Mia: So, I was reading something the other day about Google Voice getting a facelift? Three-way calling and a brand new interface – sounds kinda interesting. What's the lowdown?
Mars: Oh, it's long overdue, really. Google Voice had been, let's just say, neglected for a while. They've finally given it a decent makeover, especially the in-call interface – it actually makes sense now. But the real star is definitely the three-way calling.
Mia: Three-way calling? Like… conference calls, but without the hassle? I remember back in the stone age trying to do this on a landline. It was like juggling chainsaws.
Mars: You got it. Total circus. Trying to manage who was on hold, hoping you didn't accidentally hang up on someone. Now, it's way more streamlined, almost like Google Meet's call bar. Big, clear buttons: mute, keypad, speaker, transfer… and Add.
Mia: Add, huh? So that's how you bring in a third wheel? Or, you know, a vital team member? How does it actually work?
Mars: Okay, imagine you're chatting with Alice, and you realize Bob needs to jump in. You tap Add, find Bob in your contacts, Google Voice rings him up. When he answers, that Add button changes to Merge. One tap and BAM – three's company.
Mia: Sounds almost too easy. What about hold music? Or some kind of heads-up to keep you from wondering if someone’s actually still there?
Mars: They've thought of that. When you put someone on hold, you get a little notification pop up, sort of like a sticky note saying, Hey, Charlie's waiting, with a button to switch back and forth.
Mia: Nice! No more yelling Hold on, Bob! into the mic. I'm picturing it like flight information at an airport, Gate A, Gate B, now boarding.
Mars: Yeah, kind of. And the whole look is just cleaner. Instead of tiny little icons crammed in the corner, you have these big, easy-to-hit controls right where your thumb naturally sits.
Mia: I dig it. So, is this available for everyone right now, or are we talking one of those slow rollouts that take forever?
Mars: It's a staged rollout – Google calls it an extended rollout. Could take up to 15 days, maybe even a bit longer. And right now, it's just for Workspace customers on certain plans.
Mia: Workspace only? So my friend who uses the free version is out of luck?
Mars: For now, yeah. But the plan is to get it to everyone eventually. They haven't said exactly when iOS users will get it, though. Android might get it first.
Mia: Ah, typical Google, Android first. But I bet once they work out all the kinks, it'll hit all the platforms. So it sounds like a big improvement to Google Voice, making three-way calls way less of a headache.
Mars: Exactly!
