Google’s VoIP service just got a whole lot cheaper, but not for everyone

Google has updated its VoIP service in an effort to make it cheaper for those using Google Voice in Europe to call other countries in the continent.

First launched back in 2009, the search giant’s VoIP service came about as a result of its $50m acquisition of GrandCentral in 2005.

While Google Voice has long allowed American users to call mobile phones and landlines in the US and Canada for free, calls made in Europe to other countries in the region were subject to both domestic and international rates.

Now though, in an update to the Google Workspace blog, the search giant explained that beginning this month, calls from European Google Voice numbers to mobile and landline numbers in many European countries will be included with the cost of a Google Voice License. This change is designed to reduce the cost of staying connected with colleagues, partners and customers located throughout Europe.

Smart Reply suggestions

In addition to allowing users to call mobile and landline numbers in the US and Europe, Google Voice also features messaging.

As spotted by 9To5Google, Google has updated Google Voice for Android with Smart Reply suggestions. Just like in Gmail or Google Chat, the company’s VoIP service now shows automated replies that let you quickly respond to a coworker or friend if you happen to be busy at the moment.

While Smart Reply suggestions are now rolling out for Android with version 2022.01.24, they are not yet available on both iOS and on the web but will hopefully arrive soon.