• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Google Voice Application Integration with Motorola Droid

I have a Google Voice invite and have several questions before I complete the setup process. :mad: Before you respond, please note that I have searched the web and forums and found discussions concerning GV itself but I have not found any discussions reviewing the actual GV app and its integration and performance with the Motorola Droid. There appears to be no information about the GV app itself. BTW, I have chosen to get a GV number but am annoyed there are no local numbers available for contacts to call without making a long distance call. Here are my questions. :)

1. How is integration of the GV App with the OS and other functions? Is it seamless, does it replace some other apps, etc.? Is its performance better than native apps, same, or worse and why?
2. Can you use other functions like native dialer if you want instead of using the GV app?
3. Can you use the text messaging native app if you want instead of using the GV app?
4. Do you have to modify all your contacts to dial out through your GV number, i.e. do you have to add the GV number, a pause, then the number, etc?
5. Is Verizon providing tech support on this app and GV capability?
6. For others that come to this thread who may still be undecided about keeping their number or getting a GV number, if you choose to use your number do you have to get another number for your cell phone, i.e. does this option actually port your number to GV taking you off Verizon and you must get a number with your carrier?
7. Any other information you feel everyone should know concerning the GV app and its integration with OS/performance?
 
I'll give this a go... (side note, I am using GV with both my own number and a number provided by Google)
1. It works very well, it's easy to use.
2. At times, the phone will prompt you and ask if you want to dial out with one of the numbers.
3. Yes, depending on how you have your accounts set up.
4. Not sure, as mine uses the GV number I was given.
5. Not sure.
6. Not sure as well, but I would never only use my GV. I like the forwarding options and therefor I use my regular number along with my GV number.
7. It works fine as long as you have your settings set up correctly, you won't get duplicate texts and stuff.

I'm sure people who know more about GV will weigh in but there's a start.
 
Upvote 0
3. Can you use the text messaging native app if you want instead of using the GV app?

Not really, no.

If you compose an SMS using the Messenger app, the recipient of the SMS will see your cell #, not your GV number. Unless that is your desired result, this can be annoying.

There are workarounds, however. If you receive an SMS from someone and you read it using Messenger, you will see it was sent from a strange phone number. You need to add this number into your contacts (I use a custom label of SMS). If you reply to that number, the recipient will see your GV number.

This presents another issue. If you try to compose a new SMS using Messenger, there doesn't appear to be a way to select a custom label from your contacts. It will default to the contact's mobile number. A work around to this is to either go into Contacts and select the SMS number and send an SMS from there, or you can use Handcent which allows you to select alternate contact numbers, such as the custom SMS label you set up for a contact.

Hope this makes sense. It's a little confusing at first, but once you get the system down, it gets easier.

Of course you can just use the GV application and not have to worry about anything.
 
Upvote 0
I have a Google Voice invite and have several questions before I complete the setup process. :mad: Before you respond, please note that I have searched the web and forums and found discussions concerning GV itself but I have not found any discussions reviewing the actual GV app and its integration and performance with the Motorola Droid. There appears to be no information about the GV app itself. BTW, I have chosen to get a GV number but am annoyed there are no local numbers available for contacts to call without making a long distance call. Here are my questions. :)

1. How is integration of the GV App with the OS and other functions? Is it seamless, does it replace some other apps, etc.? Is its performance better than native apps, same, or worse and why?
2. Can you use other functions like native dialer if you want instead of using the GV app?
3. Can you use the text messaging native app if you want instead of using the GV app?
4. Do you have to modify all your contacts to dial out through your GV number, i.e. do you have to add the GV number, a pause, then the number, etc?
5. Is Verizon providing tech support on this app and GV capability?
6. For others that come to this thread who may still be undecided about keeping their number or getting a GV number, if you choose to use your number do you have to get another number for your cell phone, i.e. does this option actually port your number to GV taking you off Verizon and you must get a number with your carrier?
7. Any other information you feel everyone should know concerning the GV app and its integration with OS/performance?

1. You don't even notice it's there. You can set it up to prompt you for each call, whether you want to use your GV # or your phone's number with each call. That's what I do, because I use GV for all my work contacts. I don't know if you can set a contact to only use your GV # to dial out. That would be nice though. Don't know how it compares to other apps, you mean like Visual Voicemail, or SipDroid?

2. Yes. You can have it prompt you each time for which service to use, or set a default, which you can clear in your Settings > Applications > Manage Applications for that default app.

