New features rolling out to Google Voice

Google has added the ability for admins to give a Voice user the ring group management role, allowing them to act as a ring group manager and make changes from voice.google.com instead of the Admin console.

Ring group managers can view and modify various aspects of ring groups, including members, call routing rules, ring duration settings, working hours, and more. For customers with numerous ring groups, assigning these managerial responsibilities to specific members can alleviate administrative workloads, enabling administrators to allocate more time to crucial tasks.

To assign ring group managers to a ring group, follow these steps

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.
2. In the Admin console, go to Menu > Apps Google Workspace Google Voice.
3. Click Ring Groups.
4. Click the ring group you want to assign a manager to.
5. Click Managers.
6. Click Total.
7. Under Find users, enter the usernames of the managers you want to assign to this ring group.
8. Click Save.

If assigned the role of a ring group manager by the administrator, users will notice a new "Ring group" section within their voice.google.com settings.

Ring groups are now available to Google Voice Standard and Premier customers.

Further, Google Voice has introduced a new feature called "Ask Before Transfer" aimed at enhancing the process of transferring the call to another number. This new functionality, available to Google Voice Starter, Standard and Premier customers, allows users to call and check with their intended transfer recipient before completing the call transfer.

"This helps create a better experience for the transfer target and the transferred call participant," Google said.

For Rapid Release Domains, the rollout process of the "Ask before Transfer" feature has already begun, starting on August 16, 2023. The feature's visibility might span beyond the usual 15 days.

Scheduled Release Domains, on the other hand, will witness the gradual rollout of the feature, commencing on September 6, 2023. The feature may take up to 15 days to be fully visible.