Google Voice returns to the App Store

Google’s official ‘Voice’ app has been uploaded back to Apple’s iTunes App Store after being taken down about a week ago.

But unlike so many other stories of apps disappearing from the digital marketplace, this was not at the behest of Apple.

Instead, Google pulled down the app itself after several users reported it crashing immediately after opening it, after they installed the new iPhone firmware update to iOS version 5.0.

Confirmed by a Google Twitter post, the latest version of Google Voice is back up on the App Store. As for what’s different in the new version? “Fix for sign in crash introduced in v1.3.0.1771,” the company wrote.

The Twitter message detailed that the newly uploaded app also “improves calling through [Google Voice] when there is no data: no data required for all numbers previously called.”

Just like Google does nothing in its search algorithms to prevent Apple websites and stories from showing up, Apple has tried to treat Google just like any other app developer – in spite of the fact that the two companies are fierce competitors.

It wasn’t always that way, though. Apple used to staunchly prohibit any apps from being allowed if they mimicked any of the iPhone’s built-in features – like placing phone calls.

Google Voice allows users to call one another without using any of their plan minutes.