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Filed under: Audio •GentryMedia Sister Sites •Apps4Phones •Mobile Devices •Software •

GoogleVoice improves its functionality on the iPhone

GoogleVoice incoming call screening, caller presentation, and do not disturb

Incoming call screening options include:

• Enable screening Asks unknown callers to say their name
• Screen all unknown callers
• Screen only callers with blocked caller ID

Caller presentation options include:

• On: Announces caller’s name and gives answering options
• Off: Directly connects calls when phones are answered

The Do not disturb function is self-explanatory.

GoogleVoice voicemail & transcription

One of GoogleVoice’s voicemail features is the capability to have a special outgoing voicemail message for certain contacts, and a general one for all others. I have been using another service to do this since before GoogleVoice existed (under its current name—before Google purchased GoogleVoice, it was known as GrandCentral) called YouMail. YouMail also adds visual voicemail to non-iPhone devices, and it also adds visual voicemail to iPhones that are connected to T-Mobile in the USA. So far, I haven’t had any compelling reason to migrate my voicemail from YouMail to GoogleVoice, but it’s good to have the option. GoogleVoice also has the option to have incoming voicemails transcribed and e-mailed to you. The transcription currently works only with English-language voicemail messages. Since most of my incoming voicemails are in Castilian, I haven’t yet had any inclination to use a transcription service for my voicemails, which is also available from YouMail. I’m not sure if I would use it even if it worked with Castilian. I am accustomed to listening to my voicemails.

GoogleVoice language setting

GoogleVoice’s control panel has a language setting, which currently as a single option: English. Since other Google services do offer multiple language selection, and Google has included the selection in the GoogleVoice control panel, it’s pretty clear that more languages will be coming, at least for the control panel.

GoogleVoice invitations, and three ways to get one

At present, you can only get a GoogleVoice account via invitation. I originally responded to Google’s Request an invite link, and received one a few weeks later. I have heard that some people have actually purchased GoogleVoice invitations via eBay. At publication time of this article, my GoogleVoice control panel says that I have three available invitations. If you would like a GoogleVoice invitation and have been unsuccessful with Google’s Request an invite link, then you can write to me explaining how you think you’d use it, what features you like, and what you might want to be added or improved. The first three readers to write something interesting will get an invitation from me.

Projected growth for GoogleVoice

These are areas where I expect GoogleVoice to grow:

• Open to the general public.
• Allow porting your current number to GoogleVoice.
• Work in other regions, beyond the continental USA.
• Add other language capabilities.
• Add quasi-UMA capability, where GoogleVoice calls will be able to be initiated or received via WiFi, in addition to GSM and 3G, and seamless transfer of calls from one of these conduits to another.

The last one is the obvious next step after Google’s purchase of Gizmo in November of 2009.

Projected quasi-UMA on the iPhone

Read more about UMA in the related article, Tépper’s predictions for iPhoneOS 4.0. I don’t know whether Apple will choose to partner with the upcoming GoogleVoice enhanced service, or to partner with (or purchase) the iCall company, which is based in Connecticut, USA (coincidentally, where I grew up) and incorporate the iCall technology into iPhoneOS 4.0, using iCall’s telephone structure to bridge the Internet call to the POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) network. However, I do expect (and hope) that one or the other will happen. I really think it’s a no brainer to do one or the other… and since the upcoming UMA or “Seamless switching between GSM calling and WiFi calling via GoogleVoice” will be on Android devices soon, Apple will really need to have it too, one way or another. Isn’t competition great?

Read the related articles

• Apple approves voice & video over iPhone’s 3G/Fring + iCall beat Skype
• Skype goes HD for computers + embedded in certain consumer HDTV sets
• Skype’s certified HD webcams: a first look
• Tépper’s predictions for iPhoneOS 4.0 (including Google/Android’s current advantages; demystifying Nexus One misinformation)

Allan Tépper’s articles and seminars

Get a full index of Allan Tépper’s articles and upcoming seminars at AllanTepper.com. Listen to his podcast TecnoTur, together with Tanya Castañeda, Rubén Abruña, and Liliana Marín, free via iTunes or at

TecnoTur.us.

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