Google Voice comes to iPhone and Palm WebOS
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 | 7:58 AM
A few weeks ago, Alex Nicolaou, Engineering Manager, wrote about the benefits of the fast and feature-rich iterative web app. Delivering Google services via mobile browsers has worked well for the Gmail team, so we decided to follow the same approach with Google Voice.
Today, we're excited to introduce the Google Voice web app for the iPhone and Palm WebOS devices. This HTML5 application provides you with a fast and versatile mobile experience for Google Voice because it uses the latest advancements in web technologies. For example, AppCache lets you interact with web apps without a network connection and local databases allow you to store data locally on the device, so you don't lose data even when you close the browser.
One of the great benefits of web applications is that you don't need to download and install an app on your phone. Instead, simply point your mobile browser to m.google.com/voice and sign in to your Google Voice account.
Then you can make calls from your phone that show your Google Voice number as the caller ID. You can also listen to voicemail and read voicemail transcripts, send and receive text messages for free, and take advantage of the low international call rates offered by Google Voice.
For quick access to the most important features like "Dialer", "Compose SMS", "Inbox" or "Contacts," you can add shortcuts to your iPhone home screen or Palm Launcher -- so cheap calls and messaging will be just a single click away. And because the Google Voice web app uses advanced features of modern HTML5 browsers, it offers native app-like performance and speed.
For more information visit m.google.com/voice or take a look at the Google Mobile Help Center. Please note, the web app is compatible with all versions of Palm WebOS and iPhone OS 3.0 and higher.
A Google Voice account is required to use the app, and Google Voice is currently only available in the United States. To learn more about Google Voice or request an invite, visit www.google.com/voice or read the Google Voice blog.
Labels: google voice, html 5, iphone, Mobile Blog, palm webos
50 comments:
Owais said...
Wish this would work for the iPod touch for users using SIP applications with their iPods.
January 26, 2010 at 8:11 AM
seanpclark said...
It appears as though the number is routed through the native phone app. Is this HTML5 app able to place voip calls on 3g or wifi connections?
January 26, 2010 at 8:12 AM
Barry Scott said...
Any news on when this will hit the UK
January 26, 2010 at 8:42 AM
Unknown said...
Looks like a great app! Please bring Google Voice to the UK.
January 26, 2010 at 8:49 AM
Joe Mulloy said...
Haha. I love this. I have a Palm Pre and Palm actually allows for native GV clients but I'm glad you stuck to Apple and AT&T by bypassing the app store and it's draconian approval system.
Google 1
Apple 0
January 26, 2010 at 8:54 AM
Unknown said...
Yes, I would love to use this in the UK. Come on Google - share the love.
January 26, 2010 at 8:56 AM
Anonymous said...
Would love if Canada was supported :)
The web app looks great!
January 26, 2010 at 9:16 AM
lowlight said...
Why would you limit this to only iphone and Palm?
January 26, 2010 at 9:28 AM
Eric W said...
please enable full screen use on the iphone
January 26, 2010 at 9:57 AM
ET said...
Is anyone else having problems with the telephone numbers in your google contacts not showing up in the google voice webapp? All of the email addresses are there, but some contacts do not have their phone numbers available in the google voice web app's contact list. I just double checked the contacts through gmail to make sure the numbers were actually still there - they were?!?
January 26, 2010 at 10:23 AM
Anonymous said...
Yay. We've been waiting for something like this since Grand Central days.
Great way to get around Apple's Appstore.
January 26, 2010 at 10:33 AM
Rakhesh said...
Do any one know that if we use google phone to call out bound numbers, will it takes out our cell phone minutes.
I use iphone and I was using google voice. Earlier, i will just forward it to my landline number. Now with the new app. I did not see the option in iphone. So wondering if it eats the minutes?
January 26, 2010 at 10:47 AM
Tien said...
Google should really add this meta tag to the code.
< meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes" />
January 26, 2010 at 1:09 PM
matthew said...
This sure screws up mobile use. This just calls a local google voice number so it still eats your minutes. With the previous version, you could initiate a call that would call back your gizmo number and switch to a sip phone on the iphone to take the call. Please fix this!
January 26, 2010 at 2:22 PM
Mr. Rogers said...
