Verizon charging for google voice SMS?

[wil318466]

I was under the impression that if you sent all text messages (SMS) through the google voice application that your phone would actually be using the unlimited internet connection and NOT the verizon sms/voice network, so you would avoid being charged for texts.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is working for me. I've been keeping track of texts through the website (under "my usage", "messages", and then "message details").

I think I have everything set correctly. I logged into google voice, settings, and unchecked forward a text to my cell #, so there is no direct texts going to my cell phone number. My friends I'm texting are texting my google phone number, but I'm still seeing my text message counter go up.

So, two questions.

1 - Is Verizon charging for google voice texts?

2 - Or... am I doing something completely wrong, and I'm stupid?


I'm pretty good at things like this usually, but this is driving me crazy. Any help would be nice.


-Wil

[namelessNN]

i was messing around with it yesterday and had the same results. i had my girlfriend send me txts to my gVoice # and then those were sent to my email, not my phone. i received the email no problem but i also received the same message as a txt and it added to my txt count on the verizon website.

i'm not smart enough to figure all this **** out so i just upped my txt plan to 1500 lol.

[chuzbox]

All texting done in the Google Voice do NOT count as texting through the carrier. The GV app uses the data connection. I've been monitoring my usage as well and I have sent about 1,000 ish texts through GV this month and I only have a couple on my Verizon bill.

[wil318466]

what are your settings, exactly? Mine is definately NOT behaving like this, I'm getting it showing up on my bill under current usage.

-Wil

[chuzbox]

well to be clear, you should NOT be using the "Messaging" app that comes built into android. You have to be texting from the Google Voice app it self.

In terms of settings for GV, make sure you disable all notifications to your mobile as SMS (and email really too since the notifications will show on your phone, so really no need to get emailed)

[devwild]

You have to go to your mobile phone number in Google Voice and make sure in the settings that GV is set to *not* forward SMS to that number. You will still get your SMS in the android google voice app, and email if you are forwarding them.

I have it set up this way, and my messages are tracking correctly.

[wil318466]

this is really strange.. I just looked at my bill/usage and yesterday I have 100 or so texts RECEIVED, but only 4 sent. Something, somewhere, is sending texts to my phone, also. The problem is I have this setting UNCHECKED in google voice.

I'm stumped on how to fix this.

-Wil

[wil318466]

oh man... here is what it was.

"Go into settings, then the Phones tab, click 'edit' on your cell #, then Uncheck the box that says "Receive SMS on this phone (mobile phones only)""


I didn't realize it was from that tab. Oh man I feel so stupid. Thanks guys.

-Wil