Google Voice - what is it & what does it do for me?

[mrnelson86]

Wow... now I have to rethink, again!

What about those who are using the "visual" voice mail feature with their verizon number? How does that work??

It works just fine, I do it that way because I haven't decided whether I want to switch totally yet, or if at all. You just forward your voicemail to gvoice and it works just fine. I think there's a how-to somewhere on these forums as well, just search it. I mainly use it for the voicemail to text option so I don't have to bother listening to the voicemail

 

[Akitakan]

I second mrnelson86. I have a google voice number but only use the voice mail feature. Nice being able to have text option so that one doesn't have to listen to actual voicemail. Please keep in mind that this is still in beta so you will see some glitches. All in all though, works well.

 

[cchhiipp]

I think this is a stupid question but I want to make sure I am correct. In order to use the google voice functions like visual voice mail the person calling has to dial your google number right? In other words I have to tell everyone that I have a new number and give them my google number. Is that the only way?

You can have Google Voice set up to be the voicemail on your current wireless number. In other words, if someone dials my cell phone number, google answers if I let it go to voicemail, and I get a text transcript of the voicemail. No google voice number is involved. It can be it you want it to be, but it does not have to be.

 

[Bull4595]

Okay I'm new to the whole Google Voice thing as well, still waiting for an invite, but wanted to make clear a few more things about the voicemail feature. If I'm still unsure whether or not to go with a GV number and just wanted to use the VM feature on my verizon wireless # for now, would it be better to just go with a GV# to have it just in case and use the VM on the verizon #? if that makes sense? also, is it possible to forward messages on my verizon voicemail to the GV voicemail? I have some important ones on there for business purposes that would be nice to transfer over.

Thanks for all the help. This forum is a life saver!

 

[hookbill]

Okay I'm new to the whole Google Voice thing as well, still waiting for an invite, but wanted to make clear a few more things about the voicemail feature. If I'm still unsure whether or not to go with a GV number and just wanted to use the VM feature on my verizon wireless # for now, would it be better to just go with a GV# to have it just in case and use the VM on the verizon #? if that makes sense? also, is it possible to forward messages on my verizon voicemail to the GV voicemail? I have some important ones on there for business purposes that would be nice to transfer over.

Thanks for all the help. This forum is a life saver!

I believe someone has already stated on this thread that you can forward your Verizon Voicemail to you Google Voice Mail. I say get the second number, I have one and I use it strictly for texting and making phone calls. I let received calls come through my regular number. If somebody asked me why the number was different I'd tell them to call me on either number.

I don't use Google Voice Mail so I can't answer your question in regards to the number and voicemail, I just gave an example of how I use it.

 

[PhontomF]

You can use google voice to make free calls from your Droid. That way you won't have to worry about going over your limit.

Please tell me what exactly I need to do so I can use GV to make calls w/o using my anytime minutes. My friend got a Droid last month and was using GV to make calls thinking it was free and when he got his bill he was charged for all those minutes using GV number. Thanks!

 

[hookbill]

You can use google voice to make free calls from your Droid. That way you won't have to worry about going over your limit.

Please tell me what exactly I need to do so I can use GV to make calls w/o using my anytime minutes. My friend got a Droid last month and was using GV to make calls thinking it was free and when he got his bill he was charged for all those minutes using GV number. Thanks!

On your Droid you have to select your Google Voice number, not your regular number to make outgoing calls. What I suggest you do is go to your settings in Google Voice and set it up to prompt when making a call. Then select Google Voice.

About an hour or so after making the call you can go to My Verizon and check your phone usage. It should not reflect the number you called if you did it properly.

 

[PhontomF]

You can use google voice to make free calls from your Droid. That way you won't have to worry about going over your limit.

Please tell me what exactly I need to do so I can use GV to make calls w/o using my anytime minutes. My friend got a Droid last month and was using GV to make calls thinking it was free and when he got his bill he was charged for all those minutes using GV number. Thanks!

On your Droid you have to select your Google Voice number, not your regular number to make outgoing calls. What I suggest you do is go to your settings in Google Voice and set it up to prompt when making a call. Then select Google Voice.

About an hour or so after making the call you can go to My Verizon and check your phone usage. It should not reflect the number you called if you did it properly.

I have it set to ask me if I want to use GV before making a call. I made a 2 minute call about an hour ago selecting call with GV. I just logged into my verizon online account and there are 2 more anytime minutes used up.

 

[DJTURNz]

I got an invite and I want to use it, but I am still not completely clear on which option to choose. I'd like to layout what I want GV to do for me, and hopefully you guys can help me figure out which way to go.

1. I have hundreds of business cards printed with my current cell number, so I don't want to have to tell people (mainly my "clients") to use a different number.

2. I want to take advantage of free calls without using the shared minutes I have with my Family plan. (I don't care what number shows up on caller ID when I call someone)

3. I want to get voicemails as text messages.

4. I want to be able to use the custom Voicemail greetings.


So which plan should I choose?

 

[hookbill]

I have it set to ask me if I want to use GV before making a call. I made a 2 minute call about an hour ago selecting call with GV. I just logged into my verizon online account and there are 2 more anytime minutes used up.

I don't know what's up with this. I could have sworn with my Blackberry Storm I successfully completed calls like this without being billed. But several people now have told me I'm wrong and I haven't checked it out myself in quite some time.

Sorry for the misinformation. I don't see any reason why this would be just a Droid issue so I can't blame it on that.

 

[Flomaster]

I got an invite and I want to use it, but I am still not completely clear on which option to choose. I'd like to layout what I want GV to do for me, and hopefully you guys can help me figure out which way to go.

1. I have hundreds of business cards printed with my current cell number, so I don't want to have to tell people (mainly my "clients") to use a different number.

2. I want to take advantage of free calls without using the shared minutes I have with my Family plan. (I don't care what number shows up on caller ID when I call someone)

3. I want to get voicemails as text messages.

4. I want to be able to use the custom Voicemail greetings.


So which plan should I choose?

Not a problem you can set GV to act as your VM client even though you have a different GV phone number

not going to happen even if you place a call using your GV number it STILL uses your phones minutes.

not a problem, just set GV up to handle all of your VM's. on GV's website you will see link to get your own number, from there you can pick a phone number in your area code or zip code. once you have done that you can text via google voice. and have people send Text messages to the new GV number you just picked

once again no problem at all just set that up via GV.com



-=Jason=-

 

[DJTURNz]

Jason,

Why can't number 2 be done? That's what everyone keeps saying. If you choose the outgoing call to be your Google number, it doesn't use phone minutes?

 

[justbob]

Jason,

Why can't number 2 be done? That's what everyone keeps saying. If you choose the outgoing call to be your Google number, it doesn't use phone minutes?

Google Voice is not VoIP. Placing/receiving calls on GV involves calling or forwarding calls to/from your GV number. You're still using your cellular minutes if your cell phone is involved.

 

[DJTURNz]

So everybody that says they are doing it is wrong?

 

[justbob]

Watch these:

Google Voice