Help Google Voice Texting on Verizon Question

[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 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.

 

[e5116]

Yes, your understanding is correct. You will not be charged by Verizon for texts to your gvoice number assuming you don't have SMS forwarding checked on your google voice account. I'm in the same boat as you - I want to give people my gvoice number for texts and normal number for phone calls since most people I know have Verizon and I want it to be in network. I just feel bad annoying people by saying "please use a different number for texts and calls to me"...That's the one bad thing about google voice, I'd say. Has anybody verified that if somebody calls your gvoice number from Verizon, it's considered out of network because it was routed differently? I think that is the case, but I'd like 100% verification.

 

[D13]

You can also use the stock one. When someone texts your new gv number a new number is going to come up that you don't recognize. If you set that number as their mobile 2 in contacts, you can text back that new number you just made mobile 2 and use and mms app you want. Handcent, ChompSms the stock one...

 

[genxgeek]

Has anybody verified that if somebody calls your gvoice number from Verizon, it's considered out of network because it was routed differently? I think that is the case, but I'd like 100% verification.

+1

I didn't consider this until now. This is a great question. Anyone know for sure???

 

[cc1995]

Yes...it's considered a call outside of your network since when they call your google voice number it gets forwarded to your phone and the forwarding number that it's coming from isn't considered a verizon number...I'm almost 100% sure on this. What you can do is, if your verizon plan qualifies you for the free friends and family numbers...I think it's 10 numbers or something. You just put your goggle voice number in as one of the 10 numbers. That way..when someone calls that number and it gets forwarded to your phone it's considered one of your 10 free friends and verizon won't charge you any minutes like if someone called you from a Verizon phone...it's free. I unfortunately don't qaulify for the 10 free friends and family since I'm on a $69.99 family plan. Hope I explained this in a way you understand.

 

[D13]

Yes...it's considered a call outside of your network since when they call your google voice number it gets forwarded to your phone and the forwarding number that it's coming from isn't considered a verizon number...I'm almost 100% sure on this. What you can do is, if your verizon plan qualifies you for the free friends and family numbers...I think it's 10 numbers or something. You just put your goggle voice number in as one of the 10 numbers. That way..when someone calls that number and it gets forwarded to your phone it's considered one of your 10 free friends and verizon won't charge you any minutes like if someone called you from a Verizon phone...it's free. I unfortunately don't qaulify for the 10 free friends and family since I'm on a $69.99 family plan. Hope I explained this in a way you understand.

Be very careful using this it is against verizon policy to use methods of avoiding minutes by any means, gv included. Verizon can easily look up which numbers are assigned to gv and if they catch you, you may be left with a big fat bill.