blog)
As the holiday season approaches, we're happy to announce that we've extended free domestic calls within the US and Canada for 2012. This is our way of helping you connect with friends and family across the country.
First steps Towards MMS support
MMS has been one of the constant feature requests since we launched Google Voice and we’ve been hard at work trying to make this happen.
Today, we're happy to announce that we've made the first step in our efforts to bring this feature to our users.
Trying on the new Dynamic Views from Blogger
As you may have noticed, the Google Voice blog looks a lot different today. That’s because we—along with a few other Google blogs—are trying out a new set of Blogger templates called Dynamic Views.
Never run out of calling credit with auto-recharge
(Cross-posted from the Gmail blog)
If you're calling internationally a lot, you may have noticed that your calling credit goes a very long way... which makes it easy to get caught off guard when it runs out.
Google Voice for Takeout
At Google, we believe that our users should be able to export any data that they create in (or import into) one of our many products, and we've created a project called Google Takeout to make this process as easy as possible.
Free calls home from Gmail for all U.S. service members
(Cross-posted from the Gmail blog)
We understand that it’s not always easy or affordable for our troops serving overseas to call friends and family at home, so starting today we’re making it completely free for or all uniformed military personnel with valid United States Military (.mil) email addre
Calling from Gmail now in 38 languages, with lower rates to over 150 destinations
(Cross-posted from the Gmail blog)
We’re always trying to make it easier for people to connect—whether that means sending an email, chatting or video chatting, you can reach the people you care about from right inside Gmail. Last year, we made it possible for those of you in the U.S.
Make multiple calls in Gmail
(Cross posted from the Gmail blog)
Over the years, we've expanded Gmail's communication abilities by allowing you to make voice and video calls to other computers and more recently call phones. Until now, though, you were limited to making one call at a time.
Global SPAM filtering
If, like me, you have more interesting ways to spend your time than talking to telemarketers, the “Report Spam” button in Google Voice is probably your best friend.
Give Dad a ring with free calling from Gmail in the U.S.
(Cross posted from the Gmail blog)
Today is Father’s Day in many countries around the world, so whether your dad lives across the street, across the country or across the ocean, it’s a good day to let him know you’re thinking about him.
Make your secondary Google Voice number permanent
Until now, if you changed your Google Voice number, ported your number to Google Voice, or opted in for the Sprint Option 1 integration (where your Sprint number becomes your Google Voice number), your previous Google Voice number remained on your account for 90 days before it was returned to Google
Google Voice and Sprint integration is live
It’s official, the Google Voice integration with Sprint is now live!
As we mentioned when we first announced the integration, there are two ways to bring Google Voice to your Sprint mobile phone:
Option 1: Keep your Sprint number: Your Sprint number becomes your Google Voice number so that when pe
Google Voice User Story: A Way with Words
For the third installment of Google Voice user stories, we heard from Grant Barrett, the co-host of A Way with Words, a radio show about words and language.
Introducing the Voice-alyzer
Ever wake up after a long night and see you called a bunch of exes but don't remember what you said? We're sure you haven't, but, well, we've heard it happens. Quite a bit.
Sprint integrates Google Voice
Over time, we've worked to bring an integrated Google Voice experience to your mobile device by building mobile apps, introducing Google Voice Lite, and most recently Number Porting.
Google Voice turns 2!
Since our first birthday, we’ve been working hard to bring new features to Google Voice and make it available to as many users in as many places and on as many devices as possible.
As we mark this milestone, we want to thank all of our users in the Google Voice community.
Click to call phone numbers
(Cross-posted from the Gmail blog)
With the ability to call phones built right into Gmail, you no longer have to get out your phone and retype a number anytime someone sends you one in an email or chat message.
Google Voice: Helping save bees in L.A.
For the second installment of Google Voice user stories, we chatted with Amy Seidenwurm, one of the co-founders of Backwards Beekepers, to find out how they are using Google Voice to rescue swarms of bees.
1. Tell us about your organization.
Google Voice & the Snowpocalypse
We’re often inspired by the creative and interesting ways that individuals and organizations use Google Voice, so we thought it was time to start sharing some of their stories.
I just called (with Google Voice) to say I love you.
