Unless you have a data plan and smart phone, it isn't easy to make sure your calls all originate from your GV number.
Yes, I'd be using the GV app on Android.
Unless you have a data plan and smart phone, it isn't easy to make sure your calls all originate from your GV number.
Unless you have a data plan and smart phone, it isn't easy to make sure your calls all originate from your GV number.
That's true. Anyone you call with your cell phone will pretty much have your real phone number, unless you use a GV app to place the call. And they'll add that number to their contacts and eventually just call and text you on your cell phone anyway, bypassing GV.
Get used to telling people, "Oh, I didn't get that text message because text is blocked on that number. You need to text this other number."
And get used to people thinking "how odd."
I live gv. The only downside is if you have like free mobile to mobile minutes they won't be free anymore since your gv # is basically a land line.
Thanks for bringing that up. That's a huge deal breaker for me since 99% of my calls are mobile to mobile and that's how I get away with the lowest minute plan on my carrier.
I'm not sure what its like on the android side, but the gv app on the iphone isn't very reliable. Text and calls wouldn't come through on some occasions.
this is exactly the problem.I considered this, but text message is my messaging of last resort. What I mean is, normal text messages can be sent and received at times when you can't get data and even phone calls won't go through.
Google voice means that you can only get text messages when you can get data.
when you call someone using google voice.. it shows GV's number on their caller ID right?
fav 5 trick doesn't work anymore with Google Voice. It's technically still possible but you have to use really old Google Voice apk. Newer update disabled that trick as the called landline number is random now.
GrooveIP is the way to go for free voice calls.
Why don't you just give people your GV number and have them call and text you there? And get a data plan so that you can send and receive texts from your email.
But yea grooveip works great, and theres no delay either. If i have both my phones side by side, the phone without the sim and grooveip installed always rings first.
I've never tried to use it over 3g or edge, but id like to find out how it performs. Then, if its possible, i can just drop texts and minutes altogether and buy like a tablet-like plan for my phone.
Anyone have experience with this?
Theres gotta be a way to get free calls, using the callback app or something like that. I never looked into it because i dont use anywhere close to my max.
But yea grooveip works great, and theres no delay either. If i have both my phones side by side, the phone without the sim and grooveip installed always rings first.
I've never tried to use it over 3g or edge, but id like to find out how it performs. Then, if its possible, i can just drop texts and minutes altogether and buy like a tablet-like plan for my phone.
Anyone have experience with this?
I'm confused by your suggestion...that is exactly what this thread is about doing, only I mentioned PORTING my current number to GV and having that become my GV number, so my number doesn't change and people I talk to can use the same number they do today. I think Google lets you do this for a one-time $20 fee or something. A data plan is a given, but I wouldn't be doing any SMS from email except for from a PC.
What are you confused about? GV is free so you wouldn't lose anything by giving out your GV number and have people contact you that way. You would just have your calls forwarded to your cell number and your texts forwarded to your email address. When someone texts you and when you reply, as far as they are concerned, they are texting a number. I mentioned getting a data plan so you can get your emails. Or just use wifi if that is usually around.
We just did the Google Voice switch for my wife for her first smart phone. We added a new line then paid the $20 to Google to take the number from our carrier.
We made the mistake of configuring GV to forward texts to her number, so we got hit by about 80 incoming texts that we have to pay for. Only the incoming texts were going through VZW, the GV app was sending the outgoing reply texts via GV.
Her brother-in-law walked her through the settings to change on the GV site as well as in her phone when I wasn't here, so I'm not sure all what she changed to make all texts only go through GV, but now VZW isn't registering any texts on the new line anymore so whatever he had her do did the trick.
What I'm saying is, I'm not sure why you're suggesting giving out people a new (GV) number. My plan is to port my current number to GV so that I don't have to give anyone a new number. As far as they're concerned nothing has changed, and then I will forward GV calls to my new cell number and text for free. There's no need to forward texts to email either since I can text using the GV app.
Sounds good, I'd like to hear if this works out for her! This is my exact plan.
If you dont care about losing caller id, you can basically get all calls free if your using your google voice number.
In your google voice settings, have it show your google voice number when people call. Then add your google voice number as one of your "5 favorites" (which i think ATT still does) All calls wont count against your mintues, you just wont have caller id anymore when forwarding to that phone.
I didn't get the option for favorite 5. I'm a family plan with my wife and so calling within that family plan is unlimited. The hassle of getting us both to google voice isn't worth it.
It's just a simple checkbox in Google Voice settings.We just did the Google Voice switch for my wife for her first smart phone. We added a new line then paid the $20 to Google to take the number from our carrier.
We made the mistake of configuring GV to forward texts to her number, so we got hit by about 80 incoming texts that we have to pay for. Only the incoming texts were going through VZW, the GV app was sending the outgoing reply texts via GV.
Her brother-in-law walked her through the settings to change on the GV site as well as in her phone when I wasn't here, so I'm not sure all what she changed to make all texts only go through GV, but now VZW isn't registering any texts on the new line anymore so whatever he had her do did the trick.
It's just a simple checkbox in Google Voice settings.
Thegonagle has already stated what the problem is between juggling both a GV # and the real cellular #. If the mobile number leaks out, your contacts get confused and text you on either number or maybe even not at all.
If you're really concerned that someone will get confused and start texting on your "real" phone number (and therefore incurring SMS charges) then you could request a SMS block on the phone.
What would/does the sender get if you have an SMS block on your line? I'm considering doing this, as spam texts that I have to pay for piss me off to no end. I want to block the spams, but I'm curious what a real person would encounter trying to text me on the "wrong" number.