Google Voice (STICKY!!)

[WaLkeR]

This will (hopefully) be the ultimate Google Voice thread.

Please DO NOT post any requests for invites or availability for invites, there is already a sticky for that!

The main idea of the thread is to post your tips/tricks or questions about Google Voice.

So, let me start it off by posting a few issues I'm having:

When I'm making calls using Voice it is showing the same contact on the call screen regardless of who I'm calling and although it isn't actually calling that contact, it's calling the contact I chose, it's still frustrating to see a person I am not calling >.<

Next problem I'm having is with SMS. I'm currently using Handcent SMS and I'm wondering how I can make it so Handcent won't receive my Google Voice SMS messages so that they aren't being received twice.

I'd also like to hear what tips and tricks everyone is using to fully utilize Voice.

 

[shivers316]

Regarding Handcent not receiving the sms, that's something you have to set up with GV itself on your PC in settings. Go into settings and edit the phone number you're using and uncheck "Receive SMS on this phone." That way, you'll only receive SMS through the GV app.

 

[sternyy]

I wanted to test free incomming calls with my google voice number. I have verizon with the motorola droid, and i put my gv number in my fave five. I also set my gv incoming caller id to: Display caller's number. My gv number forwards to my droid's number.

I let the phone connect for 15 minutes. After a few hours I looked at my VZW account and noticed there was 15 minutes added to my peak minutes. That means it DID NOT utilize my fave 5 for incoming calls.

Next, I tested my gv incoming caller id to: Display my Google Voice number. I have yet to get an update on my used minutes to see if my gv will now use my fave 5. Hopefully it does so atleast we know it can work... but you lose your caller id, which for me, is not worth it.

 

[JoeC]

That's pretty much how it works...

The function of GV is not to bypass charges from carriers, it's to help manage all of your phone numbers by one number.

I realize that we're all trying to find creative ways to save a buck, but GV isn't necessarily going to make it easy

 

[Tackleberry]

When you say "Same contact every time" are you meaning someone in your contacts or its showing the google access number everytime? Cause it should be showing the access number every time. It calls that number then routes your call you are trying to make.

I think the ultimate trick for google voice is using it to make calls to anyone without going against my peak minutes. At least thats how I do it with my verizon. I'll explain for the peeps that dont know how to do this. But you must have friends and family on your plan. (You can also do this with T-Mob. too) I give my GV number to everyone that's not on verizon or I dont want them to have my real number.

1-Get google voice and set it all up to work with your phone/phones.

2-Download the GV app on your phone.

3-In your web acct. go into setting>calls>caller id(in) and make sure "Display my caller id" is clicked.

4-Then go into your Verizon acct. and in the friends and family you need to add your new google number and you also need to add the google access number to that list.

Now that you have both them numbers in there when someone calls your GV number it is free because google is set up to show your GV number on caller id. And when you make a call it alway's calls the same access number which is also in your Fav's so that call is free too.

Not sure how other android phones are set up but on my droid I have the GV app to ask me when i make a phone call to either use GV to make the call or not. So everyone that i call that's not on verizon make it use GV to make the call.
Pretty simple to do to get free incoming and outgoing calls.

Hope i explained this well enough so everyone understands.

 

[Tackleberry]

Wow 2 post came in while i was writing that, sorry guys.


Ya, what they said

 

[Tackleberry]

I wanted to test free incomming calls with my google voice number. I have verizon with the motorola droid, and i put my gv number in my fave five. I also set my gv incoming caller id to: Display caller's number. My gv number forwards to my droid's number.

I let the phone connect for 15 minutes. After a few hours I looked at my VZW account and noticed there was 15 minutes added to my peak minutes. That means it DID NOT utilize my fave 5 for incoming calls.

Next, I tested my gv incoming caller id to: Display my Google Voice number. I have yet to get an update on my used minutes to see if my gv will now use my fave 5. Hopefully it does so atleast we know it can work... but you lose your caller id, which for me, is not worth it.

When you initially add the number to your fav's you need to wait 24hrs. before it will take effect. look to the left of the numbers and it will say "Pending" or "Active"

 

[WaLkeR]

Regarding Handcent not receiving the sms, that's something you have to set up with GV itself on your PC in settings. Go into settings and edit the phone number you're using and uncheck "Receive SMS on this phone." That way, you'll only receive SMS through the GV app.

Thanks a lot shivers helped my problem ...

Now anyone else getting the bug where you dial out using Google Voice and it keeps showing that your calling the same person regardless of who you are calling, the problem is that it's actually calling who I'm trying to call it's just showing as if I'm calling someone else.

