[APP] GrooVe IP - Google Voice VoIP

[snrb]

Hi Guys

VM Optimus using GV # since day 1.

I have been following this thread.
I want to buy this app, but I got lost during the thread posts, particularly the Google Chat part.
Is there a definitive non-techie step by step guide I can follow?

I wasted much time with the Sipdroid method finding it much too complex.
I just couldn't understand the extra steps and operations you had to employ, so I abandoned it.

Also, can I buy the app from the Market using my laptop, then transfer the app over with USB cable? I am paranoid about putting a CC number into my phone. It has no malware/virus protection on it as far as I can see. What protection do you folks use?

I want to load more apps to the phone, but how do I get them to load to the card?
Is it best to get a larger card? I only have the stock 2GB.

Many thanks
z3

The app connects through Google Chat. So in order to receive calls you have to go into your google voice account and forward calls to Google Chat. It should be one of the options in the voice settings. Other than that you really only have to enter your username and password. The rest of the options customize the app behavior or troubleshoot specific issues.

I believe you can purchase the app from the market on your pc and then download it on your phone from the market app. The purchase is tied to the gmail account your phone sync's with, so you likely have to log in with that when you purchase from the pc. Alternatively you can purchase from the amazon app store. And I know that lets you purchase from a pc and download on your phone.

 

[snrb]

Great job snrb team!
This really helps my Dad call back to the home country & when he travels there won't be a need to get a GSM phone.

I haven't delve into the FAQ yet since we just got the app for him yest & only tested the phone domestically so please pardon the noob questions:

1) The echo problem - briefly read somewhere on net that it was caused by the speaker phone turning on automatically - true?

2) Also - when making a call - does the call receipient see my Dad's GV phone# or some generic #?

Recipient will see the Google Voice phone number as the caller id.

Are you having echo? You can reduce it by lowering both the speaker volume and mic gain. We should also have another update over the weekend with an echo canceling option.

 

[EVU]

Recipient will see the Google Voice phone number as the caller id.

Are you having echo? You can reduce it by lowering both the speaker volume and mic gain. We should also have another update over the weekend with an echo canceling option.

Thank you for the update!!!

Also - 1 other question:

Is the app purchase tied to only one device (my Father's EVO 4G) or can he use it also on his Moto Xoom tablet also?

 

[snrb]

Thank you for the update!!!

Also - 1 other question:

Is the app purchase tied to only one device (my Father's EVO 4G) or can he use it also on his Moto Xoom tablet also?

Purchases from the android market are tied to the gmail account the device you purchase on sync's with. So as long as both sync to the same gmail account the app will work on both.

 

[z3N#]

The app connects through Google Chat. So in order to receive calls you have to go into your google voice account and forward calls to Google Chat. It should be one of the options in the voice settings. Other than that you really only have to enter your username and password. The rest of the options customize the app behavior or troubleshoot specific issues.

I believe you can purchase the app from the market on your pc and then download it on your phone from the market app. The purchase is tied to the gmail account your phone sync's with, so you likely have to log in with that when you purchase from the pc. Alternatively you can purchase from the amazon app store. And I know that lets you purchase from a pc and download on your phone.

Hello SNRB
Thanks for the follow up.
I have no Google chat option in my GV account.
Is it disabled by default perhaps?
Thx
z3

 

[ric5141]

Hello SNRB
Thanks for the follow up.
I have no Google chat option in my GV account.
Is it disabled by default perhaps?
Thx
z3

In you google voice account click the phone number at the top right of the first screen

You should see the items

Phone number

Then Google Chat
then The cell phone number...only check the google chat option

This is all on the phone tab

 

[TnTWalter]

I have Optimus V and got Groove IP. It doesn't work. I've read that I have to do google chat. I am able to click the box forwarding to google chat and click off my cell phone number but cannot call out. Someone said you had to call from google chat first. But I can't cannot figure out at all how to access / use google chat to make the call. Can somone walk me through it step by step. Website or app or whatever. Then click or whatever. I feel like an idiot but hubby couldn't do it either.

ok..update i just called hubby through google voice...it asked if i wanted to use groove ip...and it worked...did not do anything google chat....

my minutes didn't change!!!
so i just needed to check the box...that was the 'google chat'...woohoo
Trish

 

[snrb]

I have Optimus V and got Groove IP. It doesn't work. I've read that I have to do google chat. I am able to click the box forwarding to google chat and click off my cell phone number but cannot call out. Someone said you had to call from google chat first. But I can't cannot figure out at all how to access / use google chat to make the call. Can somone walk me through it step by step. Website or app or whatever. Then click or whatever. I feel like an idiot but hubby couldn't do it either.

ok..update i just called hubby through google voice...it asked if i wanted to use groove ip...and it worked...did not do anything google chat....

my minutes didn't change!!!
so i just needed to check the box...that was the 'google chat'...woohoo
Trish

Sounds like you got it working. Do you still need any help with anything?

