Any downside to Google Voice?

[DigiK]

Free Calls With Google Voice .4 for Dummies w/ FnF Plans How-To

Despite the v.4 switch to unique, per-contact access number, you can still get free outbound calling without any extra steps or resorting to VOIP if you have Friends and Family or equivalent with a nice little program called GVMyNumber.

Download from your Android Device here:
http://code.google.com/p/gvmynumber/

"GVMyNumber is a free Google Voice dialer for Android which integrates with the default Android Google Voice application," Setup for GVMyNumber is as easy as inputting your GV# into the application settings, and using it is even easier. Once you choose the contact you'd like to dial, select the 'Dial w/ Google Voice' option, and it automagically first dials your GV# and inputs the contact number to achieve free calling. No callbacks, instant seamless connection.

The beauty of GVMyNumber is that you only need to enter your GV# in FnF. No more musical chairs with ephemeral access numbers, and the whole process is quite seamless. Don't bother paying for other equivalent programs, as this works perfectly on 2.2 releases.

To quickly ascertain which carrier a contact is on for outbound calls/texts, you can use something like VZW's FnF phone number verifier tool. Under their contact name suffix, simply append VZW, ATT, etc; and you'll quickly be able to see which carrier they're on from the Rolodex before you make a call.

If you also want free in-bound calls, you can still have GV replace in-bound caller ID numbers with your GV# via Google Voice settings from a PC>Calls>Caller ID In>Display my GV Number. Your carrier will think your FnF GV# is calling you, thus free inbound calls. It's a stretch for most people, though, myself included.

 

[wrightperspective]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^What He said^^^^^^^^^

 

[Abe21599]

they are just silly and dont know what they are talking about trust me i use it every day and it still comes up my number...

Just add that number to your Friends/Family list and you should be set with "free" calls.

Okay that makes sense.

Someone earlier in the thread said that it's changed and now uses a different number each time it calls. Are you not seeing that?

heres it directly from googles blog

Faster dialing with Google Voice on Android and Blackberry devices - Official Google Mobile Blog

and i quote "Until today, the Google Voice app had to make a request to the Google Voice server every time you wanted to make a call to send us the phone number you wanted to dial. Then the call would be connected via a Google Voice access number. With direct access numbers, we assign a unique phone number to every person you call. This means that we no longer need to use your data network to access the server each time you make a call, so calls will be placed much faster."

you tell me what that means then. I presume you still use the same number if you stay in your general area but if you would travel it would connect to a different server (i guess) and a different number would come up

I tried it, too after i updated my app and the same number came up. Im just trying to help people out when they get ridiculous bills for using GV even though they had the number on friends&family

EDIT: found this on the blog too - if anyone wants the older .apk of google voice, go HERE

 

[iPirate]

they are just silly and dont know what they are talking about trust me i use it every day and it still comes up my number...

Just add that number to your Friends/Family list and you should be set with "free" calls.

Okay that makes sense.

Someone earlier in the thread said that it's changed and now uses a different number each time it calls. Are you not seeing that?

lol seriously? you guys are in for some big bills soon

Google Voice Blog: Faster dialing with Google Voice on Android and Blackberry devices

With direct access numbers, we assign a unique phone number to every person you call.

but im just being silly...

 

[Bear in NM]

This is getting confusing. Question, does what is being discussed here apply if you have a dedicated GV number? When I set up services months ago, I chose a number. I just checked by dialing my home, and on the caller ID my GV number came up. But then my home number is in my contact list. Perhaps I need to check on a phone that is not in my contact list.

Craig

 

[DigiK]

This is getting confusing. Question, does what is being discussed here apply if you have a dedicated GV number?
Craig

Hey Bear, I have a feeling my statement quoted at bottom might have confused you. If calling using GV, your Gv# will always show up on ANY recipients' caller ID.

I was referring to incoming calls to the cellphone you have GV installed on. It's basically a hack where GV servers replace the true phone number of the person calling your native wireless carrier number with your own GV#. Your GV# is recognized by your carrier as being friends and family (since minutes are calculated by called-ID) and the call is free. You get free inbound calls, albeit you won't know who is calling you.

Outbound calls are always free & automatic as long as you're using GVMyNumber + FnF with v.4.

If you also want free in-bound calls, you can still have GV replace in-bound caller ID numbers with your GV# via Google Voice settings... Your carrier will think your FnF GV# is calling you, thus free inbound calls...

 

[lmapp]

they are just silly and dont know what they are talking about trust me i use it every day and it still comes up my number...

Okay that makes sense.

