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Google Phone will announce callers like you've got a fancy secretary
But you ain't fancy. Stop playing.
Google's Phone app may not be the most feature-rich dialer out there, but it's slowly getting better. It recently picked up the ability to automatically record calls from unknown numbers, and now the latest update makes it easier to know exactly who's calling you.
Google Phone app can now record calls from unknown numbers automatically
Availability is fairly limited though
Call recording is a nifty feature and can come in handy in certain situations. While third-party dialers have offered this feature, Google's Phone app only picked it up last year. Now, it's getting better by letting users record all calls coming from unknown numbers.
Google's phone dialer application started off as a Pixel-exclusive replacement for the AOSP Phone app, but it has made plenty of appearances on devices from other companies, and Google even started allowing most people to download it from the Play Store. Now the app has passed a new milestone, according to the Play Store: 500 million installations.
Google's Phone dialer received an update to v37 in its beta channel yesterday, and although many of us didn't notice any major changes in the app, some lucky recipients of a server-side test are seeing a new interface in the recent call tab, including a new way to group calls and the ability to swipe to delete entries from the log.
An update to Google's Phone app began rolling out to users earlier today. Besides enabling the seamless video calling feature with Duo, which also works on v14, this update comes with a few additions of its own. The previously discussed Assisted Dialing feature for international travelers has been enabled and is ready to make life a little easier, and users on Android 8.1 will now see the white navigation bar that's been creeping into a few of Google's apps. If you're using a dual-SIM phone, you might also be getting the option to pick your SIM immediately before a call, though this might not be live yet. As always, we've got a download link at the bottom if you want to grab the apk right away.
During Google's reveal of the Pixel 2 on October 4th, we spotted a new video call button appearing on the Phone's in-call screen. Tapping on it was meant to switch both members to a video call using Google Duo. Google later added details to support articles that implied this functionality was already live, but the button remained hidden through a few updates to Duo and a couple to the Phone app. That changes today as the video call button is now going live in Google's Phone app when you're calling a number registered with Duo.
Duo has started to establish itself in Google's Android suite of apps and products, and the company has recently been preparing to integrate it further into its existing apps and thus make it easier for any Duo user to video call their contacts. Now we have one integration going live and two on the way.
Today is Easter Sunday in many countries, and though humble tech bloggers don't really get fancy luxuries like "vacations" or "religious holidays" or "time to sleep," it seems appropriate to point out an Android Easter egg that's apparently been lying in wait for quite a while. The folks at Ausdroid spotted this one, a simple nod to British sitcom The IT Crowd (also known as "that show that's kind of like The Big Bang Theory without all the sucking").
Android 4.4.3 is mostly a bug fix update, but for some reason, Google also opted to include an updated version of the official Google dialer this time. We saw this leak a few times before, and indeed, it's looking pretty much like we expected it to. Let's take a look at how it differs from the old version. Some functions have moved around and it's a lot more blue.
Much of Android is open to tinkerers, but Google has gradually closed off more and more of the default functionality. The most awesome aspects of the KitKat dialer - its ability to search for businesses and contacts from within the app - were not included in the open source version. So what's a ROM developer to do? Why, create their own alternative. The OmniROM folks have previously shown off their work, and now the CyanogenMod team has packed similar functionality, albeit seemingly more powerful, into the latest nightlies.
Google has been increasingly transitioning new features in Android to a more closed model. Whether you're talking about music playback, search, or even the dialer, Google's updated apps have features not included in the Android Open Source Project. The developers of OmniROM are looking to make the handy features of the new Google Dialer available without the proprietary bits, so they're working on an integrated phone number directory without Google.
Of all the announced new features of the Nexus 5 and Android 4.4/KitKat, one of the cooler ones was a new dialer colloquially known as the "KitKat dialer." It features a revamped UI and includes the ability to search for businesses, contacts, etc. right from inside the dialer. It also features Internet-based caller ID. The name "KitKat dialer," however, is not entirely accurate.