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I am completely lost - Google Voice

DaygosDankest

Well-Known Member
Dec 16, 2009
189
0
Ok, I finally got my invite, created the account, I chose to create a number for the free SMS. Now...im completely lost, how do I make free calls? Free SMS. It would be great if someone could give me a rundown on what the hells going on...sorry im not.."web savvy" thx.
 
You can get the free calls if you have the Verizon "in-circle" or whatever they call it. That link above is a good tutorial on how to set that up.

Previously, if you had a Gizmo5 account, you could get real free calls over data (which is unlimited). But, now that Google has purchased Gizmo5, we can only wait and see how they choose to implement it in further versions of GV.
 
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i hear ya.

just got my invite yesterday, set up my account. i wanted it for visual voicemail, but now see that its not instant. i have to wait for refresh or check and refresh after a missed call..

and for SMS, thats not instant either. and i'd have to give my contacts a different number to text me with. and no MMS.

not sure im totally digging this google voice thing..
gonna give it a go for a while, and see how it is..

hope someone chimes in to help out. i really want to like it!
 
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Droid 1.2 firmware
Verizon
I too got the invite about a week ago. I had unrealistic dreams of reducing my phone plan because I would be making phone calls through the internet. I even texted my friend who happens to sell for Verizon. I asked him what the catch was with google voice? It seems to good to be true. His reply....."Silly negro...it is.

Sooo, I basically set up the account to grab a phone number very very close to the number I currently have for future use. After playing with it for a few hours I came to the conclusion that it really just organizes my voicemail and allows me to read the voice messages. If there are other "easter eggs", as you guys call it, let me know.
 
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Google Voice really shines on a home phone if you get a google number that is local to dial. You will then make free Ld calls and do not need to pay for a Long DISTANT CARRIER/service.
To use it for cell phones, it just gives you a permant number even if you change phones. Disounts on international calls. It does not save you on minutees. Sending a text through GV is free but receiving still cost for incoming text. If you want free back and forth texting try yahoo (draw back is you have to be online) it is free. Instead of composing email,compose text.
 
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Yeah, I have only been using GV for voice mail. I really like the visual voice mail option, its not perfect, but its enough where I can read the text in a meeting and make a decision on whether or not I need to get up and make a phone call.

I have not been issues with delivery time on VMs at all. I miss the call and 2-3mins later I receive the VM. Which is on-par with normal VM delivery. IMO.
 
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Google Voice really shines on a home phone if you get a google number that is local to dial. You will then make free Ld calls and do not need to pay for a Long DISTANT CARRIER/service.
To use it for cell phones, it just gives you a permant number even if you change phones. Disounts on international calls. It does not save you on minutees. Sending a text through GV is free but receiving still cost for incoming text. If you want free back and forth texting try yahoo (draw back is you have to be online) it is free. Instead of composing email,compose text.
You are incorrect. If you use the GV app it is free to send and receive messages. You just need to choose the option where it does not forward the txt to your phone number.
 
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What's cool about GV?

Here's a few of the run downs for ya'll

go to the web and look at your options and set it up there ..

you can do such things as have anyone that calls your GV number ring your home, cell and office phone ... all at the same time ... OR say from 8am-5 pm ring your office & cell 5pm-9pm ring the house and the cell ... 9pm-8am ... go to voice mail ..

how about the ability to listen in WHILE the caller leaves the VM ... and if you decide you can join the call or just let the caller finish and hang up ...

What if you happen to be a sales person and you give out your GV # ... you can direct the calls to your phone lines at the company you work for ... but ... if they let you go ... you re-direct said calls to any phone... keeping your contacts ..

Having a single number for everyone forever ... no dealing with number portability of phone companies or dealing with contracts that haven't expired

Letting Sales people go to VM and seeing what the call is about before wasting your time listening to a VM for screen wipeys ...

How about the fact that when someone calls you through your GV # and you answer on your desk phone ... and the call continues on but you have to leave the office and can't leave the call ... Hit # and every phone you have registered with GV rings ... you answer on your cell ... hang up your office/deskphone and walk out (your caller none the wiser you just transferred them)...

How about caller ID specific greetings ... the ability to have a greeting for your wife and a different one for your boss ...

How about the ability to call someone through GV and never give out your cell phone # ...

How about the ability to block calls from the number you just called using your GV# and didn't give your home or cell # to?

Any of these features sound cool ... or useful ...

oh yeah and .... whats the cost again ...???

GOOGLE ROCKS!!!
 
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You are incorrect. If you use the GV app it is free to send and receive messages. You just need to choose the option where it does not forward the txt to your phone number.
I stand corrected, if you stay on the site you can text both ways like yahoo but if it forwards to your phone it cost. This is want I meant but I did word it poorly.
 
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I stand corrected, if you stay on the site you can text both ways like yahoo but if it forwards to your phone it cost. This is want I meant but I did word it poorly.


Use the Google Voice app and you can text (send and receive) on your Droid. Configure Google Voice (via online) to NOT forward the SMS message to your cell phone and have the SMS forwarded to your gmail account. You can then cancel your text messaging plan from verizon and stop paying ridiculous fees each month for texting.

You will send SMS messages through the Google Voice app. You will then receive the SMS messages in gmail (with push) instantly and shortly thereafter in the Google Voice app. You can respond to texts either through the Google Voice app or responding to the email you receive in gmail.
 
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What's cool about GV?

