Google Voice: Anyone cancel their texting plans?

[DroidFan]

I thought about cancelling my text plan except most of my friends don't know my GV number and text me on my cell number anyways, especially since my GV number is my work line.

2nd, Google voice won't push the texts through immediately and will cycle only as low as every 5 minutes unless i do a manual refresh. And with the new unlimited talk/text plan, it's cheap enough for me to keep the text plan.

 

[newandroiduser]

I just recently got google voice. I understand that I can get free text messaging if I were to send a text using Google Voice app since it uses the GV number. What about receiveing texts on my normal verizon number? Most people I know would normally text me on my verizon number. How do I receive free texts to my verizon number? If I were to tell verizon to block my text messages would Google voice still get those texts?

 

[mangmang]

Re

I just recently got google voice. I understand that I can get free text messaging if I were to send a text using Google Voice app since it uses the GV number. What about receiveing texts on my normal verizon number? Most people I know would normally text me on my verizon number. How do I receive free texts to my verizon number? If I were to tell verizon to block my text messages would Google voice still get those texts?

If you answer the text through your google voice app then it is send through google voice and its free. There is no way to receive free text on your verizon number unless its a verizon number and you have the free M2M texting plan.

 

[takeshi]

I just recently got google voice. I understand that I can get free text messaging if I were to send a text using Google Voice app since it uses the GV number.

As long as you also ensure that SMS notifications and SMS forwarding are both disabled in GV.

How do I receive free texts to my verizon number?

You don't.

If I were to tell verizon to block my text messages would Google voice still get those texts?

Yes.

 

[UNC]

Using google voice uses your minutes, so you can't cancel those.

Alan

That's not my experience. If you call out on your Google Voice number it should not get charged against your minutes. However your's is not the first post I've seen saying this. Prior to getting my Droid I was able to do it that way, I don't understand why it would be different now.

Outgoing and incoming calls definitely count against your minutes unless you have a F&F plan with the 5 unlimited numbers and set one as GV's.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Reading this was somewhat painful, I don't understand why people have such a hard time with this... Calling Google Voice to route your calls to another number will obviously use minutes... Using the Google Voice app to text will not use your texts unless you have it forwarded to your mobile phone that you used to register Google Voice (which is on by default). No, Google Voice doesn't do MMS (picture texts).

Me personally? I use Google Voice every day. I have it forwarded to my cellphone which pushes sms instantly - and gives me a unique number for each of my friends that I can text back via my phone (a 406 number). And yes, Google Voice is on my 10 family and friends so I can make calls for free and receive calls for free via my Google Voice Number.

If I didn't do MMS then I'd cancel my Unlimited Texts from Verizon. Also texting in the Google Voice app is painfully slow and laggy.

 

[BKS]

Reading this was somewhat painful, I don't understand why people have such a hard time with this... Calling Google Voice to route your calls to another number will obviously use minutes... Using the Google Voice app to text will not use your texts unless you have it forwarded to your mobile phone that you used to register Google Voice (which is on by default). No, Google Voice doesn't do MMS (picture texts).

Me personally? I use Google Voice every day. I have it forwarded to my cellphone which pushes sms instantly - and gives me a unique number for each of my friends that I can text back via my phone (a 406 number). And yes, Google Voice is on my 10 family and friends so I can make calls for free and receive calls for free via my Google Voice Number.

If I didn't do MMS then I'd cancel my Unlimited Texts from Verizon. Also texting in the Google Voice app is painfully slow and laggy.

Personally it doesnt sound like its very convenient for texting use then. I'll continue to use my unlimited Verizon text package for zero lag time and MMS capability.
One thing I'm learning from this forum is....just because there are other options out there to expand your phone doesn't always mean they're better.

 

[plant]

I use GV for texting alone and my text messages are always pushed within a minute. Just went to the VZW store and had texting disabled on my phone so there is absolutely no cost. I just told people I got a new number and everything works great.

 

[Shadez]

I was always inder the assumption that when you ised google voice, the initial connection to your google voice # was done thru the internet and was not using VZ minutes...

 

[BigMcGuire]

I was always inder the assumption that when you ised google voice, the initial connection to your google voice # was done thru the internet and was not using VZ minutes...

