Google is rolling out a few useful updates to its Voice service, improving both how it works and how your calls feel. One of the standout changes is support for three-way calling, which lets you bring a third person into an ongoing conversation.
This new three-way calling feature works by letting you merge two calls together. Google says this feature is super helpful in situations where you might need to pull in a translator for a multilingual chat, bring in legal counsel directly into a discussion, or even make call transfers smoother by introducing the receiving party while still on the line with the original caller. To make it happen, you simply hit an "Add" button to find the contact you want to bring in, then select "Merge" to combine the calls.
Alongside the ability to add a third person to your call, Google Voice is also getting a refreshed in-call user interface. The company designed this update to give Voice a more consistent look and feel across all your devices, making the call layout more intuitive. It now sports a layout similar to what you see in Google Meet, placing key call controls in better spots. Regarding the layout of the new UI, Google explained the idea behind it:
Starting from the top, you"ll find notifications, such as a call participant on hold. Moving down to call controls, your primary actions like the keypad and mute button, are prominently highlighted, while secondary actions like transfer, hold, and merge, are easily accessible.
It is important to note that the three-way calling feature is not for everyone using Google Voice. It is specifically available for Google Workspace customers who have a Voice Starter, Voice Standard, or Voice Premier subscription, as well as those with SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Link Standard and SIP Link Premier plans. The refreshed user interface, however, is something all Google Voice users will get. The rollout for both updates begins on May 1, 2025, and Google says it will be an extended rollout, potentially taking longer than 15 days for everyone to see the changes.
In other Google Workspace news, just recently, Google Slides received a bunch of new, high-quality templates aimed at making presentations look better without needing design skills. NotebookLM has also been expanding the reach of its Audio Overviews feature, which lets you listen to summaries of your documents, by adding support for over 50 languages. And the new AI-assisted video creation tool, Vids, has started rolling out to more customer tiers, including Business Starter, Enterprise Starter, and Nonprofit users.