Google Voice for Android

Google Voice is an innovative application that connects your Google account and mobile phone service. It presents viable alternatives to standard calling and text messaging, but Google Voice's advertised features do not always function as promised.

Pros

Good integration: Google Voice had no hang-ups when integrating with our test phone and performed well as the main voicemail service. Notifications regarding missed calls and texts were immediately received on our email, text, and Google Voice account.

Fine quality: The calling and text messaging experience was comparable to our standard carrier, and the software made no errors during tests. We were able to uninstall Google Voice without any data loss or negative performance issues.

Cons

Inadequate configuration: Voice has a somewhat poor design and layout, and we were left in confusion when trying to access various features. Navigation was burdensome at first, especially when attempting to make outgoing calls.

Missing features: Google Voice advertises its call screening capability that allows you to listen in on a call before answering. We experienced difficulty with this feature and weren't able to get it to work as advertised.

Bottom Line

Google Voice accomplishes all the same tasks of any basic phone carrier, but the design issues make it harder to use than it should be. However, it is free and can be easily installed/uninstalled, so if you are looking for these features, we recommend trying the service and seeing if it is a good fit for you.

This release:

- New app icon and color scheme

- Updated tab order (now Calls / Contacts / Messages / Voicemail)

- Stability and performance improvements

Previous release:

- Bug fixes