Better alternative to Google Voice?

[jamesdean]

I just setup my google voice account...it's pretty slick! Will definitely take some time to get accustomed to, but should compliment the droid very well.

Is there a way to modify the voicemail icon (in the phone keypad) to dial my google number instead of the *86?!! I've already adjusted the 'voicemail' contact to the new number, but this icon still dials *86...thanks!!

I created a short cut icon "one touch dialing" for both my GV number and also for my VZ VM. My VZ VM icon calls my GV number, "free because it's in F&F", then places a call to my cell phone, I let it go to VM, log in with my credentials and listen to my messages.

A way to use GV and retrieve my VZ VM messages without using plan minutes.

 

[aquastorm]

At what part of billbunton's post did he say he had multiple cell phone numbers?

"On the other hand, Youmail doesn't route incoming calls/sms to whatever phone I happen to be near at the moment; clearly Youmail is at this point inferior."

As far as I'm aware the only phones capable of receiving txt messages are cell phones.

 

[karimarie]

The GV transcription in my opinion is worthless.

See, and for me it's invaluable because I spend a fair amount of time at work in meetings where I can't answer my phone, and when I'm not in meetings, I'm often in an appointment. So if someone calls and reschedules/is going to be late/cancels on me while I'm in a meeting, I can unobtrusively read their voicemail and act from there. I love it.

 

[jamesdean]

"On the other hand, Youmail doesn't route incoming calls/sms to whatever phone I happen to be near at the moment; clearly Youmail is at this point inferior."

As far as I'm aware the only phones capable of receiving txt messages are cell phones.

Hence, your ignorance about GV. It does text messages.

 

[karimarie]

Hence, your ignorance about GV. It does text messages.

Well, technically GV itself isn't a phone, and I think aquastorm was just trying to point that out.

That said, that's another thing I love about GV--I love that I can easily send and receive texts (and have them archived) from my computer, as that's where I tend to be for a good portion of my day at work.

 

[aquastorm]

Well, technically GV itself isn't a phone, and I think aquastorm was just trying to point that out.

That said, that's another thing I love about GV--I love that I can easily send and receive texts (and have them archived) from my computer, as that's where I tend to be for a good portion of my day at work.

True.. although you can send and receive txts from within Gmail.. Gvoice is not required to do so from a PC as I'm sure you probably know. That really is the only use i see right now for GV... free text messaging but then again I can do that from within Gmail.

 

[xtremely4]

I created a short cut icon "one touch dialing" for both my GV number and also for my VZ VM. My VZ VM icon calls my GV number, "free because it's in F&F", then places a call to my cell phone, I let it go to VM, log in with my credentials and listen to my messages.

A way to use GV and retrieve my VZ VM messages without using plan minutes.

How you go about modifying the VZ VM icon?!?!

 

[karimarie]

True.. although you can send and receive txts from within Gmail.. Gvoice is not required to do so from a PC as I'm sure you probably know. That really is the only use i see right now for GV... free text messaging but then again I can do that from within Gmail.

Yeah, you can send them from within Gmail/Gtalk, but then you couldn't send them from your cell phone unless you wanted to open up Gmail. This way, I have the choice of using my Droid's SMS program (Handcent) or using GV on my computer.

To each his own. I just like the way it's set up here.

 

[johnlgalt]

has anyone considered using both to get hte benefits of YouMail's VMs and the other benefits of GV?

Or is this even possible?

 

[xtremely4]

How you go about modifying the VZ VM icon?!?!

Nevermind...figured it out!!

Went to settings>call settings>voicemail settings...from there, you can adjust the voicemail number!

 

[punkzanyj]

couple points.

TXT via Gmail.
Possible, but more of a PITA than you'd expect. It likes to send a warning to the recipient that someone is sending them a text message from Google Mail. Not great that it takes up all that text room.

YouMail may have some features, but just how often is YouMail updated with new features? Google's Standard MO is to update and expand all their apps.


Can I add a contact in Gmail and have YouMail recognize that caller? GV does.


So while YouMail may be great at the moment, it lacks the interoperability with other Google services native to your phone that will someday be integrated. One day you'll be saving Google Voice transcriptions into calendar events, or adding them to a Google Doc, or resending them via Google Wave as part of a collaborative product. You might be able to see on Google Maps where the person was when they recorded the voicemail. You'll be in Google Mail, or the chrome browser and have a toolbar for GVoice, or a widget in iGoogle. If they add fax receipt features (something people seem to be making a request) you'll be able to receive a fax in Google Voice, gmail it to your friends, share it on GoogleWave, and add it to a powerpoint presentation in Google Docs before you use a picture from the fax as your background for your blog on Blogger.