3. Same as above.

4. No.

5. I wouldn't think so. I doubt they provide anything for any apps which aren't in their section of the Market.

6. No. But keep looking out for news about an entirely Google device, i.e. GV service to handle voice/SMS. I would love that, goodbye crapload of expensive fees.

7. I don't even know it's there sometimes. It's pretty invisible unless you have it set up to prompt you for everything. If you have a GV #, the app makes it much easier to use it.
 
Upvote 0
2. Yes. You can have it prompt you each time for which service to use, or set a default, which you can clear in your Settings > Applications > Manage Applications for that default app.

3. Same as above.

Okay so, this part has been bugging me ever since I got GV. You say you can set the default Messenger application to send SMS messages through your Google Voice number by setting it as a "default" app.

No where I have seen allows me to tell the Messenger application to use Google Voice. It just uses whatever mobile number you have set in a contact.

If I go into the settings of Google Voice, I am only allowed to select phone calls as an option to use GV, Cell #, or ask me each time. No where does it say anything about SMS.

Can you clarify how to get Messenger to use Google Voice without having to add in a special phone # into your contacts?
 
Upvote 0
Okay so, this part has been bugging me ever since I got GV. You say you can set the default Messenger application to send SMS messages through your Google Voice number by setting it as a "default" app.

No where I have seen allows me to tell the Messenger application to use Google Voice. It just uses whatever mobile number you have set in a contact.

If I go into the settings of Google Voice, I am only allowed to select phone calls as an option to use GV, Cell #, or ask me each time. No where does it say anything about SMS.

Can you clarify how to get Messenger to use Google Voice without having to add in a special phone # into your contacts?

Far as I can tell you have to use the gvoice messenger to send sms. the default and handcent send through verizon not google.
 
Upvote 0
6. For others that come to this thread who may still be undecided about keeping their number or getting a GV number, if you choose to use your number do you have to get another number for your cell phone, i.e. does this option actually port your number to GV taking you off Verizon and you must get a number with your carrier?
IIRC you're really just replacing Verizon's voicemail with GV (which you can also do if you get a GV number).
 
Upvote 0
Okay so, this part has been bugging me ever since I got GV. You say you can set the default Messenger application to send SMS messages through your Google Voice number by setting it as a "default" app.

No where I have seen allows me to tell the Messenger application to use Google Voice. It just uses whatever mobile number you have set in a contact.

If I go into the settings of Google Voice, I am only allowed to select phone calls as an option to use GV, Cell #, or ask me each time. No where does it say anything about SMS.

Can you clarify how to get Messenger to use Google Voice without having to add in a special phone # into your contacts?

Hmm, well I don't ever run GV itself except to check voicemail. If I go to my contact list and touch the message icon next to their number it ask me if I'd like to use Messenger, Handcent, or GV to complete the action. I'm wondering if it's because Messenger is already your default app.
 
Upvote 0
1. How is integration of the GV App with the OS and other functions? Is it seamless, does it replace some other apps, etc.? Is its performance better than native apps, same, or worse and why?
2. Can you use other functions like native dialer if you want instead of using the GV app?
3. Can you use the text messaging native app if you want instead of using the GV app?
4. Do you have to modify all your contacts to dial out through your GV number, i.e. do you have to add the GV number, a pause, then the number, etc?
5. Is Verizon providing tech support on this app and GV capability?
6. For others that come to this thread who may still be undecided about keeping their number or getting a GV number, if you choose to use your number do you have to get another number for your cell phone, i.e. does this option actually port your number to GV taking you off Verizon and you must get a number with your carrier?
7. Any other information you feel everyone should know concerning the GV app and its integration with OS/performance?

My update is for my experience using Google Voice (GV) with a GV number on Motorola Droid with android 2.0 and 2.0.1. Your experience may vary with other versions of the OS and phones. This is somewhat detailed for those of us that are new to android, GV, etc. and are confused by all the more informed chatter out there.

Ref questions 1, 2, and 3. I have found that GV, as a service, integrates very nicely in android 2.0 on the Motorola Droid. My original questions, however, were somewhat misinformed as one might expect given the lack of information concerning GV and the GV application. The GV app is really just your interface for GV visual voice mail (VVM) - albeit a far better visual voice mail app than Verizon's VVM because it provides a transcript of the message as well as the ability to listen to the message and it is free! The GV app might actually do the heavy integration lifting behind the scenes but that is transparent to the user. Note: you must contact Verizon and ask them to stop your Verizon VVM service or you will continue to pay $2.99/month - uninstalling the Verizon VVM app is not enough.

