Is Google Voice available for the iPhone?

Need a refresher on the Google Voice and Apple saga? Let's recap the news to date:

Apple pulled every Google Voice attendant apps from the App Store backwards in July, which led to an FCC inquiry, which led Apple to verify they had not unloved but were "studying" Google Voice, which Google contradicted. The biggest assail in the full scenario is that AT&T said that they had no difficulty with Google Voice on the iPhone.

Yet here we are, 4 months later, and ease no decision (that we undergo of) has been made. I've previously referred to this as Apple's incurvature oppose of Google Voice where they are healthy to feature they haven't unloved it when they have, in effect, unloved it. Put it every together, and this has led me to locate up a website for your "Google Voice on iPhone" questions, which I narrowed downbound to IsGoogleVoiceAvailableForTheiPhone.com?

As it stands today, the respond is a eligible "No" in that there are no Google Voice apps acquirable from the App Store, but I was peculiar to wager what options are available. I found threesome tools that you crapper use today, and digit more which is on the horizon.

1) Google Voice's Mobile site: Using Mobile Safari, you crapper intend to Google Voice's Mobile locate and admittance a difference of features, including motion phones on and off, making calls or sending SMS through your Google Voice account. This works, albeit slowly, and you are implausible to poverty to attain whatever calls this way, it's just likewise such of a hassle. And did I mention that it's slow? Especially compared to a topical app, it's pokey.

2) Google Voice Bookmarklet Generator: king Friedman came up with an creative method for creating Google Voice "bookmarklets" for calling grouping using your Google Voice number. He then mutual that intent on his website, which led someone else to write a Python playscript which module modify your whole address aggregation to Google Voice shortcuts. His content was not to reproduce Google Voice functionality, but exclusive to attain it easier to call grouping through Google Voice.

Check discover the article where he explains how this entireness for more details. It's fairly geeky, but whatever of you may find it a good agency for your utility belt.

3) GV Mobile: One of the apps pulled from the App Store was GV Mobile by Sean Kovacs. Rather than wager his impact go to waste, Sean liberated GV Mobile for liberated to the jailbreak accord through Cydia. Jailbreaking involves trade-offs (then again, so does "not jailbreaking"), but if they are trade-offs you are selection to springy with, this is perhaps your prizewinning alternative today.

What if there was added option? What if there was a artefact to intend most of the benefits of a autochthonous app, topical speed, offline access... but without having to wait for the App Store approval process?

This is decent an increasingly captivating solution to folks who are locate soured by the App Store delays, not exclusive for initial approval (and the existence of being yanked at whatever instance if Apple decides to "study" your app) but for updates. For example, what happens when you create a Twitter computer for iPhone but Twitter makes API changes which intercommunicate whatever or every of your app inoperable? Or, what if Google changes the authorization method for Google Voice? This happened recently, which broke whatever Google Voice apps that grouping had bought and downloaded before they were pulled soured the App Store. Those developers hit no artefact to intend fault fixes to those customers who paying to acquire their apps, which is intense for the developers (who intend support requests for a difficulty they can't fix) and for customers who paying for apps rendered useless by Apple's capricious decision.

It turns discover there is added option. Neven Mrgan of Panic.com fresh liberated an iPhone mettlesome called Pie Guy which is a scheme app, but is stored locally using HTML5. What that means is that it feels very such same a autochthonous app running at native-app speed, and it crapper be utilised offline.

Riverturn, which had developed a autochthonous Google Voice iPhone app called VoiceCentral, is hunting to attain the aforementioned move for Google Voice. Instead of inactivity for Apple to amount discover if they are feat to allow iPhone clients for Google Voice, Riverturn is nonindustrial an HTML5 scheme app which you download to your iPhone. It is called VoiceCentral Negroid Swan Edition and it is currently in "very limited beta." Those who hit Google Voice accounts crapper clew up for the beta itemize at the website, which has whatever added information and screenshots.

Riverturn provided admittance to the beta to a whatever of us at TUAW and the response was a unanimous "Wow." Quite frankly, if someone bimanual you an iPhone which had Negroid Swan already ordered up, I'm not sure that you would be healthy to verify it isn't a autochthonous app. I utilised it to locate a whatever calls and it worked quickly, easily, and reliably. The prizewinning conception is that when the app is updated, every users module immediately intend the updated version. No inactivity for Apple to okay it.

Web apps are not a curative for the issues in the App Store. Before the iPhone SDK was announced, Apple promoted scheme apps as the prizewinning (and only) artefact to amend for the iPhone. It didn't manoeuvre up: whatever users knew it, developers knew it, Apple knew it (they had already developed autochthonous apps, proving that for whatever cases they were needed).

That said, there is a aggregation more than crapper be done with "web apps" than you strength imagine, especially with HTML5 and topical databases. Pie Guy is a enthusiastic warning of a scheme app game, and BlackSwan looks same it is feat to be added enthusiastic warning of what developers crapper fulfill modify when Apple gets heavyhanded most what crapper be offered on the App Store.

In my opinion, Apple has been too restrictive with the App Store, keeping worthwhile apps from the safekeeping of users who poverty them. These apps don't break Apple's initial itemize of limitations of what would be allowed in the App Store (as discussed previously):
Illegal Malicious Porn Privacy Bandwidth hog Unforeseen (the handy catch-all) Google Voice apps do not move under whatever of those categories (well, you could argue any app that didn't subsist at the instance Apple prefabricated its announcement was "unforeseen"). Apple had authorised individual of those apps and profited from them; then, without warning or explanation, removed them. It took an inquiry from the FCC to intend Apple to attain whatever evidence most it at all, modify if that evidence includes the laughable suasion that Apple necessary more instance to "study" Google Voice. They said that quaternary months and digit days ago. Apple could hit complete an whole college semester course in think of Google Voice by now. Still we wait, with no recourse, and no alternatives added than jailbreaking our iPhones -- an state Apple considers hostile enough to break the iPhone warranty.

I suspect that others module feature "if you don't same the iPhone, don't use it." Except that I'm today in a lessen with AT&T, a lessen that I prefabricated based, at small in part, on Apple's promises regarding the availability of apps which did not break the above 6 points. Even if I wanted to abandon my iPhone now, would Apple pay my primeval conclusion fee? Should we move ease added collection state suit against Apple? Wouldn't it be easier on everyone participating if Apple would exclusive go backwards to its original guidelines for the App Store? How such faster would the analyse impact be if the reviewers exclusive had to vexation most those 6 things?

As anticipative as I am that Apple module loosen its grip on the App Store, I'm not retentive my breath, which is ground I'm pleased to wager innovative developers same Neven Mrgan and the folks at Riverturn finding alternative solutions.

I'm thinking a full analyse of VoiceCentral Negroid Swan when I've had more of a quantity to use it. In the meantime I'll essay to support you keep road of Google Voice's authorised status on the iPhone. I ease wish that Apple module allow Google to promulgation its iPhone app for Google Voice, as substantially as allow customers who hit already bought and paying for apps to intend fault fixes, etc. I applaud the folks at Riverturn for their ingenuity and creativity, and wish Negroid Swan is a alarming success. Perhaps it module inspire added developers to countenance at locally stored scheme apps as a utilization option.

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/altemark/ / CC BY 2.0