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Google Voice - Google Number? & Texting?

nazz

Newbie
Jan 21, 2010
48
5
Hi all,

If I get a Google Voice number can I still use my verizon number or do I have to let everyone know I have a new phone number?

Also, with texting, can I use the free texting thru google voice and still use my verizon number? So when I send the free text, the person on the other end still sees my verizon number or no?

Thanks in advance.
 
you can use both numbers, your GV number will forward to your VZW number so to the person calling you, it gets you just the same. To you, you can configure GV to show the person who is calling you's number instead of your GV number and it'll look seamless to you too

You dont HAVE to tell people you have a new number. but then what is the point of having a GV number? i dunno I hardly use mine except for visual voicemail Hope that helps
 
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That helps. Thanks!

I'm just looking to use mine for visual voicemail and maybe free texting. But to use free texting I have to get a Google Voice Number.

Do you know if texting is also transparent? Is there a way to still use my verizon number and take advantage of the free texting?

I just have a feeling the free texting might be all using the Google number. For example, if i send a text thru google but show my verizon number, the sent text is Free. But if they respond thru my verizon number, the received text is Not Free. Just wanted to confirm this too.
 
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No -- you only get free texting if you're using your GV number and using only the GV app.

If you have SMS forwarding enabled (to Messaging, Handcent, ChompSMS, etc) you will be billed (or they'll count against your plan) for those messages, sent or received.

It's really a lot easier IMO for everyone if you totally convert to using your GV number. Otherwise your contacts have to remember to call you on your VZW number but text you with your GV number. Good luck with that. I know I wouldn't be able to get all mine to do that.
 
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When you send a text using the Google Voice app, your Google Voice no. will be displayed at the recipient's end.

If you call someone using your Google Voice no., your Google Voice no. will be displayed at the recipient's end.

When someone calls your Google Voice no., you have the option to display the caller's name or your Google Voice no.

Choosing to display your Google Voice no. is helpful for a couple of reasons.
1) You know when people are using your Google Voice no.
2) If you have your Google Voice no. on your friends and family list, it's a free call!

Some advice:
If you want people to text your Google Voice no. so it's free, you need to make a habit of calling people using your Google Voice no.
Why? Because when people select a contact to text from their phone, they're usually going to select the contact's number that they see most often. If you're calling people from your Verizon no., that's the number they're usually going to use to text, because, as far as they're concerned, that's the number you use the most.

Hope this helps!
 
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Is it possible to have a google and vzw #? and have separate voicemail accounts? or is it all pushed to one

If people are calling your Verizon no., those voice mails are going to your Verizon mail box.

If people are calling your Google Voice no., those voice mails are going to your Google Voice in-box.

Remember that these are separate numbers, so they have separate mail boxes.

Hope this helps.
 
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If people are calling your Verizon no., those voice mails are going to your Verizon mail box.

You can most certainly have calls made to a VZW number use GV for voicemail. In fact, the Google Voice website will provide you with instructions on enabling this feature simply by dialing a number on your phone.

Calls made to your VZW number will ring on your phone and then go to GV voicemail if you don't answer.

The best thing to do with Google Voice is get a new number even if you decide not to use it right away. Start using it as your voicemail provider and start exploring the other features.
 
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So by fully switching to the GV number are you now committed to owning only Android phones going forward in order to continue to use the GV number? If you which to non-android device will you then be required to go back to your original Verizon number?

No, you're not committed to only Android phones to use a GV number. There are Google Voice applications available for iPhone and PalmOS as well. In fact, Google Voice doesn't depend on the Android OS at all. Actually, you don't even have to have an application on your cell phone to use Google Voice with the cell phone, although it definitely helps.

When I first set mine up, I had an AT&T cell phone and an Embarq home phone. I've since moved through a TracFone and on to Verizon, and I've switched to an Ooma VoIP device for my home phone. I also have my work number programmed in, so if someone calls my GV number (now my main number), I can have it ring my work phone when I'm there (and only during that time) and my cell phone. I then choose which phone to use, saving plan minutes if I pick the work phone. Same basic setup for my home phone. And I haven't even gotten into how you can use friends and family lists to save plan minutes.
 
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Well, you could go back to a simple cell phone, but your level of access to Google Voice's website may be a bit limited. If you didn't have a GV app on the phone, it would be nearly impossible to text through the phone (checking the GV forums, you can probably find a way though), and dialing a number from the phone would get a bit convoluted. Before I got my Droid, nearly all of the dialing I did via GV I did from my desktop through their website. I'm not sure how well the Google Voice website might work through a cell phone interface.

Not sure if this helps, but I hope it does.

These links may be more informative than I can be (hopefully it's OK with the mods for me to provide these links):

Google Voice Help - GV Help pages
Google Voice Help - GV Help forum
Google Voice Blog

Good luck, and may the force be with you! :)
 
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Got a question I havent seen anywhere. I just started google voice today so it's the newest version. When I go into the app my contacts pictures are not there like in the native sms app. Its just a blank card with the little android. Does anyone know how to fix this? It would be greatly appreciated. The weird thing is one of the people in the gv app has their picture show up but none of the others? I did a reboot and it's been like that all day, any help??
 
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So you only need to have the ability to connect to the internet thru your future phones. Right? It's all internet based? You could not go back to a simple cell phone with a google voice number.

With a simple feature phone and Google Voice, you can:

* use GV as your voicemail provider. you can check your voicemail via the GV website on a computer, have GV email the transcription to your or have GV SMS your phone with the transcription. You can listen to the messages on your feature phone by dialing your GV number and following the prompts.

* have your GV number ring your simple feature phone or other phones as you desire by changing your settings on the GV website.

* make calls *FROM* your GV number by first dialing your GV number and following the prompts. Similar to using a calling card.

* configure the GV website to route SMS sent to your GV number to your real phone number.

You will NOT be able to do the following from your feature phone:

* initiate a SMS from your GV number

* use the visual voicemail feature on your phone

* dial contacts directly from your phonebook using your GV number.... unless you change all of your contacts to include your GV number, your PIN and various GV prompts... again, much like using a calling card.
 
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Got a question I havent seen anywhere. I just started google voice today so it's the newest version. When I go into the app my contacts pictures are not there like in the native sms app. Its just a blank card with the little android. Does anyone know how to fix this? It would be greatly appreciated. The weird thing is one of the people in the gv app has their picture show up but none of the others? I did a reboot and it's been like that all day, any help??

If I am not mistaken, the pictures that show up in your GV app are the ones that have pictures via your Google contacts.

Sign into your Gmail account and look through your contacts. If there is a picture with their contact info, they will show up in your GV app if they text/call you.
 
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so I checked my contacts and your right. He is the only one with a picture. However since my phone syns contacts facebook pics I have photos for everyone on my phone but only this one guy in my gmail contacts. Can I sync/add the facebook to my gamil contacts somehow? thanks

Unfortunatly at the moment, FB and GV do not play well together. It is my (and a lot of other people's) hope that one day they will but for now, if you have FB sync set up, it will override the Google contacts pictures. You can turn it off and manually add a photo to their contact page either through your phone or online but for now no such luck syncing FB AND GV together.
 
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What about minutes? If I make an outgoing call through GV, does it still come from my plans minutes?

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

No if you make a call from your phone using your GV number, you are using your cell providers signal and tower and therefore your plan. And no I am guessing you are saying to yourself, but why? I am not using my phone number that my provider gave me..well that is only partially right, the rate comes from the amount of time your device's ID or pin or SID is logged onto the network.

Phone numbers are free for anyone that wants one, which is why GV gives you one for free, it's the cost that it takes to transmit the call that you pay for.
 
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