 

[z3N#]

In your google voice account click the phone number at the top right of the first screen
You should see the items
Phone number Then Google Chat
then The cell phone number...only check the google chat option
This is all on the phone tab

OK I finally got Chat to appear in the GV dashboard...you have to go into Gmail - Settings - Chat - Select radio button "Enable outbound calls etc' (I read Gmail in a separate email client)
Turn Chat on in GV sidebar...refresh everything then it appears.
So far so good...

I downloaded the app and installed it.
I can call out but no speaker option
Calling in, it shows up on the phone screen but no ring tone, and no speaker option again.

OK got the ring tone turned on...but no speaker option
------------------------------------------------------------------
Got the speaker option to work both ways now.
Thanks for a great app.

 

[cal47]

Made a change related to this. It's not a perfect solution. But we re-display the GrooVe IP incoming call screen if the native call system starts ringing. So as long as you have a data connection during the incoming native call you'll be able to answer from GrooVe IP.

So if you were on WiFi you could have calls forwarded to both your cell and google chat. Since WiFi would stay alive during an incoming native call you'd be able to answer from GrooVe IP. When you switched to 3G, assuming you don't have allow 3G/4G calling, GrooVe IP would sign out. Then calls to your Google Voice number would still forward to your cell number and use your mobile minutes/plan.

Just made the change tonight, if you want to help test, shoot me an email at snrb.labs@gmail.com

Hi I was wondering if this change is part of the version 1.1.8 release.

On incoming calls my phone will show the GrooVeIP incoming call screen for about 2 rings and then switches over to the native dialer.

Currently using a OptimusV with bumblebee2.4.

 

[z3N#]

OK I finally got Chat to appear in the GV dashboard...you have to go into Gmail - Settings - Chat - Select radio button "Enable outbound calls etc' (I read Gmail in a separate email client)
Turn Chat on in GV sidebar...refresh everything then it appears.
So far so good...

I downloaded the app and installed it.
I can call out but no speaker option
Calling in, it shows up on the phone screen but no ring tone, and no speaker option
Got the speaker option to work both ways now.
Thanks for a great app.

I have the green icon light, I've turned off Chat in Gmail as suggested, allowed 3G/4G calling, turned off Wifi, all troubleshooting preferences unchecked, mobile device number unchecked,
but minutes are still being burned.

If I have Wifi running at the same time as 3/4G enabled, what effect does that have ?
What other config should I implement to avoid min usage?
Thx
z3

 

[snrb]

I have the green icon light, I've turned off Chat in Gmail as suggested, allowed 3G/4G calling, turned off Wifi, all troubleshooting preferences unchecked, mobile device number unchecked,
but minutes are still being burned.

If I have Wifi running at the same time as 3/4G enabled, what effect does that have ?
What other config should I implement to avoid min usage?
Thx
z3

Make sure calls are made through the app. The in-call screen is different than your native one. Has 5 buttons, hangup and dialpad on the top row and then bluetooth mute and speaker on the bottom row. Also, for incoming calls people have to call your google voice number not your cell number.

 

[z3N#]

Make sure calls are made through the app. The in-call screen is different than your native one. Has 5 buttons, hangup and dialpad on the top row and then bluetooth mute and speaker on the bottom row. Also, for incoming calls people have to call your google voice number not your cell number.

Yes I noted the difference between the dialers.
Cell number never issued, always GV number from day one.

I had an incoming call last night that burned mins...I could swear the app in-call screen displayed.

When I used the native out call dialer, it asks me if I want to route the call through GrooveIP...so I DON'T use the native dialer at all?

I noticed just now the icon went red, I went to Gmail on my laptop and enabled Chat and it reverted to green after toggling airplane mode - So do I leave Chat on or off?

I just turned it off again to check GVIP status.
Oh, I think GrooveIp had just signed out... its not Chat on/off dependent?

