Advantages of Google Voice

[50chendt]

So Google finally invited me to sign up for google voice and i'm not really sure how i feel. What advantages does it have over verizon? Do i have to pay to use it?

 

[byteware]

Ok, here are my experiences and what I know...

1) You don't have to pay to use it.
2) They transcribe your Voicemail so that you can read it, instead of listen to it (great for meetings, etc...)
3) You can receive text messages for free via Google Voice (next billing cycle, I'm blocking text messages to my phone via Verizon).
4) If you add your Google voice number to your Verizon Friends and Family list, then all calls to, or from your Google voice number don't use your minutes.
5) You can personalize your Voicemail messages. My mom and my wife each have personalized voicemail messages.


Because of Google voice, I will:
1) never as any of my minutes
2) Save $30 per month on text messaging (my phone and my wife's phone... she just got Google Voice)
3) Never (maybe rarely) ever have to listen to a voicemail message again

 

[raphifix]

So Google finally invited me to sign up for google voice and i'm not really sure how i feel. What advantages does it have over verizon? Do i have to pay to use it?

Do you have any extra invites yourself?

 

[50chendt]

Do you have any extra invites yourself?

wish i could give you one but i signed up for this one about 5 months ago. Just go to the website and request an invite.

The texting feature is awesome. I can text myself haha. but idk how much i will use voice since i don't want to give out my number to everyone all over again but this would be very handy is i ever dropped my phone in a lake or something.

 

[timmywa]

i understand that sms works with voice, but not mms... is that true?

 

[varkie]

the translator for the voice mail sucks, it has never even come close to getting one of my voicemails transcribed correctly. every time it gives me a text message that makes no sense.

i also don't have any invites left

 

[doogald]

2) They transcribe your Voicemail so that you can read it, instead of listen to it (great for meetings, etc...)

But you can still listen to them, if you wish to (and, based on most translations, you will need to), from either a web browser, the Android app, or by calling your own number and entering a PIN.

To add to the list, you can also make international calls at a much cheaper rate than what Verizon charges, if you ever need to make one.

You can link any of your phones to the service, and, when people call the number, it can be set to ring them all, and the first to answer gets it. You can also set individual groups go to a specific handset when they call the number. Also, you can screen calls - it announces who is calling before you pick up, including the option to make unidentified callers announce themselves when they call if they are not in your contact list. You can also create a "do not disturb" time period when all calls do not ring through.

Go into settings - you will see all of this stuff.

 

[wamsille]

So Google finally invited me to sign up for google voice and i'm not really sure how i feel. What advantages does it have over verizon? Do i have to pay to use it?

Google Voice is free. It was actually a Google acquisition called Grand Central back in the day. The purpose of the service was to provide you with one number for every phone you have - give it out to everyone and calls could be routed to your home phone, your office phone, wireless phone, etc. I really like the call routing feature because it can be used to save you money on your wireless bill.

Are at specific places for definite periods of time? You can use a call scheduler to route calls to specific lines to avoid using up too many wireless minutes. For example, I have calls meant for my cell up to 9:00pm sent to home phone. (After that, they are free) You can also set periods of time for "do not disturb", etc. You can force calls to go to voice mail, block unidentified numbers and the whole ball of wax. Privacy on your Google Voice number is much easier to manager and actually works versus a wireless number.

The only thing that is missing (and really, oh well) is MMS.


And yes, I'm aware if you have one of the higher tiered family plans you can have 5 lines added to a friends & family plan so calls made to your Google voice number are free. That still costs money, no matter how you slice it. If you weren't already paying for it, there are tools within Voice to make it a less expensive option.

 

[hallstevenson]

the translator for the voice mail sucks, it has never even come close to getting one of my voicemails transcribed correctly. every time it gives me a text message that makes no sense.

You said it for me... I really need to turn off the text and e-mail notifications that include this transcription. Of course, anymore, I read them just to get a laugh. It really does a HORRIBLE job !!

 

[henderjr]

I have three invites if someone is looking..

 

[kmp542]

I could really use it

 

[henderjr]

PM me an email address to send the invite to..

