OT - Google Voice Problem

[ewingr]

I've posted this question in Google's Help area, but I almost never get replies on messages there. Trying here.

When someone forwards to voicemail (Google VM), the recorded name that plays is not mine. I have recorded my name again; played it back on the WEB, and it is me; but if I dial my phone and go to VM it is a different person that says teh recorded name.

I did see in the Google help section that someone fixed that problem by disabling Google Voice on their phone and re-enabling it.

I am not clear on how to disable it, and re-enable it on the phone. I've browse around in the settings, and just don't make sense of it.

Interestingly, I do have the Voice Mail Carrier in my phone set to 'My Carrier', which would be AT&T. I"m not sure of the significance of changing that or not. My presumption is that if it rings long enough it may go to AT&T voice mail instead of Google Voice mail. But in the end, I don't believe that has anything to do with my problem.

I guess if I can come up wiht correct settings that will be helpful. Everything I find in the Google help for setup is about setting it up on the web, and not the phone.


Any suggestions?

[EDIT]
Even though I don't think this is part of my problem, I did try to set in my phone to send voice mail to Google Voice. When it went to the network it comes back with message "Voicemail number change unsuccessful. Please contact yoru carrier if this problem persists."

[EDIT2]
I found that you can enable/disable Google Voice Mail on your phone from teh Google Voice Mail web site by dialing numbers into your phone. I have tried that twice now, and it still is playing the wrong name .

 

[ewingr]

It seems like nobody uses Google Voice. I see very little on forums on it.

Mabe it is because Google themselves provide zero support. And if the community has no idea of a solution, then a user is in trouble.

I guess I'l abandon GV for now.

 

[BSplit]

I actually just signed up today for Google Voice. Unfortunately, I do not have a great connection at work and cannot complete setup. Just a thought, have you gone on-line through Settings > Voicemail > Voicemail Greetings and changed the System Standard option? I am not sure if this is also available on the app (have not installed it yet).

 

[sremick]

It seems like nobody uses Google Voice. I see very little on forums on it.

On the contrary, it seems like Google Voice is the most-popular means to get "visual voicemail" (like what's on the iPhone) on Android. With the added benefit of transcription... which the iPhone doesn't do.

Tons of people on this Captivate board alone seem to use it.

 

[ewingr]

On the contrary, it seems like Google Voice is the most-popular means to get "
Tons of people on this Captivate board alone seem to use it.

That may be, but if so, there are very few posts about GV, which seems odd to me if a lot of people are using it. And I've only found 1 dedicated forum to GV, over on Howard Forums, and it is not very active at all.

Now, lots of posts in the Google Voice Forum (Google Forum), a high percentage of which get no replies from anyone with an answer.( I find the same problem on Google Forums in support of their Google Sites product).

I did get a reply on my problem over there, but all it was was someone saying "Answered", pointing me to a long list of answers to other things. The one post I found that someone solved the same problem did not solve it for me.

Sorry...I'm rambling on.

 

[ewingr]

I actually just signed up today for Google Voice. Unfortunately, I do not have a great connection at work and cannot complete setup. Just a thought, have you gone on-line through Settings > Voicemail > Voicemail Greetings and changed the System Standard option? I am not sure if this is also available on the app (have not installed it yet).

Be sure that you check the recorded voice after you select a number, and even after you record yoru own voice. I have recorded my voice 3 times, and when a call goes to VM it still announces with someone else's voice. I've stopped using it for voice until, or if, that problem gets resolved.

But I do like the use of it for messaging.

 

[sremick]

That may be, but if so, there are very few posts about GV, which seems odd to me if a lot of people are using it. And I've only found 1 dedicated forum to GV, over on Howard Forums, and it is not very active at all.

Well honestly... there's not much to talk about. It's pretty simple and straightforward. You set it up, it works.

I've been using it since the first day I got my phone. Other than responding to maybe a half-dozen questions people have had about it, I haven't talked about it here hardly at all.

People only discuss problems they need help with. A working app that is intuitive and that you need no help with doesn't tend to generate much forum traffic.

 

[TnTahoe]

login to your account and deactivate your number then reactivate and see if that helps

 

[ewingr]

Thanks for the suggestion, Tahoe. Have done that several times. (IN fact the only post I've found on this problem did that, and it fixed it for them.)

Hmmm...that beiing said, I will tlry that again.

But, here's an interesting update on my 'name' problem. I just tested this way, with these results:

Having my phone forwarded to my GV Voice mail:
Call my phone direct to my Network Number (not GV number), it forwards to GV, and it plays my greeting. Just Fine.

But, If i call myi GV number, it rings my phone, I ignore it, and it goes to the GVM, then the other person's name replies.

The main difference here is, on one it does not play the name, it plays my greeting, and is fine. In the other scenario, it does not play my greeting, but plays a name, which is not the one I recorded.

Is there some other setup I need to change?

 

[sremick]

Just what are you trying to accomplish with Google Voice? There are different ways to set it up, and the simple way is the most-common but it sounds like you're trying to do something else...

 

[ewingr]

Just what are you trying to accomplish with Google Voice? There are different ways to set it up, and the simple way is the most-common but it sounds like you're trying to do something else...

Was considering using it for all it is designed for.

Right now, I am using it for VM and messaging. Being as that if someone calls my phone it's real assigned number, and my recorded greeting plays for them, that works fine.

I was considering passing out the Google Number I have assigned, so that functionality based on that, but cannot because the name will not play what I recorded, but whomever must have had this number before me. Of course who knows, maybe that person also has this same number, and is having problems too But I doubt that.

Reading through that paragraph above, another question is: Why is it even playing a namem in the first place? It should be playing my greeting.

 

[thindery]

Reading through that paragraph above, another question is: Why is it even playing a namem in the first place? It should be playing my greeting.

Sorry this is happening for you. For all I can think maybe somehow your gv number is someone's old gv number? Somehow there is a trip somewhere.

Have you tried the google voice forums directly?
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/voice/label?lid=7c2a1629dac84e4d&hl=en

You may need to contact google voice directly:

http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin/request.py?contact_type=telephony2

I would emphasize that this may be an account security issue, as someone else is speaking for your voicemail. I think emphasizing that they may see it gets resolved faster.

Keep us posted. I'm interested to see how this ends up.

 

[ewingr]

Thanks for your suggestions!

I have tried the Google Voice Forums directly, and find them of no help. I got one reply that said "Answered", and pointed me to a whole list of other topics.

But, I did not know about the option to contact Google voice Directly. I will do that and see if it helps out.

The issue sure is strange.

I'll post back how it goes.

 

[alphadog00]

When you setup the phone for GV and Voicemail forwarding, did you use the Android GV app to set it up, or did you type into the dialer? Did you remove Voicemail settings also via the dialer?

If you call your GV number it should forward to your phone, and your phone should forward unanswered calls to your GV number for Voicemail. I assume this is what you want to do.

 

[Rumur]

I had that problem and couldn't figure a way around it so I use GV for the 2nd phone line and YouMail for voice mail.

 

[ewingr]

When you setup the phone for GV and Voicemail forwarding, did you use the Android GV app to set it up, or did you type into the dialer? Did you remove Voicemail settings also via the dialer?

If you call your GV number it should forward to your phone, and your phone should forward unanswered calls to your GV number for Voicemail. I assume this is what you want to do.

I"m not having problems iwth it forwarding. or receiving calls. My problme is if I don't answer, and it goes to GV: 1.) it works find if htey called my actual phone number, 2.) if they dialed my GV number, then some body else's recorded voice and name is what they hear when VM answers. BTW...if they do leave a message, then I do get it.