Google Voice
Google Voice is the modern name of the free online service GrandCentral, owned by Google. It is based on the transmission of digital voice using the VoIP protocol. One of the features of Google Voice is the ability to integrate all the phone numbers that the user has.
Google Voice is supported by most mobile platforms.
In the United States, Google Voice allows users to make calls and send short text messages for free. Calls to the United States from numbers in other countries where Google Voice is supported are charged at 1 cent per minute.
A number of companies and privacy activists have criticized Google Voice for centralizing the storage of conversations and messages processed by the service. In particular, in July 2009, the Google Voice application was excluded from the Apple AppStore mobile application store. However, in November 2010, the application became available for download again.
Google Voice Features
Google Voice retains the core services of its predecessor GrandCentral, and adds a number of new features:
- Creating a single number to integrate all user phones
- Ability to automatically reject calls from a user-defined "black list"
- Possibility to "pick up the phone" in advance without the caller noticing
- Possibility of blocking all incoming calls
- The ability to distribute existing telephones so that subscribers from specified groups make calls to a specific device
- Call forwarding option
- Possibility of transcription of voice messages
- Possibility to set an individual greeting for each caller
- Possibility to change the number (paid service)
- Possibility of recording conversations on the server for subsequent listening
- Possibility to make conference calls
Google Voice functionality allows you to perform most operations both from a mobile device and from a desktop computer connected to the Internet (reading and sending messages, setting up a profile, etc.).