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Who's using Google Voice?

Sauk said:
what I did was get the 5 dollars call to home. I then called CS and told them I was told I could get the friends and family thing (whatever it is called where you get 3 or 5 numbers).

The very kind CS lady did it happily for me and for the 5 bucks I added any landline (including my GV number) I would potentially call.

A month later using that 5 dollar add on I used a total of 20 minutes of my 450 allotted minutes in my plan. :)

Well worth it to keep using my GV number
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I might have to look into this. I know they just made a huge change which affected users negatively when they used their GV number in their Favorite 5 on T-Mobile. Something like the number changes with every call where before it was always the same.
 
I'm intrigued by Google Voice but am curious: if I've got an EVO, why would I need it? What would it do for me that I can't already do on my EVO? And if there are compelling reasons to use it, what's the best way to implement and utilize it?

I've gone through some of the literature on the web at Google, but I can't quite find a compelling reason I should adopt it...
 
Google Voice is an awesome utility. You can set it up to integrate with your existing cell number for Google Voice voicemail (Goog will transcribe your voicemail and text/email you the messages), which is convenient - the transcription software Goog uses is about 50% accurate in my experience.

Also it's fantastic if you want a second phone number to give out which you can configure to forward to your main line, or just go to voicemail (which is what I do). I use it to give to people I don't necessarily want having my number.
 
Google Voice allows you to tie multiple phone numbers to one account phone number so that if you receive a phone call at your home number, your cell phone, work phone and any other device ring as well. This also always for unlimited free nationwide voice calls. This way you can go with a low minute plan with unlimited data and use your google voice number to make and receive calls/texts.

Also, voicemails are transcribed into your email inbox to read as a text. (Does not always translate well.)
 
My biggest reason for google voice is free voicemail transcript. I just cannot overstate how useful it has been to me. Other than that I don't use any other features that's different than normal voicemail.
 
I mostly use it to text from my work computer's browser and to text when I don't have a cell signal. It's mad convenient.
 
What They Said, plus when I was in Europe (where there's no CDMA so no voice calls nor SMS) I had people who needed to get to me text my GV number- since that works over WiFi on the EVO I could have SMS conversations with people for "free". Also, since all my calls were now going to GV, I could read the transcriptions and/or listen to the voicemail (also via WiFi) to see if I needed to Skype them back (via my iPod), or could wait 'till later 'till I'd gotten back to the US.

Plus, if you have more than one Android handset (I'd taken a GSM device with me on my 2nd trip), it works on all of them.
 
All of the reasons listed above are good reasons for it...when they work. I experience many calls that can not be placed on a daily basis and the text transcript is an absolute joke, I have had maybe 2 or 3 messages out of hundreds that actually made sense.

That said, having two separate numbers on my phone has come in handy.
 
ok, i had the google voice app on my pre, but it texted through my sprint number to google then out, so i would have a buttload of texts to my google number, also calling out dialed into my google and then out. Now on the evo, is both calls and texts actually through data? where theres no trace of a google number tied to my sprint account?
 
I love Google Voice.. I run my own business and have been using the Google Voice line as my business line.. plus its a good way to make phone calls to a landline and it not go toward your min's
 
redninja said:
ok, i had the google voice app on my pre, but it texted through my sprint number to google then out, so i would have a buttload of texts to my google number, also calling out dialed into my google and then out. Now on the evo, is both calls and texts actually through data? where theres no trace of a google number tied to my sprint account?
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Calls are not on the data network.
 
stlersguy said:
I love Google Voice.. I run my own business and have been using the Google Voice line as my business line.. plus its a good way to make phone calls to a landline and it not go toward your min's
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You shouldn't be worried about minutes, Evo's require the unlimited plan (unless that has changed since I got mine).
 
unlimited data but not minutes, from my understanding when you call via GV it dials a google number and forwards your call thereby taking minutes. And if you are calling a cell phone you are wasting minutes that are otherwise free..
 
shandroid said:
unlimited data but not minutes, from my understanding when you call via GV it dials a google number and forwards your call thereby taking minutes. And if you are calling a cell phone you are wasting minutes that are otherwise free..
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That's correct.
 
