Who Uses Google Voice and Why?

[Milton515]

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

~ DroidForums.net App ~

I do the same



Sent from D1 running metiCkMod v2.2 Complete Galaxy S Theme

 

[tommyz]

I use my Google Number as my Home number, since I don't have an actual land-line number.

 

[belome]

How do the number assigments work? Can you pay extra and get a toll free number? If not, can you pick the Area Code and prefix of what number you want?

 

[BigMcGuire]

I use Google Voice to have one number that syncs my cell phone, skype, localphone.com voip, and prepaid phone to all one number. That one number rings at all the phones I have allowing me to pick up either one without having to give out different numbers.

I like it for my localphone.com voip setup (with a linksys router). With Google Voice I have unlimited calling on my home phone because I have free incoming. I just make sure to have Google Voice do the call from the website (google voice calls me, then connects me to the person I want to call). Since I work at home most of the week, this is a huge plus.

 

[born2golf]

How do the number assigments work? Can you pay extra and get a toll free number? If not, can you pick the Area Code and prefix of what number you want?

I don't think they support 800 numbers, but you can definitely pick the area code. I don't remember if there was a choice of prefix but I do recall scanning for a number in which I liked the last 4 digits.

 

[apastuszak]

I have texting completely disabled on all my phones. I really don't see the point to it, when I pay for a data plan and have eBuddy running on it all day. For those 2 or 3 idiots that insist on texting me instead of calling me, I have them text me on my Google Voice number.

But the real thing I like it for is this...

I have a Droid that is my personal cell phone. Work gives me a Blackberry to use. My Blackberry and my Droid both share the same Google Voice voicemail box. So, on the weeks I am not on call and don't have my Blackberry on me, if someone does call me for some reason, then at least I get a voicemail indicator popup on my Droid.

If you're a parent, you can give your Google Voice number out to your kid's school, scout leader, etc, and then link all your phone numbers to that Google Voice number. Your kid's school is closed early, and you need to go pick them up. They call your Google Voice number and all your cell phone, you wife's cell phone, and your house phone all ring at the same time.

Soon as GV lets you port numbers, I'm porting my home number to GV, turning off my landline, and linking my cell phone to it.

Being able to text from http://www.google.com/voice is also really nice. I hate typing on the phone. I'd rather type on a full size keyboard.

 

[Droid916]

I use it for the free SMS texts, Voice calls, Transcribed voice mails.....

 

[kodiak799]

I have two GV numbers. One I use for business the other I'm planning to use for VoIP if I ever get that set-up properly

 

[starobin]

I've been a user for a few years (since it was called Grand Central).

For 18 months now I've handed out my GV number as my only contact number. So when I moved from an Iphone to a Droid X, and changed my cell number, no one knew - they just continued calling my GV number which now forwarded to a different number.

When I'm out of town (work, vacation) GV forwards to wherever I am so I can accept calls landline as well as cell when I'm out of town.

And I love doing my SMS responses on GV's web site if I happen to be at my computer - much easier to type a quick (or detailed) response from a full sized keyboard. All all my SMS and voice mails are archived on GVs servers so i can quickly go to my account and find a text message from 2 months ago.

Only things missing
- a fax service (for sending and receiving)
- better voice mail transcription
- a customized caller id for your placed calls
- conferencing

 

[leakim13]

I live in nh and they didn't have any options as far as a local 603 number, so I went with a number from the funniest town name I could find, so when I call people it comes up as" Goochland Va".

Not that I have ever called anyone from it, as I don't see a point yet, and I have unlimited text to anyone to no point there either, I just hate giving verizon money so I created an account, made myself smile, and gave them a $ 2 middle finger.

The transcribing needs a TON of work but is sometimes hysterical.



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[kodiak799]

Yeah, transcribing needs work, but I'm generally able to understand the purpose/point of the call. Convenient to just read the email in seconds and know if you need to return the call immediately or not. Also nice to get the notification in your gmail inbox and just click and play from the computer.

Send/receive fax would be a great feature. Will be interesting to see what happens with Gizmo when they finish that up. Then you have VoIP (yeah, you have that now from gmail but don't think you can do it from the Droid). Seems like once now that they have VoIP fax shouldn't be far off.

 

[LinenEphod]

I like using it for the simple fact that it integrates my phones with my computers. Very customizable and the voicemail options are very cool. And if you use Android (which I assume you do), it makes the mobile phone integration that much easier with google voice app and widgets.

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[thatdude]

because its awesome....duuuhh

 

[jimisbell]

Someone said, "Its another number that you have to distribute." This is not a disadvantage, its an advantage.

I have the ONE number that I will have for the rest of my life. It will never change. Its free.

Now I link all my other numbers to it, cell, home, Magicjack. All are linked to the one number. I have had it long enough that I dont even remember the other numbers (good thing I have them saved on Google Voice). I use only the Google number. My bussiness cards need have ONLY one number now.

The hard part was getting all my friends to erase, forget, or destroy, all the old numbers. Yes, they still work, but only on one of my three systems. So when I get a call and all the phones are not ringing, I ask the caller what number they called and ask them to remove it from all their systems and use ONLY my Google number.

It means I will nevery have to ask anyone to remember a new number!!! When I change systems, or move to another town, I just change the link and no one is the wiser. A reall side benefit, if a burglar calls to see if I am home, and I happen to be in Tim Buk Tu, he hears me answer the phone and has no idea I am 10,000 miles from the house.

 

[justreboot]

vvm sure beats paying verizon the $3/ month... plus the other features already mentioned...