Why do I want Google Voice??!!

[gmaellex01]

This is a great thread, everybody. I'm supposed to get my invite within 24 hours.

Is there any downside to going to a completely different phone number? Other than the obvious, temporary inconvenience, that is.

 

[im a android but thats ok]

This is a great thread, everybody. I'm supposed to get my invite within 24 hours.

Is there any downside to going to a completely different phone number? Other than the obvious, temporary inconvenience, that is.

there is no downside what so ever. you can give out your google number to whoever you want and still have people conact you on your regular cell number. gv is a glorified call forwarding service with lots of perks, like sms, and ability to have certain people contact and ring certain phones when they call you vs other people who you may only want to ring one phone or go straight to vm. just got mine last week after a 3 month wait and love it. also calls overseas like to china are like .02 a minute.

 

[gmaellex01]

there is no downside what so ever. you can give out your google number to whoever you want and still have people conact you on your regular cell number. gv is a glorified call forwarding service with lots of perks, like sms, and ability to have certain people contact and ring certain phones when they call you vs other people who you may only want to ring one phone or go straight to vm. just got mine last week after a 3 month wait and love it. also calls overseas like to china are like .02 a minute.

Sweet, thanks! I plan on cancelling my text plan and having everyone use my GV number for everything. If I cancel my text plan and somebody texts me on my old number will I get billed for the text? If so, how much?

 

[im a android but thats ok]

Sweet, thanks! I plan on cancelling my text plan and having everyone use my GV number for everything. If I cancel my text plan and somebody texts me on my old number will I get billed for the text? If so, how much?

yes you will be charged whatever your carrier charges per text.

 

[im a android but thats ok]

yes you will be charged whatever your carrier charges per text.

i have a text plan so unsure of vz individual charge but may be as high as .20

 

[IcedTC]

does anyone know if GV works with Handcent? checking text messages on my phone with without Handcent is so boring

Works like a charm for me w/handcent.

 

[renesis22]

Sweet, thanks! I plan on cancelling my text plan and having everyone use my GV number for everything. If I cancel my text plan and somebody texts me on my old number will I get billed for the text? If so, how much?

Just cancel your text plan and tell VZW to disable that part of your phone. Or something like that.

 

[nstocks]

If anyone has a google invite I would love to have it because im trying to start my own company.

Thanks in Advance!!!!

 

[Piiman]

free texting, free texting, free texting.. need i say more?

Then what's the secret? Why does my text message count still go up when Im texting to and from from my google number?

But still a super cool service and the price is right on!

 

[lexluthor]

Sweet, thanks! I plan on cancelling my text plan and having everyone use my GV number for everything. If I cancel my text plan and somebody texts me on my old number will I get billed for the text? If so, how much?

Don't forget....no MMS on Google Voice.

 

[Clementine_3]

Then what's the secret? Why does my text message count still go up when Im texting to and from from my google number?

But still a super cool service and the price is right on!

Do you have GV set up to forward to your phone? Go into GV online and make sure you have it set to NOT forward.
It's under settings/voicemail & text...the forwarding box should not be checked.

 

[Piiman]

The other thing I like is that I block my caller ID at work. However, I sometimes call someone where I have to show my caller id. I can call them from my Google Voice number in this case. They get a number, but it's no good to them because if they call it, it's blocked and goes to voice mail.
/QUOTE]

Actually if you "block" it they get a message saying the number is no longer valid or disconnected.

 

[Piiman]

I just got my invite today finally and this thread came at a perfect time. What happens to my regular number if I get a google voice number? Is texting really the only added benefit of getting a google voice number? I'm not sure I want to go through the hassle of giving out a new number.

I was of the same frame of mind but once I saw all the control I had I got and gave out a GV number They are looking into porting numbers but for now they can't. Also I was able to get a number really close to my VW # so not hard to remembe. I then did a mass email from the phone to everyone that can get text and told them to change my number. I will also use it for everything going forward. . As for your regular number it still works like always with the added benefits that Google Voice offers for non Google numbers. Which are still cool and free.

Watch some of the reviews on youtube and you'll probably jump on board.

 

[Intruder]

This sounds ace ! Shame I don't live in America

 

[Piiman]

The voicemail transcription is HORRENDOUS. I would say when I used it, it was about 50% accurate. Most of my voicemails were completely unreadable, so the service became useless for me and I ditched it.

Well if that's all you wanted it for then I don't blame you. But the transcriptions can at least give you the jest (some times) and is only one of many features. So even though transcriptions sux you can still listen to the VM without making a call. You can also have SMS converted to email and sent to your email where you can repy to it and it is convert back to SMS and sent to the other persons phone. Very flexable stuff!