GV does integrate very well with the native applications or applications you have downloaded from the android market seamlessly behind the scenes. A word of caution concerning GV voice mail message notifications. I use handcent for SMS after reading about it on another thread. I get GV text messages and voice mail just fine through that application - great application by the way. You will get multiple GV VVM messages/notifications if you are not careful with how you set your GV and application preferences. Initially, I got GV voice mail notifications and messages via gmail, handcent, the native MMS app, and the GV app. This is easily solved by changing native MMS application preferences and GV preferences on the GV google web page. Note: you can add GV VVM integration into your gmail by choosing settings, labs and enabling GV app for gmail. You can then label and filter GV VVM messages into their own area for easy reviewing and storage.

Ref question 4. GV handles everything behind the scenes. No modification to contacts is required. There used to be a problem with that but the current service does not require you to change anything. You can set GV up to be the default service for making calls or let it ask you every time. You pick which to dial out, Verizon or GV, and just place the call. Everything else is transparent to the user.

One caveat, there has been a lot of discussion in the forums and on the web about how using GV can use up your Verizon plan minutes and possible work arounds that involve monitoring the GV phone number for dial out and adding that to your friends and family. See this forum link for more information about that: http://androidforums.com/lounge/24913-google-voice-mystery-phone-number.html .

One other note. GV text messaging is free. You can dump your Verizon text messaging and save more $ if you like. I have a teenager and wife that text like crazy so I have an unlimited text messaging plan anyway and I have not used GV text messaging enough to know whether it is reliable enough. I would try GV text messaging first to make sure you are comfortable with it before canceling your Verizon text messaging. Please post if you have had more experience using GV messaging and can add to the discussion and provide advice to new users.

Ref question 5. Probably not although I have not had a need to call Verizon and ask for assistance. The GV experience has been great!

Ref question 6. I have a GV provided number. But based on the post and my experiences thus far, I believe no further actions are required on your end other than setting up GV to get your voicemail and setting your phone to access GV voice mail. This option simply allows you to take advantage of GV voicemail. It does not "port" your number or impact your Verizon service in anyway. It just enables you to access GV voicemail. This may be a better way to go if you do not need all the other services using a GV number provides (see this link for more info on the different services provided: Google Voice ) and you do not want to deal with the whole Verizon minutes used thing and work around discussed above.

Ref question 7. I think I have said enough so far. I will post more when I have used GV more. For great advice on transitioning to and using GV see the following links: A Guide To Google Voice | 404 Tech Support , How to Ease Your Transition to Google Voice - Google Voice - Lifehacker , and Google Voice Quick Reference Guide | Cool Geex . Others, please add additional helpful information!

I hope this has helped you make a more informed decision and helped ease your transition!
 
  • Like
Reactions: UseMyDroid
Upvote 0
In preparation for my transition from a BB Curve on AT&T to a Droid on Verizon, I set up my GV number, typed all my contacts in Google/Gmail/GV (including setting up groups) and gave my new number to all my contacts.

I'm using GV 100% on the Droid. Sometimes I forget that I ported my "cell" number over because I use my GV number exclusively. I've put my outgoing and incoming GV numbers on my top 10 friends and family. I use the SMS feature.....you get the picture.

Pros (some mentioned before):
1. I dropped my unlimted text message feature. Saves me $20/month.
2. I can reply to SMS via my computer and/or Gmail (if you have it set to forward SMS to your Gmail account). Makes it look like I'm working when I'm at work - haha.
3. Transcriped VM - a great feature
4. Call presentation for unknown numbers
5. Personal outgoing VM's for groups
6. Call blocking
7. Call forwarding - during work hours, I have my calls forwarded to my work phone. Again, it's that 'looking like you're working' thing :)
8. All my contacts are managed in Google. I don't have to worry about losing them ever.
9. I'm sure there are more but I haven't had a chance/need to use them all.

Cons:
1. No MMS - seems to not be a huge factor in my world
2. Sometimes (it's happened 2-3 times in the month and a week I've used it), there's a delay in receiving/sending out texts.....I'm talking hours of delay.
3. The GV app isn't a push app. The least amount of refresh time is 5 minutes. This is why forwarding it to Gmail is attractive since the Gmail app is push.

It really is an awesome app! To me, it's just part of the whole Google/Android experience.
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones