Google has released an updated version of the Google Voice app for Android. The key change is that Google Voice now supports direct integration with your phone apps in Android 4.0, allowing you to access your Google Voice messages directly from the phone dialer.
In other words, you no longer have to use separate apps for making calls and accessing your voicemail. Instead, when you view your call log you’ll see if someone left you a message using your Google Voice number and you’ll be able to play the message without exiting the phone app and firing up the Google Voice app.
This is something Google promised when the company unveiled Google Android 4.0.
Google Voice can also provide transcripts of voicemail messages, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as a “visual voicemail” app.
Unfortunately the new feature requires Android 4.0 or later, so if you’re still using an Android 2.3 or earlier phone (like most of the world), the update won’t really offer any improvements.
You can also still use Google Voice as a standalone, Gmail-like app for accessing messages and managing text messages.