Someone earlier in the thread said that it's changed and now uses a different number each time it calls. Are you not seeing that?

heres it directly from googles blog

Faster dialing with Google Voice on Android and Blackberry devices - Official Google Mobile Blog

and i quote "Until today, the Google Voice app had to make a request to the Google Voice server every time you wanted to make a call to send us the phone number you wanted to dial. Then the call would be connected via a Google Voice access number. With direct access numbers, we assign a unique phone number to every person you call. This means that we no longer need to use your data network to access the server each time you make a call, so calls will be placed much faster."

you tell me what that means then. I presume you still use the same number if you stay in your general area but if you would travel it would connect to a different server (i guess) and a different number would come up

I tried it, too after i updated my app and the same number came up. Im just trying to help people out when they get ridiculous bills for using GV even though they had the number on friends&family

EDIT: found this on the blog too - if anyone wants the older .apk of google voice, go HERE

I'm pretty sure that the above-mentioned is a workaround for people that do not have the GV app AND don't want to dial their access number every time that they make a call. If you use the "unique number" assigned by GV to whoever it is you are calling, you don't have to go through your access number (which the app does for you). I think that if you have the GV app, it's all good...still works. The "direct access numbers" have always been around, you just don't need to know about them if you've got the app AND f&f.

 

[DigiK]

Lmapp,

From my interpretation of the blog post, previously your phone would send the number you wanted to call to the Google Voice call server, your phone would call the access number, the server identified your phone, and connected you with the recipient via GV point-to-point land-line tunnel. Now, GV does the initial unique number assignment & pulldown, remembers it, and dials that as the access number every time you call with GV, resulting in suqsequently shorter connection times and no need for a data connection.

The problem is that most people only have a limited number of slots to fill via FnF, so it DOES break the previous free-calling loophole by the assignment of unique access numbers to each contact.

However, the GVMyNumber method I wrote on Page 2, Post#16 still allows for free outbound calling with GV.4 and is more elegant than the old method in some ways, because you don't need to worry about access numbers ever changing. The only trade-off is that it takes a few seconds to place the call. Not a big deal, and it maintains the benefit of only having to use one FnF slot.

 

[bacalao]

Only downside I can think of is no MMS. Though, I hope I'm wrong about that.

 

[lmapp]

Lmapp,

From my interpretation of the blog post, previously your phone would send the number you wanted to call to the Google Voice call server, your phone would call the access number, the server identified your phone, and connected you with the recipient via GV point-to-point land-line tunnel. Now, GV does the initial unique number assignment & pulldown, remembers it, and dials that as the access number every time you call with GV, resulting in suqsequently shorter connection times and no need for a data connection.

The problem is that most people only have a limited number of slots to fill via FnF, so it DOES break the previous free-calling loophole by the assignment of unique access numbers to each contact.

However, the GVMyNumber method I wrote on Page 2, Post#16 still allows for free outbound calling with GV.4 and is more elegant than the old method in some ways, because you don't need to worry about access numbers ever changing. The only trade-off is that it takes a few seconds to place the call. Not a big deal, and it maintains the benefit of only having to use one FnF slot.

I see. I guess that inbound calls are still recognized as coming from my gv # and are therefore free?

Any change on SMS?

I think I may revert to the previous version (if it works with 2.2).

 

[hookbill]

Only downside I can think of is no MMS. Though, I hope I'm wrong about that.

No MMS. That's one thing you still need regular texting for.

 

[lmapp]

I may be just getting old, but I swear I thought you could send to multiple recipients with the GV app. Now I'm stuck with just 1 per sms, even after dlding the old version.

 

[csimo]

Only downside I can think of is no MMS. Though, I hope I'm wrong about that.

No SMS short codes either.

-Joe

 

[les017]

I may be just getting old, but I swear I thought you could send to multiple recipients with the GV app. Now I'm stuck with just 1 per sms, even after dlding the old version.

Yeah, you're just old... like me. Yet I can still recall that GV can only do one at a time.

 

[Bear in NM]

This is getting confusing. Question, does what is being discussed here apply if you have a dedicated GV number?
Craig

Hey Bear, I have a feeling my statement quoted at bottom might have confused you. If calling using GV, your Gv# will always show up on ANY recipients' caller ID.

I was referring to incoming calls to the cellphone you have GV installed on. It's basically a hack where GV servers replace the true phone number of the person calling your native wireless carrier number with your own GV#. Your GV# is recognized by your carrier as being friends and family (since minutes are calculated by called-ID) and the call is free. You get free inbound calls, albeit you won't know who is calling you.

Outbound calls are always free & automatic as long as you're using GVMyNumber + FnF with v.4.

If you also want free in-bound calls, you can still have GV replace in-bound caller ID numbers with your GV# via Google Voice settings... Your carrier will think your FnF GV# is calling you, thus free inbound calls...

Digi,

Thank you for that clarification. I was following the thread fine as you all have discussed "work arounds" for free calling, but yes the rolling google phone numbers had me stumped. As long as my dedicated google phone number shows up to my clients than I am fine. I have an ever changing list of clients, and I am trying to keep them on either my office number or my google number, with my cell number being hidden.

Thank you for the clarification.

Craig