The once-forgotten communication app Google Voice has seen a few interesting updates recently. VoIP calling was introduced last month, right before the app received a refreshing Material Design makeover. A new setting has just rolled out to iOS users that lets them easily hide their caller ID for all outgoing calls, and it should be coming to Android soon.
Read MoreGoogle Voice is the latest app to get a Material makeover [APK Download]
A ton of Google apps have already gotten Material redesigns, and Voice is the latest to join the party. Following yesterday's Gmail redesign, several readers have tipped us off on a new and improved UI in Voice. And yes, we have the APK for you guys to download.
Read MoreGoogle Voice VoIP calls will be live for everyone by next week
Google took a long, long break from Google Voice a while back. After letting the app fall into disrepair, Google expressed a renewed commitment to Voice in 2017. It has since announced a handful of feature updates, including VoIP calling in 2018. However, that feature never actually rolled out to everyone. Google's Scott Johnston says it's almost time, though.
Read MoreGoogle Voice now supports calling emergency services, but only for businesses and schools
One of the major limitations of Google Voice since its inception is that you can't call 911 or other emergency service numbers. Most VoIP services share this problem, since it's usually impossible for responders to obtain your exact location. Google is working on addressing this, but not for regular users.
Read MoreGoogle Voice is testing support for audio and video MMS attachments
Initial support for MMS messages in Google Voice arrived in 2014, but only for photos — video and audio attachments still eluded Voice users. Thankfully, this is finally being addressed. The changelog for version 2018.43 of Voice includes "playback support for audio and video MMS attachments."
Read MoreGoogle Voice text forwarding accidentally disabled, users notified
After a redesign in August, the future was looking brighter for Google Voice. The service had already stepped into a larger role by joining G Suite for business. Adding enterprise support meant more people relying on it, and for the most part it has gone well. On October 1st, however, Google emailed users regarding an error the company made with text message (SMS/MMS) forwarding.
Read MoreGoogle Voice Wi-Fi calls rolling out to more people
It's always been hard to explain what Google Voice is because it feels like a VoIP service, but it's not. Google Voice has operated as a phonecall relay system all these years, forwarding your calls through another number. Earlier this year, Google started beta testing Wi-Fi calls in Google Voice, and it looks like the feature is rolling out to more users.
Read MoreGoogle Voice v2018.36 prepares Mark as Read in notifications, support for more attachment types, and a contact list fix [APK Teardown]
Google Voice was once thought to be abandoned, but these days we're seeing regular updates and improvements. The latest version bump hit yesterday with small fixes and tweaks to the UI, plus preparations for some future enhancements.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
Google Voice gets a new icon, color, and Contacts tab
The Google Voice Android app received an update this week that not only changes the icon and accent colors to match what you'll find in the new Hangouts and Chat, but it also adds a new Contacts tab for quickly accessing your address book.
Read MoreUpdate Notes for Google Voice, Play Store, Translate, YouTube, YouTube Kids, Contacts, and more (August 11, 2018)
Every week, I examine somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred app updates while looking for changes. The most interesting things turn into APK Teardowns or Download posts. Many of the remaining updates are unremarkable, amounting to a few bug fixes, routine updates to libraries, or even just pixel-level adjustments to layouts and images. However, there are usually a few updates that land somewhere in between. I don't want to spam readers with dozens of short posts, but I hate to ignore things that people might want to know about, so I'm going to wrap up the leftovers for a little weekend reading and call it Update Notes.
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