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Google Voice 5.2 introduces a mini-inbox widget so you can see your voicemail and messages at a glance without ever having to open up the app. If you’re all about efficiency and going about your day with the least amount of distractions in front of you at any given moment, this is a feature that is probably meant for you. While tapping on the widget will open the app so users can fully interact with the voicemail or different chats, there is a set of buttons at the bottom of the widget that allow users to flip between the different inboxes so they can see the contents of each one, and there are two more buttons at the top of the widget that are for using the carrier number for communication and for enabling or disabling the do not disturb mode. The update also includes a “screen calls” feature that will list off the name of the caller when users pick up the device.
In addition to the first widget there are other widgets too. If users don’t really need to see their inbox from the homescreen but they still want some control over the app functionality, there is a small widget that will let users manage their outgoing call settings, including configuring which number will be used for when outgoing calls are made (between the Google Voice number and the carrier number), as well as using the Google Voice number for international calls only, and another option for asking which number to use each time when making an outgoing call. These are all options which Google Voice has always had but the new widget makes it possible to cycle through them quickly.
The last widget has a few different buttons on it that will allow operation of a few different features. One button will take users to the screen for composing a new message so this can be thought of as a shortcut right to this function of the app. The other two buttons are for cycling through the way Google Voice manages outgoing calls and for turning the do not disturb mode on or off. These aren’t necessarily huge new features or changes, but they’re still useful for those who continue to use Google Voice on a regular basis.
