Google Voice web app overhaul introduces new look, grouped chats, and more

Google Voice is getting some long-overdue attention, and we’ve just spotted our first glimpse at an updated web UI for the service, rolling out to users.

Voice is one of those Google services that’s been around for ages, but doesn’t get a ton of updates anymore — at least, not for unpaid, non-Workspace users. But that may finally be changing, and earlier today we shared how it looks like Google could be getting ready to bring RCS support to Voice. Ahead of that debuting, a new interface has arrived for Voice on the web:

The big thing that first catches our eye is the new background. Instead of just plain white everywhere, this updated interface adds contrast with a light gray background and text-entry box. But the more we look around, the more additional changes begin to jump out at us.

For instance, individual texts no longer all appear as the same kind of bubble, and when you send several in a row, you’ll see them grouped now with a straight line down one edge. This matches the look of other Google services like Chat. So far, we’re still seeing the old bubble look in Voice’s Android app.

Another new element of the interface now shows a service indicator — SMS or MMS — when we start typing a message in the screen-bottom text bar:

There doesn’t appear to be any way to manually change that, with the service type automatically set up by Voice. While that doesn’t provide much utility just yet, we also can’t help but think about this change in the context of that RCS evidence we just unearthed, and wonder if Google implemented this view in anticipation of RCS’s arrival.

We don’t know who finally shook the Voice dev team awake, but we are very glad to see their latest results. Let’s just hope this isn’t a one-off, and we continue to see Voice receive just as much attention as Messages and Chat.