Thursday, September 9, 2010

Android Gets Google Voice Widgets!!

Google on Thursday added a standalone Google Voice widget to the home screen on Android phones.

The addition is part of the new Google Voice app, which is available now in the Android Market. It includes two widgets: one for the Google Voice Inbox; and another for Settings.

"Mobile is all about getting super fast access to what you're looking for and Google Voice is no exception," Google wrote in a blog post.

The Google Voice Inbox widget brings voicemails and text messages to the home screen. Flip through messages via the widget, and selected messages will open in the Google Voice app.

The Settings widget, meanwhile, includes four icons that provide access to several features. The phone icon will provide access to the full Google Voice app. The pen and paper icon will let you quickly compose and send free text messages. The smaller phone logo lets you change what calls are placed via Google Voice on the fly. Finally, the red and white stop icon is a "Do Not Disturb" option that will send all Google Voice calls directly to voicemail.

The Settings widget also displays Google Voice credits.

To add the widgets to a home screen panel, press the menu button from the home screen and select "Add>Widgets>Google Voice Inbox or Google Voice Settings." You will need a valid Google Voice account to access them, and they are available free online.

Earlier this week, Google added a "missed calls" notification to Google Voice that will alert users of a missed call via the Google Voice inbox, e-mail inbox, or both. Last month, Google made a form of Google Voice available via its Gmail service, which lets users "chat" within the Gmail interface via free phone calls.

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