Sorry I am in learning curve....maybe I am getting confused.

This is interesting: A call just came in - the icon went to Red.
The native in-call screen showed up - The call ended, the icon went to Green...

Many thx
z3

 

[FarmerOak]

Have GrooveIP installed on my Optimus V, it works great when I have fast 3G or Wifi access. The problem I have, however, is how to forward calls to GrooveIP AND my mobile and be able to choose which to answer with. I've done some experimenting, and here's what I've found:

When you have data access and someone calls with:

1. Google Voice forwarding to Google Chat only, you get the call on GrooveIP
2. Google Voice forwarding to mobile only, you get the call on your native dialer only
3. Google Voice forwarding to BOTH, you first get GrooveIP for 1-2 seconds, THEN native dialer ON TOP of GrooveIP. Two ring tones simultaneously, with native dialer on top. <--- want to be able to CHOOSE which to answer with.

When you have NO data access and someone calls with:

1. Google Voice forwarding to Google Chat only, you get NOTHING**
2. Google Voice forwarding to mobile only, you get the call on your native dialer only
3. Google Voice forwarding to BOTH, you get the call on your native dialer only

The scenario I don't want is "#1 w/no data". If I don't have data access for whatever reason, no one can call me! (Unless they call my real mobile #, which I don't want to use). So I need "#3 w/data" above to give the OPTION to pick up through GrooveIP or native when both are going off. Therefore, if I have no data access, my mobile will still ring fine since GrooveIP just won't activate at all. This would be a great feature, too, if you really wanted great call clarity for a particular phone call.

Is this possible?

 

[snrb]

Yes I noted the difference between the dialers.
Cell number never issued, always GV number from day one.

I had an incoming call last night that burned mins...I could swear the app in-call screen displayed.

When I used the native out call dialer, it asks me if I want to route the call through GrooveIP...so I DON'T use the native dialer at all?

I noticed just now the icon went red, I went to Gmail on my laptop and enabled Chat and it reverted to green after toggling airplane mode - So do I leave Chat on or off?

I just turned it off again to check GVIP status.
Oh, I think GrooveIp had just signed out... its not Chat on/off dependent?

Sorry I am in learning curve....maybe I am getting confused.

This is interesting: A call just came in - the icon went to Red.
The native in-call screen showed up - The call ended, the icon went to Green...

Many thx
z3

For incoming calls you have to go into your google voice account and forward calls to Google Chat. It sounds like your calls are still forwarded to your cell number. That will use your minutes.

 

[snrb]

Have GrooveIP installed on my Optimus V, it works great when I have fast 3G or Wifi access. The problem I have, however, is how to forward calls to GrooveIP AND my mobile and be able to choose which to answer with. I've done some experimenting, and here's what I've found:

When you have data access and someone calls with:

1. Google Voice forwarding to Google Chat only, you get the call on GrooveIP
2. Google Voice forwarding to mobile only, you get the call on your native dialer
3. Google Voice forwarding to BOTH, you first get GrooveIP for 1-2 seconds, THEN native dialer ON TOP of GrooveIP. Two ring tones simultaneously, with native dialer on top. <--- want to be able to CHOOSE which to answer with.

When you have NO data access and someone calls with:

1. Google Voice forwarding to Google Chat only, you get NOTHING**
2. Google Voice forwarding to mobile only, you get the call on your native dialer
3. Google Voice forwarding to BOTH, you first get GrooveIP for 1-2 seconds, you get the call on your native dialer only

The scenario I don't want is no data #1. If I don't have data access for whatever reason, no one can call me! (Unless they call my real mobile #, which I don't want to use). So I need "#3 w/data" above to give the OPTION to pick up through GrooveIP or native when both are going off. Therefore, if I have no data access, my mobile will still ring fine since GrooveIP just won't activate at all. This would be a great feature, too, if you really wanted great call clarity for a particular phone call.

Is this possible?

We'll be posting an update tomorrow (Friday). One of the changes is that the GrooVe IP incoming call screen will come back on top of the native one. So right now what happens is you'll get 1-2 rings with GrooVe IP then the native incoming call takes over and you get double ring. In the new update what will happen is GrooVe IP will ring for 1-2 rings, then the native dialer will come up very briefly, then GrooVe IP will come back on top (as long as you have a data connection). The app will mute it's ring and use the native ringtone so you don't get the double ring.