Here's a few of the run downs for ya'll

go to the web and look at your options and set it up there ..

you can do such things as have anyone that calls your GV number ring your home, cell and office phone ... all at the same time ... OR say from 8am-5 pm ring your office & cell 5pm-9pm ring the house and the cell ... 9pm-8am ... go to voice mail ..

how about the ability to listen in WHILE the caller leaves the VM ... and if you decide you can join the call or just let the caller finish and hang up ...

What if you happen to be a sales person and you give out your GV # ... you can direct the calls to your phone lines at the company you work for ... but ... if they let you go ... you re-direct said calls to any phone... keeping your contacts ..

Having a single number for everyone forever ... no dealing with number portability of phone companies or dealing with contracts that haven't expired

Letting Sales people go to VM and seeing what the call is about before wasting your time listening to a VM for screen wipeys ...

How about the fact that when someone calls you through your GV # and you answer on your desk phone ... and the call continues on but you have to leave the office and can't leave the call ... Hit # and every phone you have registered with GV rings ... you answer on your cell ... hang up your office/deskphone and walk out (your caller none the wiser you just transferred them)...

How about caller ID specific greetings ... the ability to have a greeting for your wife and a different one for your boss ...

How about the ability to call someone through GV and never give out your cell phone # ...

How about the ability to block calls from the number you just called using your GV# and didn't give your home or cell # to?

Any of these features sound cool ... or useful ...

oh yeah and .... whats the cost again ...???

GOOGLE ROCKS!!!


An excellent list. A few more additions:

Have all of your voicemails and text messages in one location that you can refer back to should the need arise. No longer losing voicemails a few weeks after receipt on Verizon's voicemail system or losing your text messages when your cache becomes too large or you switch phones.

Have your entire call log, which you can annotate with notes about the phone call-- particularly useful for businesses

Text message for free. No longer give Verizon 20 dollars a month for texting...

Forward voicemails to others via email-- particularly useful for businesses and project management.

Download voicemails to computer

Embed individual voicemails in blogs, etc.

Record incoming calls and have recordings stored for as long as you want online-- comes in handy for customer service calls, interviews, conference and client calls, etc.

Host conference calls

Temporarily have calls selectively forwarded when on vacation-- have work related calls forwarded to a co-worker, family calls to a relative, etc.
 
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What's cool about GV?

Here's a few of the run downs for ya'll

go to the web and look at your options and set it up there ..

you can do such things as have anyone that calls your GV number ring your home, cell and office phone ... all at the same time ... OR say from 8am-5 pm ring your office & cell 5pm-9pm ring the house and the cell ... 9pm-8am ... go to voice mail ..

how about the ability to listen in WHILE the caller leaves the VM ... and if you decide you can join the call or just let the caller finish and hang up ...

What if you happen to be a sales person and you give out your GV # ... you can direct the calls to your phone lines at the company you work for ... but ... if they let you go ... you re-direct said calls to any phone... keeping your contacts ..

Having a single number for everyone forever ... no dealing with number portability of phone companies or dealing with contracts that haven't expired

Letting Sales people go to VM and seeing what the call is about before wasting your time listening to a VM for screen wipeys ...

How about the fact that when someone calls you through your GV # and you answer on your desk phone ... and the call continues on but you have to leave the office and can't leave the call ... Hit # and every phone you have registered with GV rings ... you answer on your cell ... hang up your office/deskphone and walk out (your caller none the wiser you just transferred them)...

How about caller ID specific greetings ... the ability to have a greeting for your wife and a different one for your boss ...

How about the ability to call someone through GV and never give out your cell phone # ...

How about the ability to block calls from the number you just called using your GV# and didn't give your home or cell # to?

Any of these features sound cool ... or useful ...

oh yeah and .... whats the cost again ...???

GOOGLE ROCKS!!!

Ya, can you tell me how to do all this stuff?
 
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Wow another thing I have learned on this forum. Didn't relize there was a push on the texts. Will it do mms as well or just sms? In case I got the letters wrong,does it work with pics also?


It is NOT push to the Google Voice app (at least yet); however, it can be set to instantly forward the SMS messages to your gmail (in addition to, or in substitution for, forwarding to your cell phone). Gmail includes push, so you get the message virtually instantly via gmail.

You can then respond via the gmail app and it is returned to the sender as an SMS message on their phone-- each contact that texts you through your Google Voice number is assigned a unique @txt.voice.google.com email address.

Once you receive that SMS email, you can either (i) respond directly via email, (ii) wait for the Google Voice app to refresh (sometimes 5+ minutes) and respond through the Google Voice app or (iii) manually refresh the Google Voice app inbox and then respond to the text.

There currently is NOT MMS support.
 
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Ya, can you tell me how to do all this stuff?


Have you read the help section online at Google Voice? They have pretty detailed instructions how to do all of the functions.

You need to enter your various phone numbers, create forwarding rules (if you desire), set your SMS settings, memorize the in-call commands and install the Google Voice app on the Droid.
 
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Ya, can you tell me how to do all this stuff?


Not trying to be rude but I figured all of this out through; TWIG, blogs and, RTFM'ing.

so just like those that tell ya "Search before ya ask" take a few moments to get to know the product.


We have pointed out some of the things WE see value in GV ... by causing you to discover on your own, your mindset is different and HOPEFULLY you figure out something WE missed and circle back to add a new feature to the list
 
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