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Google Voice comes back to the iPhone (No Jailbreak Required)

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dhartung02

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 9, 2007
301
3
Little Rock, AR
I came across this and thought i would share. Looks like a great alternative to getting Google Voice on your iPhone without jailbreaking or using the crummy Google Voice webapp.

VoiceCentral

VoiceCentral Black Swan is the next revolution in iPhone applications. It is not tied to the App Store. It is not a web site optimized for the iPhone. It is a feature-rich weblication that enables you to view and manage your Google Voice data just like a native iPhone application. It combines the iPhone's easy-to-use interface with the convenience of an always up-to-date web application.

keypad.png
recents.png
sms_conversation.png


VoiceCentral is currently in a very limited beta. If you would like to be a part of the beta program or be notified when we begin accepting new users, you can register by clicking here.
 
I submitted my info, I've been waiting for an app like this. The UI really looks nice, can't wait!
 
I signed up yesterday as well. I wonder how long the beta queue is? Any Macrumors readers in the beta test program? Care to chime in on how you like the app?
 
I was checking this. It looks like this will not be an app within apple and it will be run thru safari.

So there will be no notification then.

Using the SMS/Phone calls will be useless without notification.

You will only see SMS/Missed calls when you open the app in safari.

Or I did not read it correctly.
 
Your right, there wouldnt be notifications, but using this in combination with textnow should give you the best of both worlds. This would allow you to have an app to make calls, listen to voicemails etc, and textnow is your sms and notification tool. I think the two would work great together, and i am anxious to test it out.
 
Looks interesting, I registered for beta testing. I'm hoping that VOIP apps in the long term make phone charges more competitive.
 
dhartung02 said:
It is not tied to the App Store. It is not a web site optimized for the iPhone. It is a feature-rich weblication[...]
Click to expand...

So, cutting through the hyperbole, what exactly does this mean? The only three ways I've seen to run code on an iPhone are: (1) to publish an app through the app store (or provisioned for beta testers, but ultimately that would have to go through the app store at release), (2) to install via jailbreak, or (3) to be a web app in Safari.

How can it be none of the above?
 
It is an Applet. It is using javascript, offline caching and takes advantage of the HTML5 features of mobile Safari to give it an app-like interface/experience.
 
I signed up for the beta for this a little while ago and have not yet heard anything. I love Google Voice and the official Google Voice apps I had (purchased before they were yanked from the App Store) stopped working. I really wish Apple would get a grip and just let these apps into the store. :rolleyes: I also use TextNow to at least take advantage of the free Google Voice text messaging.
 
mkrishnan said:
In other words, it's what one might call a "web site optimized for the iPhone." ;)
Click to expand...

Yes, but if coded correctly, you can put the icon on your home screen and when launched, it will not show the url and search bar in safari. So as far as the user is concerned, it is an app and not a web page in safari.
 
its uses your google voice account. This app would allow you to login and full access to your google voice number, sms, voicemails, and callout ability. It has one requirement though, because its a web application it cant access your phones address book so you must upload your contacts to GV. So that would require you to upload your contacts or use a sync service to keep your contacts in sync.
 
dhartung02 said:
Lol....i suppose so! That wasnt my description though, it was theirs :)
Click to expand...

Hehehe, don't get me wrong. I'm happy to see some better support for GV on the iPhone. I don't use GV for VOIP calling, but I do think the features they inherited from GrandCentral -- the multi-phone integration and the transcribed voicemail -- are really useful. I'd like a proper app to support those features.
 
i signed up... what the heck.....

been with Grand Central since I saw it on GeekBrief/Cali Lewis podcast a few years ago, but just lately started using it on business cards and wish the GV app i grabbed before that went to poop worked.... it does kind of suck to have to use safari-ized goggle voice....

i guess the only real option is to buy a "droid"...... but for me it's not worth going "over there"....:D
 
lemonademaker said:
i signed up... what the heck.....

been with Grand Central since I saw it on GeekBrief/Cali Lewis podcast a few years ago, but just lately started using it on business cards and wish the GV app i grabbed before that went to poop worked.... it does kind of suck to have to use safari-ized goggle voice....

i guess the only real option is to buy a "droid"...... but for me it's not worth going "over there"....:D
Click to expand...

the droid phones are not that bad im still prefer a iPhone but if there were more apps that are on the app store for droid id go switch in a second the eris is awsome iPhone alternitave.
 
mkrishnan said:
Hehehe, don't get me wrong. I'm happy to see some better support for GV on the iPhone. I don't use GV for VOIP calling, but I do think the features they inherited from GrandCentral -- the multi-phone integration and the transcribed voicemail -- are really useful. I'd like a proper app to support those features.
Click to expand...

The Black Swan will support all that. It is not a website. HTML5 apps can run as local bundles, even offline access to History/SMS will be supported. Lack of access to local contacts is not a big deal, if you already ActiveSync your local contacts to Google.

The only two things that aren't supported are access to earpiece of voicemail playback - can be played back via speaker.. and Push Notifications - easily overcome with Growl.

So this is really as close as it gets to a native SDK app.
 
Does this means we don't need this app anymore because Google made an update on their GV web app?
 
I had purchased Voice Central before it was yanked, and then it stopped working for placing or receiving calls. What a bummer :(. I'd like to use the beta of this as soon as I can.
 
I just the the article in the iPhone section on this site of the new Google Web App for Google Voice. Awesome! It works great. (m.google.com)

I had purchased GV Mobile months ago. I used it for about 2 weeks then Apple in their infinite wisdom killed it :mad:

I'm so glad that Google came up with this.
 
I used to use the old Google Voice mobile website on my iphone to initiate calls through my home phone. But now that Google updated the mobile website to the new version, it will only place calls to my iphone. I don't see any value in using my cell phone for GV because I'm still using ATT minutes.

Does anyone know how to:

1. Get GV Mobile to call my home phone again?
2. Force the desktop GV website to load into my iphone safari browser (because I can still dial GV using my home phone number using the desktop version of the website)
3. Get that welcome screen to come up again (the one that says "We need to know what phone you are using") I tried clearing my cache and clearing cookies but can't get it to come back.
 
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