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Google Voice for Firefox

October 26, 2011 by Noah
Just a simple little way to get Google Voice notifications if you're a Firefox user... and it doesn't even involve any add-ons.

Google Voice Tab

How to do it: simply go to the Google Voice website (https://www.google.com/voice), then right click on the tab and click "Pin as App Tab." In Firefox, if a pinned tab changes its page title (to put a "(1)" in it for example), the tab will highlight as its attempt to notify you that something has changed.

So if you're a Google Voice user and you want to know when somebody texts you but you don't want to use Google Chrome, this method is easy and works pretty well.

Incidentally, if you pin Facebook, its tab will also highlight if you get new messages or notifications. It works on any web page that notifies you by changing its page title.

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Comments

There are 11 comments on this page. Add yours.

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Kayem68 posted on January 20, 2012 @ 21:07 UTC

So simple it's genius! Thx!

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hibs posted on March 3, 2012 @ 14:36 UTC

Thats actually a pretty good tip. I was about to install some stupid things, instead I will do this.

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zion posted on April 30, 2012 @ 22:36 UTC

it will not do it

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Alan posted on May 11, 2012 @ 14:45 UTC

How can you make the notification more prominent, like play a sound, flash the tab favicon, and if firefox is minimized, blink the firefox icon in the taskbar?

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Jon posted on August 3, 2012 @ 09:59 UTC

I'm using windows xp pro.. and had been using chrome for a while. but I've decided to switch back to firefox.. and I'm having a lot of trouble finding an acceptable way to receive notifications on my computer when I get a new text, missed call, or voicemail with google voice. they made an amazing plugin for chrome of course. but nothing that seems to work for me with firefox.

I've installed: http://www.elijahclark.com/blog/112-google-voice-firefox-5-extension-addon.html

but it doesn't notify me without hovering over it to check.. which is not a notification at all.

I downloaded and installed 3 or 4 different windows applications. Only one really worked.. and after having it running for 2-3 days.. I went to the google voice website and noticed I had a new text and voicemail that never popped up at all on my desktop. so nothing there either.

I ended up eventually finding this post, and so far.. it works the best out of everything else. which is sad considering how simple it is. I don't know why someone hasn't created a legit google voice plugin for firefox. If everyone that uses google voice just uses chrome.. or if it's just not possible without an API or something for someone to create a notification plugin. it's really frustrating.

anyways.. like the last poster.. I'm wondering if there is a way to get a better notification when I do get a new action on google voice. as of right now it does change the pinned tab background color to a very light blue. but it's not noticeable at all.. you have to look really hard to notice the shade change. I'm wondering if there is anyway to make it a bright or darker color.. so it's actually noticeable that you've received a new notification without having to change my windows theme around?

any ideas?

also wanted to say thank you to kirsle for posting this tip.

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Jon posted on August 3, 2012 @ 13:25 UTC

figured out a way to do this.

install stylish extension:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/stylish/

and then install this userstyle:

http://userstyles.org/styles/48323/highlight-app-tab-when-title-changed

screenshot in action:

http://temp.jonindie.com/2012-08-03_0920.png

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Anonymous posted on April 12, 2013 @ 01:11 UTC

this didn't work in Waterfox

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Race Boyer posted on May 23, 2013 @ 17:40 UTC

great idea!

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MD.Ashraful Islam posted on February 10, 2014 @ 14:49 UTC

(https://www.google.com/voice) click this link but go to http://www.google.com/chat/voice/ this is my porblem. help me !

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kamran posted on March 17, 2015 @ 12:45 UTC

it sucks

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Anonymous posted on May 24, 2019 @ 21:08 UTC

Pin as App Tab hasn't worked in years as of 2019.

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