Google voice?

[boccabum]

I use GoogleVoice only for voicemail. I wanted to reduce the number of minutes used by connecting to Verizon Voicemail. I don't use it to make calls or SMS.
What's nice about GV for VM is that it's free (Verizon version is an extra charge). Voicemails are transcribed to a "voice" app and also on your email. So you can listen or read voicemail without even touching your phone.
I use TextPlus app for SMS. I love it and I save $120 a year by shutting off my Verizon SMS service. I just force people who insist on text messaging me to use the number assigned to me by TextPlus. I HATE texting (can you tell) so this is a great way to discourage annoying people from sending me a text when they can simply call me!!

 

[KeepItReal]

Obvious denial of texting embedded in our culture! Lol. You can't fight the Borg.. Conform!

Sent from my ADR6350 using DroidForums

 

[boccabum]

I won't give up without a fight! Kicking and screaming before I conform to Louquicious!

 

[UrbanBounca]

There really aren't any cons for a free app. I use GV as my main number, and for awhile, I was having trouble connecting to some landlines. However, it's seemed to have fixed itself.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

 

[xavierpunkreno]

There are other apps you use for that that work with Google Voice. The name escapes me at the moment though

Boot Manager

If you remember it that would be awesome. Need to find all the android alternatives to the iOS apps I have, haha.

 

[STVA]

There is some misinformation in this thread. Google Voice does not make calls on your phone using 3G/4G data (unless you do some serious jury rigging). It makes calls using your normal voice minutes, by forwarding both incoming and outgoing calls. You can make calls from your computer over the internet using your GV number, but not on your phone.

 

[xavierpunkreno]

There is some misinformation in this thread. Google Voice does not make calls on your phone using 3G/4G data (unless you do some serious jury rigging). It makes calls using your normal voice minutes, by forwarding both incoming and outgoing calls. You can make calls from your computer over the internet using your GV number, but not on your phone.

Fact. Which is why I'm asking for the android alternative to talkatone which uses your gv account to make VoIP calls.

 

[Nosey]

I've been using google voice for almost 3 years now, it's my primary number, I always have to double check my real cell number when I have to call my cell company, I have 3 phones sharing 500 minutes and we hardly use any, 2 are android phones, we use smartdial to call out, it takes an extra 2-3 seconds to make the call, it calls the google number and enters the proper menu options to dial out, then dials the number, incoming calls are set to show my google number and I have call screening turned on so I know who is calling when I answer and I can either hit 1 to answer or 2 to send to voicemail, which I can listen to while they leave it (and break in if I need to), with the google voice app I send and receive all my sms's through my number

the nice thing, I get 15 free numbers to call or receive calls from with my cell carrier, my google number is set to one of those numbers, so when I call out and when I receive calls, they are all free

other nice features, web access to send and receive text messages, so if I am at work I can log into the web site off my desktop and send/rcv messages.

I can have upto 5 real phones linked to the 1 number, select which phones ring when (even in the contact list I can set a family group that would ring all phones 24/7 and then a friends group that would ring only certain phones and only during normal hours)

I have a work cell too, and I have a work google number, you call either google number and both phones ring (I tend to let 1 or the other phone die without a charger around), and it has a "rollover" feature, if by chance someone does call the actual cell number of either phone, before it goes to the google voicemail (not the carriers) it rolls over to the other cell

there are other nice features, if you spend the time to look the different forums on the google site

I've even helped family members save money, I have a niece who lives on the west coast and her mom lives on the east coast, each has a google number, on each coast, so my niece dials a local number to her on the west coast and it calles the east coast (from cell or land line) and her mom does the same thing, so free coast to coast calling

I have a brother that was paying $60 a month in a small rural town of 1000 people, $20 for local and $40 for unlimited long distance, next town over there happened to be number for google, it's a local call, so we got him a google number that he uses as a calling card to call long distance, saving him $40/month

I'm all for saving a dime, and google saves me a bunch of dimes

 

[Tailgun]

I'll add my two cents in that I have had a GV number for over a year now and that is my "public" number that I list on all kinds of public accounts and government listings. Only my immediate family and a few friends have my actual VZ cell phone number. With GV I can block telemarketers and bill collectors since the GV number is my phone number of record. GV makes this functionality easy; by default I also have the call screening option on so callers must record their name before I allow their call through. This eliminates the dreaded, automated robo calls.