Google Voice adds Web-based Calls using Hangouts, Without a Google+ Profile

Google Voice has always been a service which is admired by most, but only available to a select lucky few. In its current avatar Google Voice provides PC to Phone free calling facility to US and Canada users. Google Voice also allows users to make cheap or low cost international calls – either PC-to-Phone or Phone-to-Phone thanks to an Android and iOS app. The service also provides a local phone number for incoming calls for US residents only.

For a very long time, GMail users had the facility to make PC-to-PC voice and video calls via Hangouts for free. However, the facility was not available on the Google Voice website. Incidentally, the rumor mills have also been buzzing in regards to a merger between Google Voice and Google Hangouts services, and maybe – a big maybe – we have got wind of the first stage of this merger. Googler Alex Wiesen has posted on his Google+ page that the Google Voice service has been updated to allow users to make voice calls from the Google Voice website, where now the Google Hangouts is an option for web-based calls in the “phone to call with” drop down box. The best part is that the service works even if the user is not using Hangouts on GMail and even without the need for a Google+ profile. This last bit comes as a little surprise, seeing the Google has been aggressively pushing its social networking platform – Google+ – along with their other services (like merging Google+ with YouTube for comments etc.)

Though the update seems minor, it is still good to see that Google has not totally neglected Google Voice in light of the swift updates we see with their other services. If you have used Google Voice for web-calls, then do give this update a whirl and make a call from Hangouts. We would love to hear your experience with the new update. Do write to us, either on our Google+ page or in the comments section below.