Comments on: I’m in love…

By: Jason Katzer

Jason Katzer — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:08:36 +0000

its funny that i found this article… i was trying to find out how the android app makes calls so i could document the protocol for inclusion in GV mobile… but I just got the iPhone 4, so I have to use the HTML5 webapp… just noticed the “CALL” feature… and used the Dev Tools to find out the same info as you just posted here… i actually came here looking for the gvx variables…

any chance you are going to update the app with this protocal and fast app switching for os 4?

By: sean

sean — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:07:24 +0000

I working on some stuff – I hate the new gvx cookie as it expires way too soon. It’s actually a pain in my ass.

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:34:12 +0000

I love the callback as well! Especially since I have my Google Voice number on my ATT A-List (Favs). Great for additional privacy, too, as all incoming calls (and callbacks) appear with my Google Voice number as the Caller ID on my iPhone.

By: I want GV Mobile 2.0

I want GV Mobile 2.0 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:56:21 +0000

Yup, if you could give us an idea of the new changes that would great. Need to know if I should delete your app and go with google voice website or not. Thanks

By: I want GV Mobile 2.0

I want GV Mobile 2.0 — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:42:18 +0000

Still waiting on an update to see what changes you are doing, if any.

By: CCN

CCN — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:31:48 +0000

Thanks, Sean, for creating and continuing to develop this great app.

The call back feature is quite valuable if one is on AT&T and uses their A-List option. Then, the call backs from the Google Voice number are treated as free minutes. My wife and I have saved so much money, especially for calls into Canada from the USA.

By: I want GV Mobile 2.0

I want GV Mobile 2.0 — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:36:59 +0000

So, anyway you can update us with what you are working on?

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:25:39 +0000

Any chance you could write up a demo/example of how you’d use the JSON feeds? (I’m assuming you’ve figured out how to use them.) I’m really curious about how this stuff works, but I have almost no idea on where to start with something like this.

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:56:59 +0000

Love your app best $2 I ever spent plus prowl for SMS push. Can u add a quick compose for SMS messages like biteSMS or irealsms so I don’t have to load the app when a get a text, that would be awesome but I bet it would be a lot of behind the scenes work?

By: Michael Gray

Michael Gray — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:39:59 +0000

Ok, the gvx value is basically a cookie that is sent when you request the page https://www.google.com/voice/m

Note: the User Agent sent seems to be important. If you don’t use the right UserAgent (probably iphone and WebOs browsers?) you won’t get the gvx cookie back.

So if you hit https://www.google.com/voice/m and get a 302, that means your aren’t logged in or authorized .(lack of a good set of cookies)
You get redirected to:
https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?nui=5&service=grandcentral&ltmpl=mobile&btmpl=mobile&passive=true&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fvoice%2Fm

If you then have to post the google username and password, and it will start a series of 2 different 302 redirects that set/check cookies until you finally get redirected BACK to https://www.google.com/voice/m but this time with an ?auth parameter.

Now you should get back the normal iphone Javascript page, with a set cookie that contains the gvx value.

Note: the gvx cookie always seems to be expire in about a day or less.

It basically looks like an Ajax like strategy to allow you to make phone calls via cached version of the voice/m page (much better for mobile!), but always still send the latest “cookie” for extra security.

if the gvx is old it seems to give you a JSON response with an auth failure.