Using Google Voice

[fldude99]

I hope it's ok to post this here..but since Google Voice is an integral part of the Captivate I reckon its ok...I've been tinkering with Google Voice and find it more & more useful..but I can't seem to find answers on google's help or forums to the following:

1-When outside the country (i.e. South America), and using the same ATT sim...can I send a text back to a US phone number without a charge?

2-I would like to use google voice to call my office back here when travelling. I'm assuming I can use google voice to call a US phone from outside the country..but I also assume ATT would charge the international roaming rate..So can one use google voice on a PC and call a US phone for no charge (until the end of 2010 I've heard).

3-Can I add an international number to my google voice profile so if someone from the US calls my google voice # it will forward to the international #? I assume if that is possible, it will charge the google voice international rate for that call forwarding?

4-I'm using google voice as my voice mail (and REALLY like it)..but when out of the country, I wonder if you listen to the voice mail on the handset if you are using international roaming minutes? I would listen on the PC, but it would be nice to listen to a voice msg when out and about.

Sorry for the length of the post..but I would think if someone knows the answers to any of that it would be useful to many folks who may be travelling internationally. Thanks

 

[viny2cool]

i havent used it outside the US yet, but from what i know the free calling works only in US and Canada.

to answer ur other question, it has nothing to do with ATT. u can use it even without ur sim card. I tried that already. It just need ur googe account.

 

[rfound]

For text and voicemail, google voice is an INTERNET based service... so you can use it on wifi for free anywhere, or on 3g based on whatever your data plan allows for data rates and roaming.

For Voice calls, google voice is a call forwarding service (it is NOT VOIP), so it will cost whatever it would normally cost to make the calls, plus roaming charges. You could, however, use a non-ATT sim in your captivate to connect a local mobile phone company's network, and just go in the internet and change the forwarding number while you are traveling.

 

[fldude99]

Thanks for the quick reply guys...@viny2: how do you use google voice without a sim? Do you have it connected to wifi? @rfound: So you're saying that a text msg sent or received from google voice while connected to cell service will use data?

 

[rfound]

@rfound: So you're saying that a text msg sent or received from google voice while connected to cell service will use data?

YES, if you are getting the text inside the google voice app, its coming in via data.

If you have google voice set to forward SMS to a phone #, then it will be coming in as a redirected Text.

You can use google voice without a sim when you are on wifi. You will not receive or make calls (unless you've paired it with some VOIP app), but you will get voicemail and text messages over wifi

 

[mrcamp]

BTW, google voice cannot be forwarded to an international. So the part above about forwarding to your local sim while traveling, is not possible with GV.

 

[viny2cool]

Thanks for the quick reply guys...@viny2: how do you use google voice without a sim? Do you have it connected to wifi?

yes buddy, its like gmail on ur pc...u just bneed data connection....wifi or if u insert some other sim then network data...

 

[fldude99]

Thanks again...google voice is an interesting phenomenon to me...good tip on forwarding incoming SMS to a phone #...I believe when out of the country, incoming texts just go against the text msg plan..so if sending a text is free (other than a tiny bit of data)...then it's all good. Just wondering if listening to a voice mail on the handset (with a sim card on a network) charges minutes or data...

Edit: @rfound: I don't see the option to forward a SMS to a #..just to email...but that's ok as well really...

 

[ujmnz]

If listening to your voicemail through the google voice app, then it is data, as it never actually dials to any voicemail number.

 

[rfound]

Edit: @rfound: I don't see the option to forward a SMS to a #..just to email...but that's ok as well really...

Yeah you're right... sorry about that.

 

[ujmnz]

you can forward an sms to a number by going to google.com/voice then settings->phones, and edit any mobile number there to receive sms on that phone

 

[fldude99]

Thanks!