 

[FarmerOak]

We'll be posting an update tomorrow (Friday). One of the changes is that the GrooVe IP incoming call screen will come back on top of the native one. So right now what happens is you'll get 1-2 rings with GrooVe IP then the native incoming call takes over and you get double ring. In the new update what will happen is GrooVe IP will ring for 1-2 rings, then the native dialer will come up very briefly, then GrooVe IP will come back on top (as long as you have a data connection). The app will mute it's ring and use the native ringtone so you don't get the double ring.

PERFECT, thank you! This app is so close to being flawless. Any chance we'd get an option to choose in the future?

Now if only we could choose to compress the outbound data loads more to help with low data transmit rates. I know you've addressed this before and there are limitations with Google's own compression standards, but I can dream

 

[snrb]

PERFECT, thank you! This app is so close to being flawless. Any chance we'd get an option to choose in the future?

Now if only we could choose to compress the outbound data loads more to help with low data transmit rates. I know you've addressed this before and there are limitations with Google's own compression standards, but I can dream

Who knows, maybe they'll adopt a new codec. I mean we could stick a server in the middle and use compression to that and then g711 from there to Google Voice. But I think we prefer to maintain the direct Google Voice connection.

Oh and if you like the app, please help us out and give us a 5-star review

 

[FarmerOak]

Who knows, maybe they'll adopt a new codec. I mean we could stick a server in the middle and use compression to that and then g711 from there to Google Voice. But I think we prefer to maintain the direct Google Voice connection.

Oh and if you like the app, please help us out and give us a 5-star review

Just did, and happy to do so.

Maybe in the next update, you could pop up a menu to give the option to display the native or GroovIP dialer (like when calling out), instead of just defaulting to GrooveIP. There's times I might REALLY need to answer a call and don't want to risk spotty quality, you know? Thanks for your great work

 

[snrb]

Just did, and happy to do so.

Maybe in the next update, you could pop up a menu to give the option to display the native or GroovIP dialer (like when calling out), instead of just defaulting to GrooveIP. There's times I might REALLY need to answer a call and don't want to risk spotty quality, you know? Thanks for your great work

I *think* (haven't tried it) if you press the home button when our incoming call screen is showing it'll go back to the native one. We're already pretty far into testing for this update but will definitely take a look for the next one.

 

[z3N#]

For incoming calls you have to go into your google voice account and forward calls to Google Chat. It sounds like your calls are still forwarded to your cell number. That will use your minutes.[/

Strange....
Yesterday I de-selected 'Forward calls to (GV number)'
and selected 'Google Chat' forwarding. Its been like that since I installed the app and configured it.
However mins are still being used
Just made a call using GrooveIp dialer, no speaker function, but it did look like it went out over GrooveIp, so I'll wait to see if the minutes show as being used on the provider web site.
I think part of the problem is signal drops in and out here....

Thx

 

[Whyzor]

I thought on CDMA networks, data & native phone voice can't be on at the same time? Thus why groove IP will ring first, but then the incoming cellphone call will override it. Or is this not an issue with 3G CDMA now?

I too would love to see a more efficient codec, especially on spotty VM networks. Maybe if we all pester Google Voice about it, they'll upgrade. G722 is so old & inefficient by today's standards.

 

[TnTWalter]

Sounds like you got it working. Do you still need any help with anything?

I'm having trouble with calls not going through...i end up having to use my mobile minutes. It will either ring or not ring and then go right back to the dial pad....

Can you help me troubleshoot? Thanks.

Trish

 

[snrb]

I thought on CDMA networks, data & native phone voice can't be on at the same time? Thus why groove IP will ring first, but then the incoming cellphone call will override it. Or is this not an issue with 3G CDMA now?

I too would love to see a more efficient codec, especially on spotty VM networks. Maybe if we all pester Google Voice about it, they'll upgrade. G722 is so old & inefficient by today's standards.

On CDMA networks where you can't have data and voice at the same time, you'll need to be connected to WiFi. Otherwise the native incoming call will drop your data connection.

 

[z3N#]

snrb

Thanks for assistance.
I can get it working pretty well now.
I had the echo, low volume issues but adjusted the settings according to your web site FAQ.

I am using Wifi at my location as 3g is spotty and probably causing my prior problems.

My remaining problem now is
The phone will not ring on in-calling
thx
z3