Google Voice Gets Extreme Makeover With Photo MMS Support, Group Chat, New Mobile Apps

by Brandon Hill — Monday, January 23, 2017, 12:34 PM EDT

If you have felt that the Google Voice app was both antiquated and lacking in features, you are not alone. Google Voice has at times seemed like the red-headed stepchild of the Google family, but the company today is taking steps to enhance the calling and messaging experience.

For starters, the Google Voice app has received a complete top-to-bottom visual overhaul that is much appreciated after years of stagnation. Both the iOS and Android apps — along with the web version of Google Voice — now used the Material Design aesthetic through. Navigating the Google Voice UI is also a lot more streamlined, as Google has implemented tabs that allow you to easily access your calls, voicemails and text messages.

Speaking to text messages, you can now finally send and receive photo MMS messages inline (instead of having to rely on clunky workarounds involving email attachments, or worse) and you can participate in group conversations using your Google Voice number. Threaded conversations have been added to the mix, and Google is working with wireless carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile to enable Rich Communications Services (RCS).

Voice transcription has now gained support for the Spanish language and Google Voice thankfully receives a new spam filter for your calls and messages. There’s even 3D Touch support for iPhone users, while Android users can take advantage of in-notification replies.

Android users will be the first to take the plunge with the new Google Voice experience, starting today. Your mobile web experience will switch over to the new Material Design look once you’ve updated your mobile app. As for iOS users, you’ll have to wait a few more days to join in on the phone. But if you’re a longtime Google Voice user, it will be well worth the wait.

Tags: Google, MMS, Google Voice, (nasdaq:goog), google-voice

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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