14 DAY TRIAL // Google is testing a new feature for Google Voice called Wi-Fi calling that should work on all platforms, including PCs.
Google Voice has been around for some time, but it’s now getting a major upgrade that should make a real impact. For now, it’s still in the Beta testing phase, but it looks like it’s coming along. In fact, anyone can just go ahead and become a Beta tester for Google Voice.
The application is available only to US customers, and all calls are using the standard minutes from the mobile plan. That’s not ideal, and users have been wondering why there is no support for Wi-Fi calling. It seemed like the obvious direction for this app.
It’s still buggy
Since the new features are still being tested, there are a lot of problems with it. Users should know that Obihai devices won’t work if you enable calling over Wi-Fi, and it won’t be possible to use incoming call options such as call recording and call transfer.
Furthermore, the Android Bluetooth support is very limited for now. The buttons on your Bluetooth device won’t work, so don’t expect to answer or to hang up. Also, earpiece mode doesn’t work when a Bluetooth device is paired, and the call might drop if you decide to switch from Bluetooth to the speaker or vice versa.
The good news about this new upgrade is that it should make Google Voice available for the PC as well. For now, Wi-Fi calling should only work with Chrome, but Firefox, Safari and Edge support should be arriving soon.
The development of Google Voice has been slow, despite the fact that the app has been very well received by the community. It has yet to move out of The United States, but we can only hope that the service will become available worldwide in the near future.