Google Voice Plugin

The BBQ Pit
1

So, my google voice plugin stopped working today. Gmail says “Please download the voice plugin to make a call”. Huh, I use this all the time to make calls to the USA. But sure, click install. Same thing. Reboot. Same thing. Try on my laptop. My other laptop. Same thing.

After google’ing (ironically) around for an hour, I finally find this piece of google bullshit:

https://www.chromium.org/developers/npapi-deprecation

Deprecation indeed. Also, “unpublish” is apparently a word, now.

Back to Skype.

2

Google really wants you to upgrade Chat to Hangouts. Though, as you pointed out, you can temporarily turn NPAPI back on in the options.

Google is surprisingly incompetent about error messsages. For example, Chrome will give you an error if you try to download an extension from a non-Google site. That error tells you that you need to install it manually. You try to install it manually, and you get another warning which gives you an override button. Then, when you restart Chrome, it tells you that it turned the extension off.

They could just say “You can’t install this extension.” Or, better yet, give you a link to a search for that extension or a similar one on the Google Play store. But, no, they’d rather give you a huge runaround.

They’re doing it here, too. They want you to upgrade to Hangouts, but they can’t be bothered to tell you that. Click the little option button and choose “Try New Hangouts” if you’re interested.

3

It’s only a little surprising. Until summer 2013 google talk worked nicely via WiFi from my tablet, before google cancelled 3rd party apps that used their VOIP technology.

I am very interested. But I don’t see that option button.

4

I googled for “try new hangouts” and found this page:

There’s a link: “Open Hangouts in Gmail”

It just opens Gmail. That’s it. Nothing more. I am using Chrome.

Tried in Firefox. Same thing. sigh

5

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hangouts/nckgahadagoaajjgafhacjanaoiihapd?utm_source=chrome-app-launcher-info-dialog

6

Thanks for the link. After I installed it I got a different window that had my contacts. But when I tried to call them - nothing happened. I rebooted. Now the green phone link only opens the (now useless) voice plugin.

I’ll take this to GQ if others have gotten google hangouts to work. Then perhaps I’ll just pit Larry fargin Page (CEO of GOOG)

7
8

Thanks yoyodyne!

That installed, and now when Chrome starts up it shows my contacts and photos of any of them who have google+

I click on a contact and it looks like it’s ringing. No sound. This is more a tech-support thing - I’m on my laptop now - I’ll try tomorrow on my main PC (wife is playing Dragon Age)

9

I dont think Google is going to be updating Google voice as much and will be trying to move everything over to the hangouts side.

Like the iphone app hasnt been updated in I think 3 plus years. But with the new Hangouts app you can send and receive picture messages which is pretty cool.