MusicJunkie
Android Expert
Why do people use Google Voice for their voicemail instead of the regular voicemail that's provided by dialing 1 or visual voicemail from Sprint?
-
After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.
Google Voice
- Thread starter MusicJunkie
- Start date
LBPHeretic
Android Expert
It offers a pretty wide variety of extras for free. For one, you can access your voicemail anywhere that you can sign into your Google account.
Another cool feature is that it can transcribe your voicemail into text and send that to you via email or text messaging. You can read a voicemail without having to listen to it. The above examples are just scratching the surface on what Google Voice can do. It has a lot of perks that make it pretty darned cool.
MusicJunkie
Android Expert
I know some of that. I didn't know it could transcribe the voicemail, that's pretty neat. I know that it can replace the text messaging app altogether and send them as data (I had to use it when I had terrible signal at a place I lived) and that you can get a free number (pranked a few of my friends with this feature,
).Every time I used it, it seemed like a resource hog. I don't know if they've optimized the app further so I can't judge it now.
It does a pretty horrible job at it, though. It's so horrible that it's rather amusing.
But being able to text from a web browser, all texts/voicemails are stored in the cloud, and the good spam filter are the reasons I use it. Also, short SMS codes don't work on GVoice. Which is what most spammers prefer to use. I can also send text messages and check voicemail from my Android tablet. If you're in poor cell reception areas, but have wifi, the call gets routed through wifi/internet as a VoIP call.
Lots of advantages. Disadvantages:
If you like short SMS codes to dial in your vote for American Idol, you're screwed.
If you like MMS (picture, video, audio texts), GVoice doesn't support that, yet (or ever, as they have been promising it for a long time).
The actual app is about as graceful as a hammer. Gets the job done, but it's no Handcent or Go SMS. No bells, whistles, or frilly ribbon.
MusicJunkie
Android Expert
I tell people not to call me anyway so I really don't get voicemail lol
MusicJunkie
Android Expert
It does a pretty horrible job at it, though. It's so horrible that it's rather amusing.
But being able to text from a web browser, all texts/voicemails are stored in the cloud, and the good spam filter are the reasons I use it. Also, short SMS codes don't work on GVoice. Which is what most spammers prefer to use. I can also send text messages and check voicemail from my Android tablet. If you're in poor cell reception areas, but have wifi, the call gets routed through wifi/internet as a VoIP call.
Lots of advantages. Disadvantages:
If you like short SMS codes to dial in your vote for American Idol, you're screwed.
If you like MMS (picture, video, audio texts), GVoice doesn't support that, yet (or ever, as they have been promising it for a long time).
The actual app is about as graceful as a hammer. Gets the job done, but it's no Handcent or Go SMS. No bells, whistles, or frilly ribbon.
The lack of MMS and SMS short codes (sometimes I use Twitter to send my mentions and direct messages and their short code is 40404) are the deal breakers for me. I do like the face that I could call over my wifi with my own number when I was in low to no signal areas.
No.
Google Voice calls are routed over the regular cellphone network.
You can use an app like GrooveIP to make VoIP calls using your GV number though.
MusicJunkie
Android Expert
LBPHeretic
Android Expert
It does a pretty horrible job at it, though. It's so horrible that it's rather amusing.
But being able to text from a web browser, all texts/voicemails are stored in the cloud, and the good spam filter are the reasons I use it. Also, short SMS codes don't work on GVoice. Which is what most spammers prefer to use. I can also send text messages and check voicemail from my Android tablet. If you're in poor cell reception areas, but have wifi, the call gets routed through wifi/internet as a VoIP call.
Lots of advantages. Disadvantages:
If you like short SMS codes to dial in your vote for American Idol, you're screwed.
If you like MMS (picture, video, audio texts), GVoice doesn't support that, yet (or ever, as they have been promising it for a long time).
The actual app is about as graceful as a hammer. Gets the job done, but it's no Handcent or Go SMS. No bells, whistles, or frilly ribbon.
I noticed that my transcriptions did improve pretty drastically over time. I guess Google learned more voice patterns or something. The transcriptions in the beginning were hilarious though. I actually had to turn it off for a while because I would start laughing in inappropriate places, like in meetings.
I have heard that MMS is coming too. I remember reading a few months ago that Google would be rolling that feature out to people who have moved their Sprint telephone number into Google Voice. I hardly ever use short codes with text messaging, so that has not been a problem for me. Frankly, I mostly use text messaging with Google Voice when I am on one of my tablets or my older Wi-Fi enabled handset, which is awesome in so many ways, by the way.
LBPHeretic
Android Expert
Surely you could do the Twitter stuff with a dedicated app, right? You could even use the mobile Twitter website to do that stuff as it is pretty app-like in its own right.
You would need to use a VoIP app to do Wi-Fi calling. Android 2.3 does support the SIP protocol that would enable this to work with Google Voice though.
MusicJunkie
Android Expert
Yea I use the official Twitter app and just sync everything that way.