SamuraiBigEd said:
You shouldn't be worried about minutes, Evo's require the unlimited plan (unless that has changed since I got mine).
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we are on the family plan unlimited everything with 1500 to landlines.. Cell to cell is unlimited also I did call sprint on Google Voice. The Rep I talked to said if you use the App on your phone to make a call that call does not count toward your landline min's. It is Data that is being used for the call.
 
stlersguy said:
we are on the family plan unlimited everything with 1500 to landlines.. Cell to cell is unlimited also I did call sprint on Google Voice. The Rep I talked to said if you use the App on your phone to make a call that call does not count toward your landline min's. It is Data that is being used for the call.
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99% sure the rep was wrong.

It does use minutes... your GV number is considered a landline, but the dial-in process uses minutes, not data.

Now, you can set it up to be free if you use a dial program (like GV Callback on the Market), designate your GV number as your Sprint@home number ($5 extra a month) and toggling call presentation and caller ID settings in Google Voice main settings (not on phone).

Sounds much more complex than it really is, but that should work.

I have had the pleasure of using GV since the Grandcentral days; it wasn't until I went to RIM I found an effective way of using it. I use it as my "main" number; I can count the number of people that have my real number on one hand, and I like it that way.

Transcription needs work, but the pros far outweigh the cons for me.
 
It dials out like voice and cuts into minutes, unless you are on the Simply Everything.

You'll have to turn off 3G/4G/Mobile Network and only leave wifi on. Then try it. I'm assuming it won't work.
 
I believe Chriscoi is correct.

Google Voice is not VOIP. You can use it with a VOIP program to save minutes as described in two posts above, but when you use only the built-in app, you are just routing a call. You still use minutes.
 
I believe the back end is VOIP but your phone is still receiving a land line call when you dial out with GV.

It kind of everything that sucks about VOIP (poor call quality) without the biggest advantage of VOIP (still burns minutes vs just data).
 
The official GV app does require a data connection to complete an outbound call. Inbound calls can be received without a data connection. Unless you have the Sprint to Home/Business option, 5/8 per month and use your GV number with that, all calls will count toward your plan minutes except night and weekend calls.

I have been using GV since the Grand Central days also. My primary use for it was to shield my cell number when calling a customer, to have the ability to call and not use plan minutes and being able to hear my voice mail without using plan minutes. The free calling was on the Verizon network where I had the ability to add the GV number to friends and family.

Since moving to Sprint I have quit using GV. Since all call to cell number are plan free usage is not a problem and I can now listen to my voice mail without using plan minutes. If I need to make a business call and shield my cell number I dial into my VOIP provider and make an outbound call. I can configure that outbound caller id to anything I want. It does cost me airtime minutes and it does cost about .02 per minute but both are minimal. If I ever get to the point of airtime minutes becoming and issue I will just add the Sprint to office option for 8.00 per month.

I also found the GV voicemail transcription horrible but most of the time you could get a pretty good idea what was being said.
 
jamesdean said:
The official GV app does require a data connection to complete an outbound call. Inbound calls can be received without a data connection. Unless you have the Sprint to Home/Business option, 5/8 per month and use your GV number with that, all calls will count toward your plan minutes except night and weekend calls.

I have been using GV since the Grand Central days also. My primary use for it was to shield my cell number when calling a customer, to have the ability to call and not use plan minutes and being able to hear my voice mail without using plan minutes. The free calling was on the Verizon network where I had the ability to add the GV number to friends and family.

Since moving to Sprint I have quit using GV. Since all call to cell number are plan free usage is not a problem and I can now listen to my voice mail without using plan minutes. If I need to make a business call and shield my cell number I dial into my VOIP provider and make an outbound call. I can configure that outbound caller id to anything I want. It does cost me airtime minutes and it does cost about .02 per minute but both are minimal. If I ever get to the point of airtime minutes becoming and issue I will just add the Sprint to office option for 8.00 per month.

I also found the GV voicemail transcription horrible but most of the time you could get a pretty good idea what was being said.
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Jamesdean, are you a former Crackberry person? I remember having a major discussion about this way back when on those forums with regards to Blackberry devices.
 
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