I have been using Google Voice through Safari on my iPod for the past couple weeks, and I dislike the new interface! You are required to choose a cell number when you first get into this, and that screwed up my outgoing call ability (I entered my cell# since the ipod does not have a number).
This new version also disables the ability to send texts longer than 160 characters. Luckily, I have a link to the old versions contacts list on my home screen, and this allows me to call and sms from there...but clicking the old inbox link takes me to the new version :(. The new inbox only shows a little bit of the convo instead of the whole one, and it shows the beginning instead of the latest texts in the convo.
January 26, 2010 at 2:46 PM
Joseph M. Gaffney said...
Its great seeing support pop up for a variety of devices, I've been using voice for a while now and love it.
What I don't love is that I can't sync my gmail contacts with my Outlook contacts. Atleast my work contacts (exchange server) appear on my droid, but many of my business contacts are personal contacts as well. Despite all the sync tools Google has made, none are available for the generic gmail user to do just that.
January 26, 2010 at 2:59 PM
Unknown said...
This is great, but it would be even better on iPhone if it worked more like Glyphboard (http://www.mrgan.com/gb/) and hid the bottom Safari buttons so it looked more like a native app.
January 26, 2010 at 3:24 PM
EbenVisher said...
It doesn't work on my iPhone 3GS.
I dial a local number. The web app pops up a window asking to dial a *different* number. I decide that's OK so I press "Call". It then calls that number. A recording comes on saying, "Sorry, but you don't have enough credit to place this call."
I need money to call a house 100 feet away from me? Seriously weird.
January 26, 2010 at 3:49 PM
Josh said...
Can you guys please fix this on the iPod touch? I can no longer use this to make outgoing calls that will link to my phone.
January 26, 2010 at 4:15 PM
Sheriff Spectre said...
I like the new version. Wish they would add a link to google voice in the google mobile app so I could use it for All the google apps I use instead of a GV icon and the google mobile app.
January 26, 2010 at 7:59 PM
Julien Couvreur said...
From watching the demo video, I fail to see how this app leverages any HTML5 feature.
It can be all done in HTML4, no?
January 26, 2010 at 8:42 PM
Unknown said...
I would also like to see the apple-mobile-web-app-capable tag added. It makes the experience much slicker and less webby
January 26, 2010 at 8:54 PM
AnotherGuy said...
I love this. The app on the Pre is a major battery killer, so this will be a wonderful alternative. Thank you.
I still wish it would sync with my phone contacts (which syncs with Facebook and my Google Apps account) but alas, it does not.
January 26, 2010 at 9:14 PM
Unknown said...
From my iPhone, is the new web app just got updated today? I was using the old one everyday until yesterday and has been working fine. Today, it forward to the new web app. and when I tried to make a call, it just kept calling 1-916-538-3466 regardless of what number I am calling. It is not even one of my contact #. Yet it tell me that I will be charged 4 cents per minute. Has the new web app. been test before it release? Now, I can no longer using the google voice from my iphone!
January 27, 2010 at 1:28 AM
Anonymous said...
GOOGLE! Start supporting GOOGLE VOICE in SINGAPORE! It will tie up perfectly with NEXUS ONE that is being sold here!
January 27, 2010 at 1:47 AM
Luz said...
Please bring Google Voice to Italy!!!
January 27, 2010 at 2:09 AM
Scotty B said...
The new interface looks much better, but is lacking a critical capability that iPod Touch users need. Please bring back the ability to route calls through any of your attached phones.
January 27, 2010 at 4:53 AM
Unknown said...
Having problems with this new app. The toolbar appears I can not press any buttons to interact with GV the only thing that shows are my saved documents. I can't even see my gmail account- goes to a blank screen. I was using the old app just fine to place calls and text....Not No More!!!!...please fix ASAP!
January 27, 2010 at 7:40 AM
Unknown said...
One issue that I would like to see Google fix in the mobile web app is the limitation of 160 characters in a SMS. The web app should be smart enough to break into multiple messages just like the main google voice page does.
It is extremely annoying to recieve a "message too long" notification and have to count characters and remove part of a message.
Also, APPLE wake up and approve the native google voice app!
January 27, 2010 at 8:30 AM
Whitaksm said...