Roses are so 2010. Whether you see your special someone every day or you’re in a long distance relationship, Google Voice gives you a bunch of one-of-a-kind ways to let your sweetheart know that you’re thinking about them on Valentine’s Day.
Port your existing mobile number to Google Voice
867-5309 could be one of the most iconic phone numbers of all time, but it’s not the only number that a lot of us remember by heart. Many of us have a phone number that we've shared with family, friends, and contacts over the years and are reluctant to let go.
How a Google Voice text saved Christmas
My boyfriend and I traveled from San Francisco to NYC to visit my family for Christmas and meet my newborn niece for the first time. About an hour after takeoff, he started frantically checking his pockets, jacket and bags, only to discover that he had left his driver’s license at the airport.
Free calling in Gmail extended through 2011
(Cross posted from the Gmail blog)
When we launched calling in Gmail back in August, we wanted it to be easy and affordable, so we made calls to the U.S. and Canada free for the rest of 2010.
Google Voice app now supports iPad & iPod Touch
Since we launched Google Voice for iPhone a few weeks ago, we’ve been hard at work to add a few improvements that didn’t make it into the first release.
At the top of the list was adding support for iPod Touch and iPad.
How to choose a new phone number (and 50 other things you might want to teach your parents)
With two grown children, my mom decided that one perk of empty nesting (in addition to a lack of teenage angst and a lot less laundry) was canceling our complicated family cell phone plan. When she signed up for a new plan, she also mistakenly signed up for a new phone number.
Santa’s calling (from his Google Voice number)
Growing up, December was always a favorite month of mine. School would let out for two weeks, snowflakes would start falling and I’d write my letter to Santa to remind him that I’d been especially good that year (and ask if he’d mind bringing me a few Ninja Turtles).
Call credits for military families this holiday season
Keeping in touch with family during the holiday season can be challenging for anyone, but it’s especially difficult for military families with loved ones serving around the country or overseas.
Gmail’s built in video chat and free calls to the U.S.
Welcome, Google Apps users!
Google Apps recently launched an improvement that made dozens of exciting Google services available to Google Apps users for the first time. As part of this launch, Google Voice is now available to our Google Apps users for free with their Apps accounts.
Google Voice for iPhone
Earlier this year we launched a Google Voice HTML5 web app for iPhone users. Today we’re taking the Google Voice experience on the iPhone to a whole new level with the launch of the official Google Voice for iPhone app.
Google Voice powers TV fan building
One of the great parts of working on the Google Voice team is that we get to hear about all the interesting, productive, and fun ways you take advantage of Google Voice.
Stay connected on campus with Google Voice
Heading off to college usually means packing up the car and saying goodbye to your family and friends, so the Google Voice team put together a bunch of ways to make it cheaper and easier to stay in touch while you’re on campus.
Fast Access to Google Voice with Android Widgets
Mobile is all about getting super fast access to what you’re looking for and Google Voice is no exception. So, today we’re releasing an update to the Android app, which gives you immediate access to your Google Voice Inbox and settings via two new home screen widgets.
Missed call notifications delivered to your inbox
Google Voice lets you take charge of your telephony experience, giving you one number that rings all your phones.
Get more out of calling in Gmail
Last week, we launched Google Voice in Gmail to let you make calls right from your computer.
Make and receive calls in Gmail
Google Voice lets you manage all your phone communications and seamlessly make and receive calls on any of your existing phones.
Faster dialing with Google Voice on Android and Blackberry devices
Update (5:05PM, August 9): This has now been rolled out completely.
Update (4:06PM, July 23): This new feature is not yet active for 100% of calls placed with Google Voice. We plan to roll this out for all calls in the next week or so.
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At Google we are obsessed with speed.
The new voice of Google Voice
If you’ve called your Google number to listen to your voicemail over the last couple days, you may have noticed that things sounded a bit different. The new voice that’s greeting you is Kiki Baessell, a fellow Googler with a friendly voice who helped us record new automatic voice messages.
Google Voice for everyone
A little over a year ago, we released an early preview of Google Voice, our web-based platform for managing your communications. We introduced one number to ring all your phones, voicemail that works like email, free calls and text messages to the U.S.