 

[Tackleberry]

To replace Verizon VM to Google VM

Enable call forwarding if no answer *71+Google number
(this one kinda sucks cause it rings like 8 times before VM picks up)

Enable call forwarding alway's *72+Google number

 

[sternyy]

When you initially add the number to your fav's you need to wait 24hrs. before it will take effect. look to the left of the numbers and it will say "Pending" or "Active"

Mine has been active since Nov 14th.

I can 100% confirm that if you only put your gv number in your fave 5 and set your caller id incoming to: display callers number you WILL BE charged. I've tested this and the minutes went towards my peak minutes.

I can 100% confirm that if you set your caller id incoming to: display your gv number, you WILL NOT be charged. I have tested this and my minutes went towards my M2M Peak (free).

I have not tried adding the access number in my gv, as I heard it can change regularly.

 

[JoeC]

To replace Verizon VM to Google VM

Enable call forwarding if no answer *71+Google number
(this one kinda sucks cause it rings like 8 times before VM picks up)

Not anymore, since Google enabled the VM activation option on GV. Now it goes directly to voicemail if you have it set to do that.

 

[sternyy]

When you say "Same contact every time" are you meaning someone in your contacts or its showing the google access number everytime? Cause it should be showing the access number every time. It calls that number then routes your call you are trying to make.

I think the ultimate trick for google voice is using it to make calls to anyone without going against my peak minutes. At least thats how I do it with my verizon. I'll explain for the peeps that dont know how to do this. But you must have friends and family on your plan. (You can also do this with T-Mob. too) I give my GV number to everyone that's not on verizon or I dont want them to have my real number.

1-Get google voice and set it all up to work with your phone/phones.

2-Download the GV app on your phone.

3-In your web acct. go into setting>calls>caller id(in) and make sure "Display my caller id" is clicked.

4-Then go into your Verizon acct. and in the friends and family you need to add your new google number and you also need to add the google access number to that list.

Now that you have both them numbers in there when someone calls your GV number it is free because google is set up to show your GV number on caller id. And when you make a call it alway's calls the same access number which is also in your Fav's so that call is free too.

Not sure how other android phones are set up but on my droid I have the GV app to ask me when i make a phone call to either use GV to make the call or not. So everyone that i call that's not on verizon make it use GV to make the call.
Pretty simple to do to get free incoming and outgoing calls.

Hope i explained this well enough so everyone understands.

Yup, i confirmed this above as well, but again, you run in to a huge problem if you want to know who is calling. Your caller id will always show your GV number.

Personally for me, I need to know who is calling because i use my phone for business and personal.

If you do not need to have a caller id, then you get to have free incoming.

 

[Tackleberry]

I have not tried adding the access number in my gv, as I heard it can change regularly.

Since I have been using GV since launch and it has only changed twice on me. I think it had to do with so many ppl using the same access number it was causing problems. Now its a local number so i dont think it will be changing for a while. But I check it every now and then just to make sure.

 

[sternyy]

Since I have been using GV since launch and it has only changed twice on me. I think it had to do with so many ppl using the same access number it was causing problems. Now its a local number so i dont think it will be changing for a while. But I check it every now and then just to make sure.

Ya im going to give it a try. Bumbed that i cant have free incoming and caller id. I may hand out that number only for business uses. I dont think i need to know the caller id for business, but defintly for personal.

Glad we finally nailed this down.

 

[Tackleberry]

Yup, i confirmed this above as well, but again, you run in to a huge problem if you want to know who is calling. Your caller id will always show your GV number.

Personally for me, I need to know who is calling because i use my phone for business and personal.

If you do not need to have a caller id, then you get to have free incoming.

Ya, that is one bad thing about it that i should have mentioned. Call screening & presentation kinda helps with that but its still something you wish you still had.

 

[Ali_Issa]

I have been using GV on my G1 Android phone for a while. Something has changed. As Walker has stated; now it shows the same number (I think it is the access number for google) before it dials the number I am trying to reach.

It did not used to do that.

I used the GV for the whole month of October without using a single minute from my T-Mobile account. It used Data connection (Edge or 3G) as soon as I dialed.

Now, I am not sure. It seems to dial an access code and I still have not been able to determine if it has used minutes or not.

Has anybody noticed the same change? Was it an update on the GV software? could be T-Mobile and other carriers got tired of not getting their minutes used?

Just thought I should ask,

Ali

 

[cranky_dan]

As long as I'm not too far OT, what's the turnaround for getting GV invites fulfilled?

I applied last week (Nov22ish) and have not heard *anything* yet.

 

[Tackleberry]

When I originally requested one from google last year I gave up after a month of waiting and started asking people and got one. Once I finally got it about 4 months later I went into my other google accounts requested one from them and It only took a week.
Like it's been mentioned before, if you cant wait ask around or get on ebay, there cheap.
I would give you one if I had any left.