Good day.
I did a preliminary search within the Samsung Galaxy S8 forum before starting this thread for "Google Voice", to be sure this issue hasn't already been addressed.
I am a longtime Android and Google Voice user. On my last smartphone device (an HTC 10), I used the native calling app for calls (Google Voice integration allowed me to choose whether to use my GV number, or the carrier number for every outgoing call), and the Google Hangouts app for all my Google Voice SMS messages. The key here is that I was able to set it as the default SMS messaging app, so if I wanted to use widgets for the Google Contacts app, or any other contacts app, to create a direct dial/message icon on my home screen, that widget would automatically be re-directed to Hangouts to send the message.
On my new device, however, it appears that either the Samsung S8 build of Android, or the newer version of Android (Oreo) has eliminated support for the Google Hangouts app, so that it can't be set as the default SMS messaging app anymore. It simply does not appear as an option when I go to the select default apps in the system menu anymore. The three messaging apps that DO appear as options in that menu are the Samsung messaging app, "Messages", Facebook's offering, "Messenger", and Verizon's offering, "Message+". While all of those are perfectly good messaging apps, none of them feature Google Voice integration. Seems like a pay-to-play game in which Samsung, Facebook, and Verizon all ante'd up, and Google got left in the dark.
As a short term solution, I've been using the Google Voice app for my Google Voice SMS messaging instead, as well as for my usual GV calling and voicemail, so that I can keep everything related to my GV number in one place. While this solution is functional enough for the short term, the Google Voice app itself doesn't seem to offer as many widgets for direct SMS or direct dial as Hangouts, or the native calling/messaging apps did. Also, I can't set it as the default SMS messaging app either.
What I'd really like is for Samsung's Android Oreo build to re-allow Hangouts and Google Voice to be selected as default SMS messaging apps. Short of that, I just need some kind of workaround so I can create direct dial/message widgets on my home screen. When I tap the icon, a new SMS message opens up in Google Voice to a specific contact. That way, I can create a folder on my Galaxy S8 home screen that's full of direct dial/message shortcuts, which use my Google Voice number instead of the carrier number.
Any third party app recommendations or fixes for this problem would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
alf_dart (Member & contributor since 2012.)
NOTE TO MODERATOR: This post is no longer relevant to my original question. Please feel free to delete it.
I did a preliminary search within the Samsung Galaxy S8 forum before starting this thread for "Google Voice", to be sure this issue hasn't already been addressed.
I am a longtime Android and Google Voice user. On my last smartphone device (an HTC 10), I used the native calling app for calls (Google Voice integration allowed me to choose whether to use my GV number, or the carrier number for every outgoing call), and the Google Hangouts app for all my Google Voice SMS messages. The key here is that I was able to set it as the default SMS messaging app, so if I wanted to use widgets for the Google Contacts app, or any other contacts app, to create a direct dial/message icon on my home screen, that widget would automatically be re-directed to Hangouts to send the message.
On my new device, however, it appears that either the Samsung S8 build of Android, or the newer version of Android (Oreo) has eliminated support for the Google Hangouts app, so that it can't be set as the default SMS messaging app anymore. It simply does not appear as an option when I go to the select default apps in the system menu anymore. The three messaging apps that DO appear as options in that menu are the Samsung messaging app, "Messages", Facebook's offering, "Messenger", and Verizon's offering, "Message+". While all of those are perfectly good messaging apps, none of them feature Google Voice integration. Seems like a pay-to-play game in which Samsung, Facebook, and Verizon all ante'd up, and Google got left in the dark.
As a short term solution, I've been using the Google Voice app for my Google Voice SMS messaging instead, as well as for my usual GV calling and voicemail, so that I can keep everything related to my GV number in one place. While this solution is functional enough for the short term, the Google Voice app itself doesn't seem to offer as many widgets for direct SMS or direct dial as Hangouts, or the native calling/messaging apps did. Also, I can't set it as the default SMS messaging app either.
What I'd really like is for Samsung's Android Oreo build to re-allow Hangouts and Google Voice to be selected as default SMS messaging apps. Short of that, I just need some kind of workaround so I can create direct dial/message widgets on my home screen. When I tap the icon, a new SMS message opens up in Google Voice to a specific contact. That way, I can create a folder on my Galaxy S8 home screen that's full of direct dial/message shortcuts, which use my Google Voice number instead of the carrier number.
Any third party app recommendations or fixes for this problem would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
alf_dart (Member & contributor since 2012.)
NOTE TO MODERATOR: This post is no longer relevant to my original question. Please feel free to delete it.
Last edited:
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