What do you think of Google Voice for Android

[misterSelf]

Saves me money. I use it for free text, free calls to non-Verizon customers, free calls to Canada, and visual voicemail.

 

[ryanfrank24]

call me crazy but i installed google voice and decided that i dont want it anymore... how do i get rid of it? and back to my regular voice mail?? can someone help me out

thanks

 

[aminaked]

Workaround to delays:
If the SMS's show up in Gmail right away, maybe just get alerted via the gmail app instead of the google voice app.

 

[ryanfrank24]

i want to delete and get rid of google voice though... ?

 

[droiddadi]

Workaround to delays:
If the SMS's show up in Gmail right away, maybe just get alerted via the gmail app instead of the google voice app.

Yes it shows in Gmail instantly and that is what I have been doing. Its defeats the purpose of having GV app

 

[AsrMatt]

GV users beware. I had an issue with mine where Verizon was charging me minutes for call forwarding related to my google voice account. I use my existing number instead of a GV assigned number. I had a $110 usage charge on my bill a few months back due to this. I love GV, but I can't afford to run into this issue again. Anyone else have a similar issue or is it just my dumb luck?

 

[gadgetrants]

GV users beware. I had an issue with mine where Verizon was charging me minutes for call forwarding related to my google voice account. I use my existing number instead of a GV assigned number. I had a $110 usage charge on my bill a few months back due to this. I love GV, but I can't afford to run into this issue again. Anyone else have a similar issue or is it just my dumb luck?

I think most people have used a workaround where they put the "call-out" numbers that GV dials into their Friends and Family list, which means they get unlimited minutes. Two problems:

(1) Every so often that call-out number might change, forcing you to have to swap it into F&F

(2) Apparently, the new version of GV uses a DIFFERENT call-out number for each person you contact, making it practically impossible to use the workaround. There was lots of screaming and yelling when the new version came out a few weeks ago.

-Matt

 

[papy72]

I use it mainly to replace my $5 texting plan, though I see a couple ideas in this thread that have me intrigued.

As far as the texting goes, I would pay Google to make the SMS threads work the way Handcent does (i.e. one thread per contact). Even with people I only text occasionally my inbox gets chock full of threads with something like 1 reply in each of them. Makes finding something someone sent me very difficult.

 

[tennvol]

GV users beware. I had an issue with mine where Verizon was charging me minutes for call forwarding related to my google voice account. I use my existing number instead of a GV assigned number. I had a $110 usage charge on my bill a few months back due to this. I love GV, but I can't afford to run into this issue again. Anyone else have a similar issue or is it just my dumb luck?

I think most people have used a workaround where they put the "call-out" numbers that GV dials into their Friends and Family list, which means they get unlimited minutes. Two problems:

(1) Every so often that call-out number might change, forcing you to have to swap it into F&F

(2) Apparently, the new version of GV uses a DIFFERENT call-out number for each person you contact, making it practically impossible to use the workaround. There was lots of screaming and yelling when the new version came out a few weeks ago.

-Matt

Just use a GV dialer, there are several in the market. You go to make a call, pick your cell# or GV #. If you pick your GV # you are logged into your GV account and the "callback" feature is initiated.

 

[AsrMatt]

I will definitely look into the dialer, but will that truely resolve the issue? My call forward charges were for when incoming calls would be sent to my gv mailbox. I really miss using gv at work to be able to read my voicemails in my gmail box.

 

[psrumors]

I use GV constantly. The only people I don't call through GV are other VZ subscribers. I went from using 4000 minutes a month to 1200 last month. The only minutes I am using now are caused from those people calling me. My GV displays the incoming caller's ID as compared to my GV number.

For dialing I use FlexPro which dials right out through my GV number like a credit card, I could not stand the call back features so many Apps use.

I started using the integrated GV app with google mail today. It has worked great, been on 4 conference calls with it and no issues.

The wife keeps saying Google is going to have to start charging for the service. Hopefully not.

 

[gadgetrants]

Hey guys, hope this is on topic: so I started to play with the new VoIP feature in GV. Dialing a call is REALLY clunky...this is how I think it works:

OK, you want to make a VoIP call from your computer. You can either...

(1) Open gmail, click on the "Call Phone" icon in your contact list, and punch in the number by hand (it looks like there's also a calling history that brings over your recent calls from GV)

OR

(2) Head over to GV, pull up your contact list, and select "Call" to one of their numbers.

I don't know if I missed something, but I'm amazed that the two systems are not better integrated. In particular (1) why can't I dial directly from the contact list in gmail, and (2) if I decide to call from GV (and it's set to place the call through Google Chat), why do I have to go back over to gmail to accept the call? Dumb, dumb, dumb.

I mean it works great, but I don't think the average technophobe will ever figure it out.

EDIT: OK, *I* must be the noob-technophobe! Thanks to Hookbill and psrumors, I figured out that you can do the whole thing from inside Gmail:
(1) Click on the "Call phone" icon in your mini contact list
(2) The dialpad pops up
(3) In the dialpad textbox, type in a contact's name
(4) Select one of the contact's numbers, and CALL!!!

OK, next question, and please tell me there isn't a thread here discussing this: I've heard no news that these same functions will be baked into the GV/gmail Android apps. Did I miss that?

-Matt

 

[gadgetrants]

I will definitely look into the dialer, but will that truely resolve the issue? My call forward charges were for when incoming calls would be sent to my gv mailbox. I really miss using gv at work to be able to read my voicemails in my gmail box.

OK, sorry if I misunderstood. I need to meditate on that a bit more. I'm pretty sure I've never paid a minute to have incoming calls go to GV voicemail. I think the only time I've been charged was for (1) outbound calls using my phone, or (2) inbound GV calls that were routed to my phone.

Dumb question, but when you install the GV app on the phone, there is a wizard that helps with "setting up voicemail on your phone." Is it worth re-running that?

-(The other) Matt

 

[psrumors]

You are right Matt, the integration between GVoice and GMail is very lacking. I would expect that to get better shortly but who knows.


As for per minute charges when using GV voice mail....I would think you would need your GV number added to your friends and family list to avoid any charges.

 

[hookbill]

You are right Matt, the integration between GVoice and GMail is very lacking. I would expect that to get better shortly but who knows.


As for per minute charges when using GV voice mail....I would think you would need your GV number added to your friends and family list to avoid any charges.

Whoa, are we talking about the same Google Gmail that I used before? Because when I tried it I said, "Far Out."

It easily searched for a contact and then I just dialed a number and bam, there I was talking to my brother in Nashville. Gave me a choice to call his cell or GV number. I was very impressed.

And this is still in Beta. Maybe still better things to follow.

Remember when you had to get a microphone and stick it on your computer and use telephony to make a call? This is light years ahead of that.