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Help Questions about Google Voice + Droid

dirtbikerac

dirtbikerac

Newbie
Hi,

I have read so many people say that they love Google Voice and how they can not live with out it. But, I don't understand, not only the benefits, but how I would get involved with Google Voice.

I mean, none of my contacts know my Google number, so it is kind of pointless of me, right? Or am i missing something?

Thanks!
 
There are quite a number of benefits, but you have to peruse around to see them.

There is now an app that apparently allows you to route all your calls through the GV number, so that you friends and family can start using it instead of your cell.

As radikal said, you can get calls from home routed to cell or vice versa (I haven't really explored that, and am not sure if there is an additional charge from VZW on either method or not).

Although the Transcription service frequently sucks, it usually gets enough of the message across to be able to decipher what was said without having to actually listen to the message.

You can access GV from any computer with internet access, thus allowing you to save airtime charges and listen to your messages through a computer.

Someone in another thread also mentioned routing their SMS through GV - haven't researched that one either, but from what I gleaned, it effectively bypasses the SMS limit imposed upon you by VZW if you do not have the unlimited SMS plan.

I am sure there are more benefits than just these, it all depends upon how you use it and if you like it when using it.
 
If you give out only your Google Voice number, then you configure GVoice to not ring to anything, you aren't bothered.

Also, the voice mail is really good. Get an email of the transcription and a sound file.
 
Let me google that for you

I've been waiting to use this since someone sent it to me!:D

Just today I have seen the benefits of GV. I have set it up so that all my voice mails go through GV. So when received they are transcribed for you. You can also hit play in the app and listen to the messages. All my friends still have my regular Verizon number which forwards to the Google app. Online voice mail and text are nice!

There are many other benefits that I plan to explore in the coming days.

You can only request an invite from Google at this point. I did this back on Nov 6th and still have not had one sent to me u,ntil someone from this site was nice enough to send me one that Google allowed them to share. I don't have any to share at this point. I actually need to get one for my wife's Droid. There might still be some generous folks out there that have some.
 
dirtbikerac said:
Being a student, it just seems like a pain to tell everyone I switched numbers.
Click to expand...


Too many business clients to notify?

:p

Best thing to do, if you want to keep your existing number as the "main point of contact", is to create a Google Voice account "with a new, GVoice number." That way the account is created with "all features".

Then, when the account is active, and you come to understand the benefits and how to configure them to meet your requirements, port your existing number to replace the Google Voice number. Any new numbers to your home/cell/work/etc won't matter, because all calls will first route thru Google Voice account.
 
You don't have to switch numbers... you get a new one. But you can keep the old one and the service seems to work the same!
 
i am a minute nazi so google voice works great for me! i get a transcribed (sometimes messy but readable email (or sms) and if i cannot read it (too many errors to read) i just download it! NO MINUTES USED! since big red rounds up for minutes (15 seconds = 1 minute) i have no voicemail minutes used!! bonus!
 
dirtbikerac said:
I have read so many people say that they love Google Voice and how they can not live with out it. But, I don't understand, not only the benefits, but how I would get involved with Google Voice.

I mean, none of my contacts know my Google number, so it is kind of pointless of me, right? Or am i missing something?
Click to expand...

To get involved with GV, you get someone you know that has as GV account to send you an invite or you request one yourself:

https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/

I use GV and my Android phone to control how people contact me. I use it for my voicemail and SMS and have only recently told most of my contacts that my GV number is my new mobile number.

I have a number of contacts that go directly to GV voice mail. This happens if they call my GV number directly and if they call my VZW number as an Android phone can send callers directly to voicemail.

I have a couple of contacts that I wish to have no association with anymore. They don't know my GV number, but if they call my VZW number, the Droid sends them directly to GV's 'blocked' message....they get a message saying that my phone number has been disconnected.

GV + Android + Cox's 'selective call acceptance' on my land line phone gives me near complete control over when both my mobile and land line ring.

Now that I've given everyone I care about my GV number, I can switch carriers (Nexus One on TMO, maybe?) and not have to care or worry about porting my VZW number to a new carrier.
 
dirtbikerac said:
Being a student, it just seems like a pain to tell everyone I switched numbers.
Click to expand...

Yep, it is a pain, but doing it with a GV number means that it's the last time you should ever need to do it.... as long as GV is around.

If you ever change mobile carriers, you just point GV to your new phone and number. Your contacts call / text your GV number and needn't know you have a different carrier & phone.
 
I have GV, don't really use it much. At the begining my voice mails went to my GV account instead of my regular voice mail so that I could read transcripts and listen to therm through GV instead of my Verizon voice mail. This stopped working and any voice mail messages are showing up under my VZ sytem so I have to use minutes to retrieve them, How do I set it to go through mu GV acciunt ? thanks in advancr for the assist.
 
Droidnick,

From your home screen, press your Menu button and go into Call Settings.
From there, right at the top is your Voicemail Settings. Click that and change it from My Carrier to Google Voice.
Then go into Voicemail Settings and follow the instructions to forward VM to your Google Voice instead.

That should set it back
 
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