I have MetroPCS as a carrier and ZTE Zmax Z970 (Draconis w/BrokenOS). I am looking for a good app to get a second number for buisness/craigslist ect. I know there is Voice, talkatone, and apps like that, but what I'm looking for is just a alternative number that rings through my regular service. Any help would be great and also extra info Google voice a a alternative would be my best option after what I have asked for above. Thanks for the help in advance.
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2nd phone number
- Thread starter Flablitz
- Start date
Yup. Google Voice. Love it. It has a lot of great features besides just another number and can be set up in a lot of different ways depending on your needs.
I use it as my voice mail instead of Verizon, I have individual/personalized greetings for a lot of my contacts and a general one for others. I use it as a second number for some (not friends/family) calls and texts. I make outgoing calls from either number, very handy.
You can also use an app like Voice Choice to automatically handle outgoing calls, a lifesaver if you ask me.
I use it as my voice mail instead of Verizon, I have individual/personalized greetings for a lot of my contacts and a general one for others. I use it as a second number for some (not friends/family) calls and texts. I make outgoing calls from either number, very handy.
You can also use an app like Voice Choice to automatically handle outgoing calls, a lifesaver if you ask me.
I have a number through Google voice that I've had for a while. Can I change the number for a fresh start? I'm gonna look up voice choice to see what it is exactly. I was reading up on a app called sideline with a 4.4 rating and 100k+downloads. Anyone used sideline? Pros/cons?
Sideline is made by Pinger and they've been around forever. Looks like a nice app.
Why would you change your GV number if you already have one?
The only thing that could be a problem is recycled numbers, could get calls from prior people's peeps. If you do get a new number, either GV or sideline, give it a while before handing it out and marrying it.
Why would you change your GV number if you already have one?
The only thing that could be a problem is recycled numbers, could get calls from prior people's peeps. If you do get a new number, either GV or sideline, give it a while before handing it out and marrying it.
electricpete
Android Expert
Yup.
https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115114?hl=en
It looks like they'll charge you $10 if you just want to change to a new (random) number (*).
And they'll charge you $20 if you want to change (port) to an existing number that you have on a mobile phone. (**)
* If $10 bothers you, you can just create a new google account and get a new phone number there. It complicates tieing your google number to your existing android phone signed in on your original google account a little, but you can certainly forward google voice number calls to your phone.
** I have to brag about my story, although unrelated to your question. After 15 years with the same landline (with everyone in the house having their own cell the last five years), we decided paying that montly $20 landline fee was really stupid and we needed to cut the cord. And since a whole lot of people including old friends had that landline number, we really didn't want to lose it. Google voice allows porting in cells, but they don't allow porting in landlines... what to do. Found a solution idea on-line and worked perfectly: Step 1: we bought a $20 at&t go-phone and ported our landline number to it. Step 2: We turned around and ported the same number from the go-phone to google voice for another $20. Voila. We've only spent $40 total (two months landline fees). And we get to keep our treasured landline number forever more. end of brag.
I agree. Google voice is flexible. Lots of screening and forwarding options.
Last edited:
Crashdamage
Android Expert
This is a post I wrote a while back on Google Voice and VoiceChoice:
"Get a Google Voice number. It's just like getting a second line on the phone. The original cell number works same as always. Go into GV settings online and set GV to forward all calls to the cellphone number. Then no matter which number is called the phone rings normally.
For example, use the GV number for a business number and almost everything else. Only friends and family know the real cellphone number.
If you have postpaid cellphone service, you also have conditional call forwarding, which makes it possible for GV to handle all voicemail.
Install the GV app and you have visual voicemail for both numbers in one place. During setup choose GV for all voicemail service, NOT your service provider's voicemail. This activates conditional call forwardingi.
Remember, in initial setup outlined earlier, GV was setup to foward all calls to the GV number to the cell number. This is standard setup. Well, now unanswered calls to the cell number are forwarded by conditional call forwarding back to GV so GV can handle all voicemail, for either number, in one place and as visual voicemail.
To really make GV work seamlessly, especially if you've organized your contacts into groups, install Voice Choice 2.0.
It works like this: Setup VoiceChoice to, for example, call all Business Group contacts using the GV number and call all Friends & Family Group contacts with the real cell number. Set the GV app to make all calls through GV by default. But VoiceChoice 2.0 actually dials out. It automatically chooses to use either the cell number or GV number, depending on the contact group the contact being called is in. So, Business contacts see the GV (aka business) number, and Friends & Family contacts see the cell number.
This works perfectly. Routing is completely automatic. You don't have to do anything special or remember anything. Just use the phone normally and GV and Voice Choice 2.0 automatically deals with which phone number is used for outgoing calls.
With VoiceChoice 2.0 you can also choose which number is used for individual contacts instead of only by group. And GV wil do specialized voicemail messages by contact group and much more.
Note: There's a very good FAQ in the Help. Good setup explanation.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.googlevoice
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.voiceplus"
"Get a Google Voice number. It's just like getting a second line on the phone. The original cell number works same as always. Go into GV settings online and set GV to forward all calls to the cellphone number. Then no matter which number is called the phone rings normally.
For example, use the GV number for a business number and almost everything else. Only friends and family know the real cellphone number.
If you have postpaid cellphone service, you also have conditional call forwarding, which makes it possible for GV to handle all voicemail.
Install the GV app and you have visual voicemail for both numbers in one place. During setup choose GV for all voicemail service, NOT your service provider's voicemail. This activates conditional call forwardingi.
Remember, in initial setup outlined earlier, GV was setup to foward all calls to the GV number to the cell number. This is standard setup. Well, now unanswered calls to the cell number are forwarded by conditional call forwarding back to GV so GV can handle all voicemail, for either number, in one place and as visual voicemail.
To really make GV work seamlessly, especially if you've organized your contacts into groups, install Voice Choice 2.0.
It works like this: Setup VoiceChoice to, for example, call all Business Group contacts using the GV number and call all Friends & Family Group contacts with the real cell number. Set the GV app to make all calls through GV by default. But VoiceChoice 2.0 actually dials out. It automatically chooses to use either the cell number or GV number, depending on the contact group the contact being called is in. So, Business contacts see the GV (aka business) number, and Friends & Family contacts see the cell number.
This works perfectly. Routing is completely automatic. You don't have to do anything special or remember anything. Just use the phone normally and GV and Voice Choice 2.0 automatically deals with which phone number is used for outgoing calls.
With VoiceChoice 2.0 you can also choose which number is used for individual contacts instead of only by group. And GV wil do specialized voicemail messages by contact group and much more.
Note: There's a very good FAQ in the Help. Good setup explanation.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.googlevoice
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.voiceplus"