Why do I want Google Voice??!!

[DaddyCamp]

For those of you that have it, Is is worth it. Should I get a new number or use my current one. What needs to be turned on or off ect. ect. Please advise!

 

[necosino]

Google is your friend

I use it to text people that don't have verizon, 'cause I'm cheap, lol..

 

[dguy]

#1 reason to use Google Voice for me is because you can read voicemail like email, no need to call your voicemail ever again.

 

[TokedUp]

It has VM to text, VM to email and also instanly plays your VM's without having to call a number to retrieve them. I wouldn't use any thing else for my VM now that I have GV. well worth it.

 

[Reddman6988]

Visual Voicemail? Isn't this old tech? Doesn't the Dinc come with this standard? Or have a application for added support of this?

 

[k.electron]

free texting, free texting, free texting.. need i say more?

 

[secretLOVER]

Visual Voicemail? Isn't this old tech? Doesn't the Dinc come with this standard? Or have a application for added support of this?

Yes, with a monthly fee or a 3rd party like Google or youmail.

 

[lexluthor]

Visual Voicemail? Isn't this old tech? Doesn't the Dinc come with this standard? Or have a application for added support of this?

Verizon charges for visual voicemail.

 

[Clementine_3]

free texting, free texting, free texting..

All good points but you forgot to mention free texting!
I use it for everything!
I have installed Google Voice Callback and set up filters so it makes all of my outgoing calls that are not Verizon using GV. Add 1 number to Friends and Family and you are good to go.
Love the voicemail, transcriptions are sooo fun to read! You really can't beat free texts either.

 

[Reddman6988]

Wow.... they charge for Visual Voicemail hahah, my Instinct is the junkiest smart phone in the world yet it has this for free

I may need to look into 3rd party apps that provide this support until I can get a GV invite

 

[A.Nonymous]

One of the big reasons I'm getting the Incredible when I'm eligible for it is because of the integration with Google Voice. I love having one number that I can give out to anyone. if I don't want people to call me, I can simply forward all calls from person XYZ to VM. It's a beautiful thing. I can set up different voice mail for different people. If my friends/family call they get one voice mail. If my co-workers call, they get something else. If someone I don't know calls they get a 3rd voice mail. I even set mine up so my sister gets a different voice mail from my mom. It's pretty cool.

The other thing I like is that I block my caller ID at work. However, I sometimes call someone where I have to show my caller id. I can call them from my Google Voice number in this case. They get a number, but it's no good to them because if they call it, it's blocked and goes to voice mail.

Of course this says nothing about the main point being that it forwards all calls to all my other numbers. People call one number and they get my home number and cell number all at once.

 

[bakerm82]

It has VM to text, VM to email and also instanly plays your VM's without having to call a number to retrieve them. I wouldn't use any thing else for my VM now that I have GV. well worth it.

+1 What he said.

 

[Mr Marcus]

For me.....

* Sending my GV calls to any and all #'s I dictate..
* Free SMS...
* Free calls and SMS w/ Canada...
* I can send a contact automatically to VM on the Inc already so that wasn't a selling point... however, the ability to BLOCK and unblock as I wish was.
* Being able to dial out from my comp (Gmail contacts) and have my Inc light up and make the call.
* Free (which is what it should be anyway) VVM for both my GV # and my mobile.
* VM Transcription
* Ability to NOT give out my mobile (which is my ONLY phone in the world) and still have people reach me.
* An SMS app that WON'T force close on me every 5 minutes.

 

[FlyPenFly]

Send texts from the GV Web site, so much easier.

 

[dan409]

If you choose to get the google number, can you set it up so that it rings( is forwarded) your verizon phone number ? If the answer is yes, is there a very long delay in the time it takes your VZW number to ring ?

If the calls are not able to be forwarded to my VZW number from GV I don't want to have to go through the hassle of giving out a new number to hundreds of folks, since I have had this number for almost 8 yrs.
TIA

 

[Echo17121]

I just got my invite today finally and this thread came at a perfect time. What happens to my regular number if I get a google voice number? Is texting really the only added benefit of getting a google voice number? I'm not sure I want to go through the hassle of giving out a new number.

 

[dan409]

I just got my invite today finally and this thread came at a perfect time. What happens to my regular number if I get a google voice number? Is texting really the only added benefit of getting a google voice number? I'm not sure I want to go through the hassle of giving out a new number.

Ditto on just getting the invite today and giving out a new num ! LOL

 

[Mr Marcus]

Your 'regular' # still works the same. You don't HAVE to give out the GV #. But you'd need to to use it for sms. You can make int'l calls outbound, and not have to give it out. You can also set it to use GV VM to TEXT with your regular mobile # as well, without giving out your GV number.

 

[IcedTC]

If i sign up for Google Voice, can I use my cell # now or does it have to be a brand new number?

The free txts, visual voicemail sound great...and the only thing holding me back was this.

Thanks very much.

 

[Mskgreenel]

I use Google Voice for my job search b/c I recently moved to a Atlanta and I wanted a 404 area code but I didn't want to give up my regular number. I also use it to give to guys at bars/clubs that I don't want to give out my real number. It's nicer than giving the number to the Waffle House, also if you give someone your number and they call it right away to see if it's real the phone will ring & you wont get caught up.

 

[Mr Marcus]

Mmmmmmm Waffle House.

GV VM to TEXT

To clarify, I meant the conversion, voice-to-text, in a VM left for you, not using GV VM to send a text lol.

 

[Bug Splat]

The pain of switching numbers is only temporary. For me I just sent out a mass text and email to all my contacts that my number was changing to XYZ and my old number will no longer be active.

I used to carry a personal cell and a work cell. It sucked eggs. Two phones, two car chargers, two home chargers, two hotel chargers. It was also stupid having a work phone that was 100% paid for by my company and it had the best plan yet I was stuck with my personal phone. Dropped the personal phone and ran GV through my work phone. So now I get both work and personal calls and can call out using either number depending on if its work or personal. If I ever leave the company I give back the phone and just forward my GV number to a new phone.

It can be hard to move to a GV number at first but in the long run its worth it.

 

[k.electron]

All good points but you forgot to mention free texting!
I use it for everything!
I have installed Google Voice Callback and set up filters so it makes all of my outgoing calls that are not Verizon using GV. Add 1 number to Friends and Family and you are good to go.
Love the voicemail, transcriptions are sooo fun to read! You really can't beat free texts either.

oh i do use all that, i use filtering and custom times to ring different phones, but...

free texting free texting free texting.... need i say more.

 

[Tony N.]

The only bad thing with google voice is I'm getting random calls from people. I have no idea what that is all about. It happens like couple times a week. =/

 

[pkmn760]

GV Students

Fort hose that may want an invite and are students