Explain what is so great about google voice and why I should use it. I got my invite today and I am wondering just why I should use this service.
Explain what is so great about google voice and why I should use it. I got my invite today and I am wondering just why I should use this service.
First explain why you bothered getting an invite for a service you know nothing about and need to be convinced to use. I'm always fascinated by people who jump head first into things they know nothing about and then decide to ask questions. It seems rather backwards to me, I'm just curious to know what the thought process is.
I wouldnt expect you to understand that though.
We do expect you to search though. You're not important enough to warrant us spending time convincing you to try a free service. Trust me on that.
Ok, I signed up for an invite without really knowing much about it either. Why? I was reading somewhere online that you could basically get calls for free after google had recently bought out a "Skype-like" service. (Not actually free, but not use anytime minutes from your plan). It seemed that invites were a bit difficult to get and I figured I should sign up asap and I could figure out what its all about later. Maybe OP was on the same page as me.
I got my invite today and was hoping to get some information that is not very clear on google's site. I saw this thread and there is some useful info here, when read with a flame filter. Thanks to those who help!
Now if anyone wants to give some extra help I have a related question. What is the advantage/disadvantage to using my existing # vs. Getting a google #? From what I can tell from their site, you get all the features of the existing# with the google #, BUT I'm not sure. Is there a catch that I missed? The invite says to choose wisely because you cannot switch later. So even though the service is free and I would like to try it out, a little advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
JM33
There is potentially a huge advantage to using your existing number--not sure if this would work. If you are switching cellular carriers in order to get a new phone, can you get a new number instead of porting over the old one, and then use the old one as your Google Voice number? Then you don't have to give out the new GV number to anybody who already knows your cell #, and you have a pristine cell # to start fresh with. However, perhaps GV can't assign numbers in the same area code as your existing cell #.What is the advantage/disadvantage to using my existing # vs. Getting a google #?
Just as new parent's should not be allowed to (even conceive) leave the hospital with their new baby until they pass the "how to be the perfect parent test". Just as that same newborn cannot go out the door and into public until it passes the "how to be an upstanding citizen and social graces test".I also think before anybody can walk out the store with a phone they need to pass the "Mount storage card, create folders, drag and drop test".....but I digress.
From what I have read, it is my unstanding that if you sign up for a google voice number and give this number to your family and friends and they call you on the google voice number, you can have the google voice number forwarded to another phone number such as a cell phone/home phone etc.(you have to set it up in google voice). By doing this, you will not be using your cell phone minutes from your provider.
Does Verizon charge you for call forwarding? If so, how much? Lets say someone calls my google voice number and i have it forwarded to my cell phone and talk to the person who called me for 30 minutes. Does that 30 minutes come off my plan. I read where sprint got free call forwarding. I think verizon has free call forwarding on the 900 minute plan but not the 450 minute plan.
is there a google voice app available for the android? I am getting a droid next thursday when my contract with sprint expires.
Any voice done through google voice still counts towards your minute plan. Not technically forwarding though. It's just like a normal call as far as I can tell.
its an innocent question, some of you are just weird...
Google Voice is like a proxy, a firewall for your phones. You use it as your primary number, and based on who is calling you (and when, even), the call can be forwarded to any of your phone numbers.
Mom calls you on Wednesday at 2pm ---> cell phone and work phone
Annoying coworker calls on Saturday at 10am --> work phone
Psycho ex calls you anytime --> straight to voicemail
Need to call some business or person, and you don't want them to have your cell number, but all you have with you is your cell? --> call them from Google Voice and it calls your cell then calls them and connects you.
If you have F&F on your Verizon plan, setup GV to show your GV number as the incoming caller id, add your GV number to the F&F and place and receive your calls through GV you will NOT use any plan minutes. If you use the Android App Google Voice you will also need to add the access number GV uses when placing calls. This access has been reported to change randomly so you will need to keep an eye on that and update F&F when it changes.
There is potentially a huge advantage to using your existing number--not sure if this would work. If you are switching cellular carriers in order to get a new phone, can you get a new number instead of porting over the old one, and then use the old one as your Google Voice number? Then you don't have to give out the new GV number to anybody who already knows your cell #, and you have a pristine cell # to start fresh with. However, perhaps GV can't assign numbers in the same area code as your existing cell #.
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