Google Voice, do not get too excited....

[OfTheDamned]

Yes, but I'm not sure I see the point. They both ring the same phone. And you can set it to differentiate the two, but then you won't actually know who is calling on your business line until you answer the phone.

If you have a plan that allows for friends and family calling you get 5 unlimited call numbers on a single line and 10 on a family plan. If you set your GV number up as one of those numbers then all the incoming and outgoing calls will be free (as in they don't go against your regular plan minutes). You can also set the GV number (business number) to ring at more than one location which allows you to pick it up on a land line as well. You can also save all your voicemails and text that go through Google Voice on your computer for reference later on (huge help in business these days). The ability to change personal numbers and keep the business number is a big plus as well.

As far as not knowing who is calling, I have never had an issue with caller ID while using Google Voice. There are even settings that force the caller to identify themselves if you want.

 

[byteware]

If you have a plan that allows for friends and family calling you get 5 unlimited call numbers on a single line and 10 on a family plan. If you set your GV number up as one of those numbers then all the incoming and outgoing calls will be free (as in they don't go against your regular plan minutes).

This is the way I have mine (and my wife's) setup.

As far as not knowing who is calling, I have never had an issue with caller ID while using Google Voice. There are even settings that force the caller to identify themselves if you want.

You can have it display as the number that is calling, or your Google Voice number. If your Google Voice number displays (which will tell you it's a business call), then you wouldn't know who exactly is calling.

As far as the forcing people to identify themselves, I really dislike this feature (more than I can express). It just seems like an obvious way to screen calls. Then if the person doesn't answer the phone, the caller has to wonder if they were screened...

If it were up to me, I would put them all through Google Voice, and have a specific voicemail message for friends and family, and a specific voicemail message for everyone else.

But that would be the way I would do it... everybody is different.

 

[Demache]

It's a 'pain the in ass'?

Yes. I'm so frustrated that I can't type acronyms correctly. I just wish I could do something about it.

 

[OfTheDamned]

You can have it display as the number that is calling, or your Google Voice number. If your Google Voice number displays (which will tell you it's a business call), then you wouldn't know who exactly is calling.

As far as the forcing people to identify themselves, I really dislike this feature (more than I can express). It just seems like an obvious way to screen calls. Then if the person doesn't answer the phone, the caller has to wonder if they were screened...

If it were up to me, I would put them all through Google Voice, and have a specific voicemail message for friends and family, and a specific voicemail message for everyone else.

But that would be the way I would do it... everybody is different.

I hate the feature too. I was just pointing out as an option.

You can set up different voicemail messages based on your calling groups. I have different ones set up for business, friends, family and even my girlfriend. I also have the generic message for people not listen in a group.

 

[RayW]

ok...I've been looking at this. I have an unlimited data plan but limited peak call minutes. Also I was looking for a way certain outbound calls would NOT show up on my billing records or use peak call minutes...

From what I understand GV still uses the minutes for calls because when you place a call it just calls your phone back? It's not using VOIP to get out of the phone and into google and eventually to the person you are calling?

 

[Demache]

ok...I've been looking at this. I have an unlimited data plan but limited peak call minutes. Also I was looking for a way certain outbound calls would NOT show up on my billing records or use peak call minutes...

From what I understand GV still uses the minutes for calls because when you place a call it just calls your phone back? It's not using VOIP to get out of the phone and into google and eventually to the person you are calling?

Correct. GV acts more like a "proxy" for your voice calls, allowing enhanced features and such. So when you call someone, the call is actually going to the GV servers, they answer it, and they call the person your calling, and then connect the call. Same way vice versa. The only big data based feature is visual voicemail (which I still want dammit).

 

[byteware]

ok...I've been looking at this. I have an unlimited data plan but limited peak call minutes. Also I was looking for a way certain outbound calls would NOT show up on my billing records or use peak call minutes...

From what I understand GV still uses the minutes for calls because when you place a call it just calls your phone back? It's not using VOIP to get out of the phone and into google and eventually to the person you are calling?

GV calls a number that shows up on your records. So, numbers you call don't show up on your records. numbers that call you, do.

Also, if you add the GV number that you actually call when making GV calls to your Friends and Family plan, then the calls are free.

 

[cc1995]

I just want to make sure I understand how to text using google voice and not get charged by Verizon. I have a google voice number that I give to certain people and this forwards to my regular cell number. I have the Google Voice app for android and if I want to text for free I need to text out to people using this for it to be free...correct? Now...the thing I'm unsure of is if I give my friends my google voice number and have them use that just to text me (just want them to text me since if they use it all the time to call me I will get charged minutes since they are all on Verizon and it will be free if they just call my regular cell number...I don't have the 10 family and friends feature with Verizon based on my plan). If they send me a text to my google voice number...I will get this through data and to my Google voice app and Verizon won't charge me for a text...correct? I already turned off the SMS notification and email notification in the desktop account settings. So will I be getting free texting like this? or do I need to do something else? I was unsure of if someone texts my google voice number it will be seen by verizon as being forwarded to my cell number and I will be charged a texting fee. I think I'm alright but figured you pros would know for sure about this.

Thanks guys.

 

[byteware]

I just want to make sure I understand how to text using google voice and not get charged by Verizon. I have a google voice number that I give to certain people and this forwards to my regular cell number. I have the Google Voice app for android and if I want to text for free I need to text out to people using this for it to be free...correct? Now...the thing I'm unsure of is if I give my friends my google voice number and have them use that just to text me (just want them to text me since if they use it all the time to call me I will get charged minutes since they are all on Verizon and it will be free if they just call my regular cell number...I don't have the 10 family and friends feature with Verizon based on my plan). If they send me a text to my google voice number...I will get this through data and to my Google voice app and Verizon won't charge me for a text...correct? I already turned off the SMS notification and email notification in the desktop account settings. So will I be getting free texting like this? or do I need to do something else? I was unsure of if someone texts my google voice number it will be seen by verizon as being forwarded to my cell number and I will be charged a texting fee. I think I'm alright but figured you pros would know for sure about this.

Thanks guys.

If they text your Google Voice number, you will receive the text via data and it will not count against your Verizon number. In fact, I just recently had texting blocked at Verizon so that people couldn't send me text messages by accident, and I am relying solely on Google Voice for my text messages.