When I'm at work my phone gets no signal. So I forward it to my work number. IT will show my number on the phone so I can tell if it's a work related or a personal. You also get the same screening abilities on any phone.

Don't forget it's beta and you were supposed to be helping with the testing. When I get a really bad transcribed VM I send it to Google to help improve GV.

I think you may have been a little short sighted.

 

[Piiman]

You don't have to change your number. I still use my Verizon number and when I don't answer their message goes into my google voice mail account and sends it to my gmail acct. When I get the email I can read it or listen to the message. Add your google voice number to you F&F and you get free sms texting. Great program!

Is that the only way to get free text? I'd have to go from a 35.00 plan to a 51.00 plan to get F&F. So it would cost me about 16.00 for free texting.

 

[Piiman]

so that google can keep transcripts of all your voicemails. i unsynced immediately it creeped me out

Yeah if you're doing stuff you shouldn't be doing this isn't the service for you I don't think you're going to find a lot of drug dealers using it.

I've noticed that the Incredible could/can be a quite the spy tool.

 

[Piiman]

Yes it shows you google number, but I just put my name in the text and they know why it is coming from.

What "text" is that ?

 

[Piiman]

Do you have GV set up to forward to your phone? Go into GV online and make sure you have it set to NOT forward.
It's under settings/voicemail & text...the forwarding box should not be checked.

I forward to my EMAIL and that's the only forwarding thing on that page

The only thing checked on that page is
Transcribe Voicemails
and
forward to my EMAIL

Is there an option on my phone to make sure it is using GV to send the SMS?

 

[Piiman]

Sweet, thanks! I plan on cancelling my text plan and having everyone use my GV number for everything. If I cancel my text plan and somebody texts me on my old number will I get billed for the text? If so, how much?

Well my text count is still going up on the VW website so how is this suppose to be free? If I look at the messaging details all the text are still recieved on my non google number and all out going are coming from non google number.

when I text from the web the phone listed is the non Google number. Do I have to add my Google number as a phone? the people texting me are texting to the Google number but the website still gets them. What am I missing?

 

[rapidsandroid]

For all those lauding free texts with GV...doesn't having a data plan for an android phone by default give you unlimited texts? I got unlimited texts with my Verizon data plan so don't see the big draw to GV for texts.

Being a college student, I got an invite but I doubt I will use it even though I like the idea of GV & am sure it would be seamless on my DInc. Buddy told me that on Verizon, the GV # is not in Verizon network so it counts against minutes when someone calls it.
I would use YouMail, but don't like the idea of ads and spam.

 

[tudmf]

I have 5 invites I would like to get $10 out of it, since I'm out that from mine and my wifes.

 

[Clementine_3]

Well my text count is still going up on the VW website so how is this suppose to be free? If I look at the messaging details all the text are still recieved on my non google number and all out going are coming from non google number.

when I text from the web the phone listed is the non Google number. Do I have to add my Google number as a phone? the people texting me are texting to the Google number but the website still gets them. What am I missing?

Did you install the GV app from the market and are you using it to send your texts from?
If it's not installed then the texts will be sent to your phone by default (I think, seems to do that on my sister's non-Android phone).

For all those lauding free texts with GV...doesn't having a data plan for an android phone by default give you unlimited texts? I got unlimited texts with my Verizon data plan so don't see the big draw to GV for texts.

On Verizon you pay for data and you pay for texts, they are not combined. Some plans have unlimited texting but it is extra. If you don't care about MMS (GV doesn't do that yet) then you can cancel your text plan and use GV, it uses data so is free.

It will count against your minutes for any calls made, unless you have Friends and Family, then you can add the number and have free calls. You can add your GV number and outgoing access number or you can use something like Google Voice Callback (love it!!) and just add your GV number.

 

[lexluthor]

Well my text count is still going up on the VW website so how is this suppose to be free? If I look at the messaging details all the text are still recieved on my non google number and all out going are coming from non google number.

when I text from the web the phone listed is the non Google number. Do I have to add my Google number as a phone? the people texting me are texting to the Google number but the website still gets them. What am I missing?

Did you turn sending texts to your phone on the google voice website?

 

[Piiman]

Did you install the GV app from the market and are you using it to send your texts from?
If it's not installed then the texts will be sent to your phone by default (I think, seems to do that on my sister's non-Android phone).
.

APP?

Oh I bet I need something to direct the text to the Google number like the Google Voice app? makes sense.