Help Google Voice Question

[Dabitz]

I apologize in advanced if this has been answered before but I am finding conflicting results. When you use Google Voice, is there a way to send free SMS and phone calls (US)? I thought txt messages would be free, but I could swear Verizon charged me for it. Hard to say cause the Verizon application doesn't update txt messages right away. I would appreciate any input on this.

 

[lexluthor]

Texts through the Goolge Voice app are free and do not go through Verizon's text network. Same with incoming texts too, but make sure you turn off forwarding texts to your phone in the GV website if you are running the GV app or you'll get dupes, one of which will be a "real" text that gets charged by Verizon.


Phone calls use minutes. If you have a friends and family plan, there might be some workarounds to add your GV number to the plan to make the calls free, but I don't have that, so I'm not sure if/how that's possible.

 

[Dabitz]

Thanks, I read that about the sms setting, but I don't see that on GV's site. I only see the option "Forward text messages to my email: xxx" which is unchecked. Not sure if that is what it is...

 

[lexluthor]

In phones, edit your cell phone # and uncheck receive text messages on this phone. They'll come through the google app. You don't want gv to actually send a real text to your cell (which is what happens if you have that option checked).

 

[Gareee]

So do recipiants also have to have google voice as well? Or do they get some generic text message type? If they reply to a GV one, do we then get that through google voice?

In other words, will the rest of the known world get texting from us without verizon's text service?
We hardly ever text, but having the ability free would be nice.

 

[Paycer]

I've used Google Voice for a while now. When you send a text from the app, it's sent as a normal text message from your Google Voice phone number that you get for free. The person you send it to will receive it from that number and not your actual Verizon phone number. When they reply to the text, it will be sent to your Google Voice number instead of your actual number, and therefore shows up in the app. You can also set up your voicemail with your Google Voice number, and manage both it and your texts from any computer's web browser.

 

[Gareee]

Thanks for that explanation.. so as long as they reply to or text call the the google voice number, we're cool, and don't rack up text charges.

Almost as nice as circumventing VZ navigator with google nav!

 

[Gareee]

I have a question maybe someone here can answer.. I tried to link my wife's phone as an additional phone for my google voice account, but when she tries to call me now, it asks for a pin number.

It sounds like google voice might have taken over all the calls coming in on my phone, because I also got two voice mails today on google voice, but none on my regular cell number.

Is there a setting I set improperly?