One left..

edit 4:15 CST - all gone

 

[byteware]

You said it for me... I really need to turn off the text and e-mail notifications that include this transcription. Of course, anymore, I read them just to get a laugh. It really does a HORRIBLE job !!

See, I have the opposite experience. Most of my voicemails are near a perfect translation... which is weird, because I live in the deep south...

 

[bassplyr]

Yeah, the transcriptions may be inaccurate, but you can usually get the jist of it.

Another nice feature is it will let you return the call. I've never had a VM system do that.

I had youmail for a short while and shifted over the GV since youmail charged for transcribing messages.

Improvement over stock VM system.

Roger

 

[gotweed]

Does anyone have a Google voice invitation that I could get plz if you don't mind sending, pm me

Edit: got an invite already thanks
Sent from my Eris using Tapatalk

 

[copestag]

Im too lazy to PM anyone LOL........ but I do have 2 invites for someone...... you can PM me the email


Edit: 1 left

Edit: all gone

 

[timmywa]

Can you use Handcent for SMS with Google Voice?

 

[akazabam]

I have six invites. PM me if you want one.

EDIT

All gone.

 

[wamsille]

The only time I have had problems with the GV transcriptions is when I've received calls from people they don't speak at a normal pace or have a thick accent. For the most part, I can get the gist of a message without having to actually listen to it.

 

[digitaljeannie]

Can you use Handcent for SMS with Google Voice?

If you set up your mobile forwarding to accept SMS, you can use it to receive, but not initiate unless you already have an sms from the desired recipient and can use the number sent from to respond.

The SMS' you receive via google voice to your cell phone sre from an altered number, not the sender's number.

If you download the Google Voice app, you can use that to initiate SMS and Handcent to receive.

 

[timmywa]

Do we foresee Google eventually adding MMS capability?

 

[doogald]

Some of my Google Voice transcriptions. This first was a telemarket robo call, trying to get me to go to some resort in a city of my choice for free:

Please be advised me into forum. You've a family member filled out at one of the events of here. Wise porn and you've got have been selected to receive to call the midday round trip airfare ticket, departing the airport closes see you. Hi this is heading up to your choice of any major city attic hotmail United States and there's a lot of Robel give me a list of including tonight if you need to telecom a decent at the Marriott hotel as well as a 50 dollar that up with you that you tried to the Olive Garden, Arvada brings follow finally by $100 a week on the battery gasoline. Congratulations is not a time-share no obligation to purchase anything 3 d me a call about a promotional packet is simply press one or if you feel any contact with you and Eric, I would like to be removed from our list the recipient, please press 2 Hi, Go ahead, press 1 and enjoy Round, trip airfare for to at all, hotel accommodation for today for 3 days at the Mary out of town heading out to your choice of any major city in the condo United States as well as $100 for the copy of a gasoline and a 50 dollar than ever to. You're going to the Olive Garden or about raised as a lot of Luth on ice.

From my wife. We were planning to do some grilled pizzas for dinner. I believe that she was asking if I hadn't passed the local supermarket yet, I may want to stop in to get some shredded mozzarella; she already had some fresh. Also, we were out of feta cheese:

Hi it's me if you get this message before your pass Center Cut Pro the fact she's. I had was ramp, so if you feel like living in to Don thing grabbing some that'd be great. Also, I only have fresh mozzarella, which I can't read some of, but if you want the fate kind or the less. Real-time again. Might wanna grab bag that. Anyway, I thought. Bye.

And another. Somebody calling from the bank, the trustee of a trust, wants to know the birthdates of our children:

Good Morning. This is a like a pin from U. S. Trust in Boston and this message is for 3 surrounds me, Laura. I'm calling to follow up on the request received from name redacted so far from the bank regarding names birthdays and this is of your account that we putting together the family. 3. For the Ralph relationship and we would really appreciate if you could let good back to us with that the information, the number you can reach me at redacted. Thank you.

 

[jayochs]

lmao, that's just awful.

 

[jreed2560]

how do you know how many invites you have?

 

[doogald]

how do you know how many invites you have?

In Google Voice on a real web browser, there is a link on the left: Invite a friend. This will tell you how many you have (and who you have invited.)