Help Google Voice Customization questions (SMS)

[johnchad14]

First android phone and am trying to use google voice for as much as I can, working decent so far, but several issues have come up, if anyone can address them..

1) Anytime Google voice is open, SMS notifications occurr basically instantaneously. Sometimes when it is not the open app, notifications for messages do not appear for up to 30 minutes (you can tell from the timestamps). I do not see any options about syncing frequency in the google voice app. Is there any way to rectify this?

2) SMS notification sounds. I can't find any way to make custom tones for each contact. The typical solution I've read is to use a custom SMS app, but can't do this with voice. Any workarounds?

3) Are there any 3rd party apps that handle any aspects of google voice SMS or customization? Some searches found nothing.

Overall I'm pretty happy with using voice as my SMS, just want to make it as good as I possibly can.

 

[mozetti]

Regarding #1 - sms delivery - Google just enabled instant delivery for GVoice on Android a few weeks ago (2 or 3, I think). Before that it worked like other apps where all you could do was set the sync frequency. Maybe they're still working out some kinks with the push/instant sync? FWIW, I haven't noticed delayed receipt of SMS.

 

[Alfdroid]

What's your Mobile Data setting? Have you checked/unchecked the "Always On" option?

 

[johnchad14]

Ah yes I meant to address that question in initial post. I have tried it with always on mobile disabled and enabled. I noticed it only once with the feature disabled, and have had it re-enabled since. Unfortunately it has still happened with it on. If I go into the app and hit the refresh button, it always pulls up any sms that have not gone through, but it is not happening on its on at a consistent speed.

 

[russell5]

When you go into settings in google voice do you have the refresh inbox option checked?

Also i had this problem but my work around is instead of hitting home when you exit the GV app hit back a few times. ( the app will disapear then reapear hit back again) and my notifications work perfectly now. I know its a pain but its usually three backs i have to hit.

 

[necosino]

I usually get GV SMS on my phone before I am notified with the Chrome plugin.. I think you may be isolated in that aspect Sorry I can't be more help.

 

[johnchad14]

Inbox refresh in voice is enabled, yes. I haven't tried the hitting back thing yet but I also have not had any delayed SMS today to investigate the problem further. Will give it a go if it comes up again...hopefully was just some weirdness. Thanks for the input.

 

[srt4b]

This happened to me once. Other than that they arrive about 2-3 seconds before Chrome gets them.

 

[johnchad14]

I've had this happen once since the previous posting. After that I started using the back button x 2/3 to exit out of voice, and has not recurred. Hard to verify if that's what's resolved a rare problem, but it hasn't happened for a week now. So i'm willing to belive it may be the solution. Any others try this?

 

[drhill]

My wife has been having this problem intermittently for the last week. Once it took 8 hours to get a SMS. "Always On" is checked. She claims she uses back to get out of the app. All the sync and notification options are check in the app and accounts settings.

I'm catching flack for this. One night last week her brother called and it said she was unavailable. He called right back and it worked. I checked the google voice forums and it seemed like others had the same problem around the same time. Two days ago she tried calling me while I was driving home from work and it told her my number was disconnected. She called right back and it worked.

Growing pains I guess.

 

[Mr.Slave]

1: sounds like isolated issues.

2: in GV Menu->settings->refresh and notifications->select ringtone

3:haven't seen any

 

[swindelljd]

1) Anytime Google voice is open, SMS notifications occurr basically instantaneously. Sometimes when it is not the open app, notifications for messages do not appear for up to 30 minutes (you can tell from the timestamps). I do not see any options about syncing frequency in the google voice app. Is there any way to rectify this?

I just setup GV for the first time two days ago on my Incredible and was testing the SMS and noticed the same thing. I enabled "SMS Forwarding: Forward SMS messages to my email: " in the online configuration and the SMS started to arrive instantly. Hope this helps.

John

 

[johnchad14]

I had less trouble after using the double back to get out of google voice, now since they updated the app it only seems to take 1 back to get out...nicer. I believe update fixed some issues. If it comes back I will consider the email linking you mentioned.

Of course, there's a new issue to go along...when sms notifications appear in the note bar, when I click on them it often goes to the wrong thread in the inbox, ie rather than the thread with the new message, it goes to the one before it with no new information.

So it goes...