I wish - this will be the case someday (hence why Google bought out Gizmo5). Google is just waiting for Verizon to give them the greenlight for this. AT&T recently allowed Skype to make calls over 3G on the iPhone (you could always call over WiFi with Skype on the iPhone). Just a matter of time before Verizon will do the same. --- Since I use Skype a lot and I pay $30/year for unlimited calls to USA, I'm very tempted to get an iPhone.

You call your Google Voice number with your Verizon cellphone minutes. It isn't free yet. Otherwise, everyone would be wanting it and Verizon would go out of business. Notice that Skype for the Droid acts the SAME way. Verizon is afraid it will lose a lot of money with these WiFi/3G calling services so they cripple them.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Personally it doesnt sound like its very convenient for texting use then. I'll continue to use my unlimited Verizon text package for zero lag time and MMS capability.
One thing I'm learning from this forum is....just because there are other options out there to expand your phone doesn't always mean they're better.

Agreed - Google Voice isn't quite there yet. I find it convenient to use because it is a number I can give out that will ring my Home phone (Vonage) and my Cell Phone at the same time. I can block as many people as I want or prevent calls from certain hours, or send certain people straight to voicemail.

Regarding SMS - yeah it can't do MMS yet, which is a big bummer. But I can text from my cellphone or from any computer (I can type 10x faster than I can SMS) and the receiver doesn't know any different.

I also have used Google Voice to make insanely cheap international calls - cheaper than Vonage can (to international mobile anyway).

Google Voice wishlist: MMS, Wifi/3G calling, faster keyboard texting with the Droid app, and virtual numbers for calls and SMS.

 

[romeov]

Also texting in the Google Voice app is painfully slow and laggy.

Sincerely don't mean offense, but this is not true. It pains me to see someone claim something like this and then have others shy away from it without seeing for themselves.

I have been using Google Voice for over two years back when it was Grandcentral, and since the day the Droid came out (and I got one) I switched it to my one and only number. That is, I have been using Google voice as my ONLY form of communication since I got my Droid.

You make some good points, there is no MMS. Which wasn't at all a big deal for me as I text constantly and still got/sent maybe 2 MMS a month, and if you add the number to your friends and Family plan you get free calling.

The part about the GV app being slow and laggy is completely wrong though. It's exactly the same thing as the default messaging app. You type a reply (using the exact same keyboards you choose to in every other app) and you hit send, and it sends instantly. Also, since a month or two back, all Google Voice Text messages are now near instant. There is no five minute delay anymore.

There is absolutely nothing laggy or buggy in any way about the GV app. it's identical to the stock app (except 100 times better IMO as it also includes your transcribed voicemails right in the same panel) it has never force closed on me.. ever.

The latest GV app update also sends the incoming text right to your status bar up top so you can read the message without even opening the app if you like. Then to respond, you just click the app, type your reply and hit send.. it literally takes seconds.

Also, By using the app you don't have to do any of the 416 stuff anymore, like saving your contacts numbers that google assigns to them. When you place a call, it uses 3g (or wifi) to instantly route the call to the proper numbers all behind the scenes in seconds. It also integrates with your contacts seamlessly and you can set it to handle all incoming and outgoing calls. I literally never even think about being on Google Voice, all my incoming calls come through it by default and every call I make (just go to my contacts and hit the call button) goes out through my GV number perfectly and seamlessly.

I can't imagine that pepole are still paying a monthly text plan. It's all totally free, and seamlessly integrated. I especially can't believe people who say, "I would switch but I don't want to have to give my friends my new number" What you are really saying is "It's worth me paying $120-$200 a year for me not to take the 20 minutes and notify my contact list that I have a new phone number" I have over 200 contacts who had my old number and one mass text/email notifying them of my new number is all it took. really, it's that easy.

I have had about 4 stragglers to date who had to take one extra step to contact me and change my number in their books. It's not rocket science as people seem to think it is.

just my 2 cents.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I'm sorry I should have been more clear - using the virtual keyboard in the google voice app is laggy. The speed of the SMS is insant and I'm happy with it - I have it set to forward to my Verizon phone - the push is insant. But using the virtual keyboard lags for me.

I'm 100% happy with Google Voice and I use it 1800+ times to send texts a month and to call internationally daily

 

[droidavie]

gvoice works fast for me, try the app for a week or two, i save 20 bucks amonth because of google voice, now if they could develop a widget.....

 

[lenval]

I've heard such amazing things about Google Voice and I imagine they will only get better with Google's future improvements to it.

I applied a few weeks ago. I'm not holding my breath but I sure hope I get accepted soon!