Google Voice is a powerful app, but I find Google's support for this app--or lack thereof--is potentially harmful to their reputation and is pretty disturbing to users. I've been trying for three months to get them to correct a problem--Google Voice stopped ringing my mobile phone--but they have been totally unresponsive, like nobody's home.
January 27, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Unknown said...
Hi Google! Thanks for ruining the iphone with your new update. Now google voice is essentially useless since it always wants to make outbound calls to a different random number.
Put the option in to ring back the phone!
January 27, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Douglas said...
So far I am enjoying this web app EXCEPT for the omission of one feature that is (IMO) absolutely necessary: Use of a keyboard in landscape orientation for more efficient text messaging. Please make this happen soon--Thanks!
January 27, 2010 at 3:01 PM
Seamus said...
Owais and Mathew are right! This new app doesn't allow you to use fring to make voip calls anymore! At least make it so the desktop view is still an available option like it is for gmail!
January 27, 2010 at 4:06 PM
Anonymous said...
I HATE the new voice app, there should be an option for using the old moble version. I called three people accidently with the stupid new thing.
January 27, 2010 at 5:18 PM
Hannibal said...
voice app and m.google.com both not working from australia on my blackberry.
error 503
January 27, 2010 at 6:01 PM
Unknown said...
great
January 28, 2010 at 2:49 AM
Matthew said...
I think I'm done with GV. Although this app looks pretty I can't use my Friends and Family anymore bc it rings to an access number. Now I'll use minutes again. (Unless the access # is permanent, no one seems to know. Google doesn't seem to be saying)
Google, if you can't allow us to use our FF list any longer because of regulations just say so. I just want to make an informed decision!
I don't like the functionality of this new app. Please put the old functionality back with this new pretty face!
January 28, 2010 at 8:21 AM
Matthew Talaga said...
How do I get access to the old interface or at least the ability to choose what phone I want to ring? I use my iphone and have it ring my desk phone or home phone if I don't want to use minutes.
January 28, 2010 at 3:39 PM
Tom said...
It doesn't appear that I can play voicemail messages from within the Pre browser...
January 28, 2010 at 6:02 PM
Unknown said...
Mr./Ms. Google;
I have an older iPhone 8G Silver back-And can no longer use the previous web app or your new web app for google voice. I have updated via sync, but still nothing- Do you have any suggestions for me and people with my situation?
Signed,
Lost in the shuffle.
January 30, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Ted said...
Without any notice or warning I too noted that calling any US number will connect you to 1-916-538-3466
and it would not connect to my intended recipient.
The unbelievable result is that soon after I get a notice from the local carrier stating that I was debited for this call. Hell, I did not talk to anyone. Then removed the sim card, deleted my phone number THEREFORE only the WiFi would be used. Dialed again, and got that same 1-916-538-3466 and surely I was debited once more. How can that be legal? There was no SIM!
Please fully explain before I call my lawyer. This is insane :-( :-(
January 30, 2010 at 1:36 PM
Adam said...
GV is effectively broken from my iPhone browser. While the new interface looks great, I too noted that calling any US number will attempt to connect to 1-916-538-3466 by dialing a call (rather than receiving a call).
I want GV to call me at my forward number like in the past.
January 31, 2010 at 6:05 AM
Matthew said...
I agree. For GV to be useful we need to know that it will consistently work with AT&T A List, that means having it call back using my GV # to connect calls.
We also need to be able to paste phone numbers into the dialer. Syncing my GV contacts with my address book doesn't seem to work properly.
January 31, 2010 at 8:46 AM
Anonymous said...
The play voicemail button seems to be missing in WebOS :(
February 1, 2010 at 7:08 PM
usagemayvary said...
how does one get this to work with the g1 or other android phones?
mine defaults to mobile but not HTML5.
February 2, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Unknown said...
Voice search for Google is not working on my Droid what's being done to fix this matter
February 2, 2010 at 10:23 AM
Matt said...
Nice. Now when can we have the same for Maemo/Nokia N900?
February 2, 2010 at 1:01 PM
Scanning.Over.The.Horizon said...
Option to use old version on iPod touch would be nice.
February 3, 2010 at 1:40 AM
Scanning.Over.The.Horizon said...
Ability to use old interface on iPod would also fix this issue. Cant dial tel:// URLS on iPod (or on iPhone w/o a SIM installed!)
February 3, 2010 at 1:42 AM
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