Google Voice...a question

[Spyte]

before i get to the question if i may pose a suggestion:

I can nearly guarantee this question has been asked before. however, when i tried searching for an answer, i came up with more than 20 pages of posts. i'm patient, but not that patient. my suggestion is this; can we add boolean searching to the search function of the boards? would make searching so much easier for those of us who are attention span challenged.

And now for my question; i have received an invite to google voice but can't decide if the advantages gained by obtaining a new number outweigh the hassle of disseminating said number. does anyone have an opininion on this matter? Thank you, and good afternoon.

 

[RW-1]

If you do not get a GV number, then you are basically using GV functions, such as VM with your existing cell number.

Which may be fine for you, it has better features, etc.

However, if you want to use one number to go to your cell, home, and any other number you add to it, then you HAVE to get a GV number, and you HAVE to send that out to everyone to use.

Hope that settles the question for you, it depends on how you want to use GV.

 

[jakenovak]

And now for my question; i have received an invite to google voice but can't decide if the advantages gained by obtaining a new number outweigh the hassle of disseminating said number. does anyone have an opininion on this matter? Thank you, and good afternoon.

You can still tie GV to your current mobile phone number (if you're in the US, that is) so that voicemail storage and transcriptions are handled by GV... a number is required to setup a GV account, but it doesn't mean you need to use it if that's the only feature you're looking for...

 

[hookbill]

Texting. You can set it up to do all your SMS texting. I have the 250 maximum text per month plan which cost me 5.00. If I think I'm getting close to going over I can switch to Google Voice. A different number appears on the phone but it's only my brother I ever text and he knows I use it, he does too.

 

[bllarkin]

Here is how my wife and I use it. We use it is as a sort of "home" number. By this I mean places that should be able to get ahold of either one of us (doctors, the kids' school, etc) get the Google Voice number. That way, if they call, either one of us can pick it up on our cell phones (or let it go to voicemail and check it). It works well for us this way, as we don't have a home number. For a while, this was also our only local number (we had our old Michigan cell phone numbers, and this was our Arizona number), though we recently changed everything to Arizona numbers.

 

[les017]

I say get the number. The beauty is that you can decide how quickly or slowly (or if ever) you roll over to using the GV number. Best to get it now while the getting is good.

 

[Spyte]

I understand the differences and the advantages and disadvantages; i guess what i was asking is for those who have otained a new number, was the hassle of saying "no no you silly person not that number use my new number" a hundred times per contact worth the perks of having the new number. ni

 

[Fraxinus]

Definitely get the number. If you get it when you first sign up, it's free. If you sign up without getting a GV number and then decide you want one it currently costs $10. You don't lose anything by having the number, even if you don't use it.

Check out the following articles, I found them both very helpful:

How To: Totally Overhaul Your Phones With Google Voice - Google Voice - Gizmodo

How to Ease Your Transition to Google Voice - Google Voice - Lifehacker

 

[DroidFan]

I use GV as my work number. I don't have a landline work phone and I'm always on the go. The GV number is my publicized work number, but it gets forwarded to my cell phone, so I can always answer when I'm able. I also like the voice-to-text voicemails, so I have "proof" as to when I've received a client's call (in my business, this is sometimes necessary) and I have a running log of voicemail texts in the event I need to refer back to them.

 

[takeshi]

And now for my question; i have received an invite to google voice but can't decide if the advantages gained by obtaining a new number outweigh the hassle of disseminating said number. does anyone have an opininion on this matter?

Sure but it might not be relevant to your specific needs/wants. I think it's totally worthwhile. Everyone has my GV number. I recently switched to Verizon and haven't given my Verizon number to anyone which made the transition a bit easier IMO since callers have no choice in the matter.

If you do decide to switch everyone over to a GV number I suggest changing your VZW voicemail greeting to tell people that they need to call your GV number and that you won't check messages on the VZW voicemail. Again, if the callers really need to reach you they'll adapt. I'm not sure why there's such a big fuss over the number change. It's not like number portability has been around since the dawn of time or anything.

 

[loop4zil]

I got the GV number. Both my VzW and GV numbers go to my GV voicemail. I use both numbers for calls and texting...but I am slowly moving exclusively to my GV number. The answering options for GV are pretty handy. I like the ability to switch voicemail messages depending on your contact group.


I think the GV number gives you more options...that is what I would take.

 

[Spyte]

Yeah I went with the new number. I figured I don't loose anything and if I don't end up using it it's not really a big deal. Thanks everyone for the input. Ni

 

[JCo352]

Definitely get the number. If you get it when you first sign up, it's free. If you sign up without getting a GV number and then decide you want one it currently costs $10. You don't lose anything by having the number, even if you don't use it.

Check out the following articles, I found them both very helpful:

How To: Totally Overhaul Your Phones With Google Voice - Google Voice - Gizmodo

How to Ease Your Transition to Google Voice - Google Voice - Lifehacker

I got GV yesterday and I didn't opt for the GV number, since I just wanted it for the visual voicemail, and I thought if I ever chose to get the number I could at no fee. So its going to cost me 10 dollars now?

 

[LtKen]

Get the number -- it's only free the first time.

I have the number, and I never use it, but I like knowing it exists if I ever wanted to.

 

[Fraxinus]

So its going to cost me 10 dollars now?

I just checked and can't find the original place I saw that. If you choose to switch GV numbers there is a fee and I'm quite sure they also levy the fee if you signed up and decide to get a number after the fact.