Who Uses Google Voice and Why?

[abraham3660]

Ive been hearing alot about this google voice, and how cool all its features are. So just like the title ask, I was just wondering why would i use it? And is it COMPLETELY free? Thanks.

 

[csimo]

I use it for unlimited SMS texting, and unlimited free voice calls using a combo of Friends and Family and the GVMyNumber app.

All texts are free and all domestic voice calls are free.

-Joe

 

[DF Smod]

Plus the transcribed voicemails and custom voice greetings

Sent from my Original Droid using the Exclusive Droid Forums App (Available Free in the Market) :wink:

 

[born2golf]

I use it for a few reasons and not necessarily related to my android phone.

1. The click to call feature. You can install a google voice extension to the google chrome browser. This puts a button in the browser toolbar that drops down to allow for instant dialing or texting. If you select dial, you can input a number manually, or type a name from your google contact list and it will populate the field for you. Then select which phone you want to use to handle the call (from a pre-populated drop down list such as home, office, mobile). When you click connect the chosen phone will ring, and when you answer it, it will then ring the intended target (I'm in sales and do a lot of calling so this cuts down on my manual dialing dramatically)
2. At the core of the GV service it is a forwarding service. So you can have that number route to any or all of your phones. For instance, when I am in my office inbound calls ring my desk line. When I am out in the field with clients, it will forward to my mobile. Or I can have it ring all my numbers all the time.
3. it can completely replace your mobile's voice mail. And the google voice mailbox is pretty robust with features, such as various greetings per caller, email notification of voice mails and voice transcription to email (though this is more often comical than useful)
4. of course the free texting doesn't hurt either. AND you can text right from your desktop using the google voice web interface. The conversation management is pretty cool too.

downsides are
1. it is another new number that you may need to distribute and get people using
2. texting doesn't replace your native SMS, so if people are texting you to both your mobile number and GV number you will have to use 2 apps on the phone to manage the conversations.

 

[Relex]

I use it to text classifieds so I don't give out my main number and I like the transcripts/being able to check texts and voicemails from my PC.

Sent from my Droid using DroidForums App

 

[harrellj]

I use it as a visual voicemail system (hey, free > $2/mon), especially since it has the added bonus of access across multiple computers.

 

[csimo]

Guess I'll post a couple of negative things about Google Voice texting just to be fair.

The texting is SMS only. No MMS. In other words you can't send or receive pictures or anything other than plain text. If someone tries to send you a picture they may never know you didn't get it (Verizon indicates a send failure but some other services give no indication of a send failure).

Google Voice SMS does not support short codes (when you hear an ad to text to 12345 or some other short code). So you can't send or receive to any service that uses short codes (like AIM for example).

Nearly any SMS update service (news, weather, sports, etc.) that requires you to designate your provider won't work with Google Voice.

It's not perfect, but the price is right.

-Joe

 

[tonydelite]

i use it primarily for its voicemail features.

also I use it to have a phone number in a different area code for more street cred.

 

[hookbill]

Texting to my brother. Although we've been using gtalk much more. That way I don't have to worry about my 250 text per month limit.

 

[Canadroid]

also I use it to have a phone number in a different area code for more street cred.

LOL, we have a winner. :biggrin:

 

[KidCuda]

Unlimited texting, really.

The only downside is when the service is down for days at a time and no one can send/receive sms consistently. Other than that, it's good for the 95% uptime.

 

[Leonard Wong]

2. At the core of the GV service it is a forwarding service. So you can have that number route to any or all of your phones. For instance, when I am in my office inbound calls ring my desk line. When I am out in the field with clients, it will forward to my mobile. Or I can have it ring all my numbers all the time.

The other feature here is that if you have received an incoming call from your google voice number that you picked up on your cell phone, you press * on your cell phone and it (if setup properly) will ring all your phones again, at which point you can pick up the call on your deskphone without having to hang up.

If you really want to read about google voice's features, read about them here.
Google Voice - Features

 

[gsDroid]

I don't have a friends and family plan or a text plan, so google voice is not useful to me. For people who say it's free, it requires a f & f plan at $10/mo to get free texts or calls. If my wife calls my google voice number it uses our minutes since it is not registered as a mobile to mobile call. How is $120/yr free?

 

[captaincanada84]

I use Google Voice to call family in Canada.

Sent from my Moto Droid using Tapatalk

 

[mountaineerndixie]

I give out the GV # to those I don't feel comfortable having my actual # and I use it to call those same people.

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