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Google Voice update (0.2.8)

It definitely still 'double texts'..

Didn't see any changes with the update..

By the way, I 'dumped' my unlimited TEXT plan with Verizon, and use GOOGLE VOICE for TEXTING. I still purchased the $5 text plan which allows for 250 messages in a month, because I wasn't sure if I would have issues and still need to use the verizon sms.. At this point, I am NOT using the verizon texting .. . Probably will dump the $5 plan next month..

That will equal a total savings of almost $20 a month..

FC
 
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Can someone please tell me the benefits of google voice? I have an unlimited plan too and usually don't get overage charges. Why would I want to use this?

You get completely free SMS. You can do SMS on your phone with the app, the GV web interface and you can even reply to SMS via email

Voicemail can be transcribed and viewed on the phone with the app, SMS or email. For many callers, you won't even need to listen to the voicemail.

You control how people reach you. Different people calling the same number can cause all phones to ring or different phones to ring. You set this up in the web interface.

You can have different greetings for different people.

You can completely block people. I do this for a few undesirable callers. They get a phone company "not in service" message.
 
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Google Voice can do many things for you, but I think one of the most helpful is the VOICEMAIL feature.

Here is how I have it set up:

When someone calls my verizon phone number and I can't answer it, they are forwarded to my GOOGLE VOICE MAIL, not my Verizon voicemail.

Google Voice then sends me an email with the transcribed voicemail. Granted, the transcrption is sometimes off on the words, but I generally get the context of the message..

Also, I NEVER have to dial my verizon voicemail and push my passcode, then push buttons to listen to voicemails, etc.. I like that convenience..

With this set up you can also CUSTOMIZE your greetings. My wife hears a personalized greeting, as does my son, my daughter, etc.. If someone from work calls, they hear a greeting 'aimed' at them... If the number is not 'recognized' by google voice, the caller gets the standard greeting.

This is just one feature, and with this feature you aren't even 'using' the number google gave you... You are just forwarding your unanswered calls to the number.. It's great..

FC
 
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You can have personalized greetings per caller/group; schedule when the phone(s) will and will not ring; know that your full call history/log is synced over to Google; add notes per call, at the website. The list goes on and on. I was paying Vonage just to get the "SimulRing" feature. Cancelled it a week after getting the Droid.
 
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So can I use my existing cellphone number to text from thru GV or do I have to give ppl my GV number so that they can text me?
Gv now has an option, allowing you to set things so your GV number, or carrier number, appears on outgoing text messages. Since folks tend to just hit the reply button when they get a text, it will likely follow the number you've chosen to appear on your text(s).
 
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Gv now has an option, allowing you to set things so your GV number, or carrier number, appears on outgoing text messages. Since folks tend to just hit the reply button when they get a text, it will likely follow the number you've chosen to appear on your text(s).

I don't think my GV account has this option yet. How did you do this? Do you change the feature on your web interface or on your Android app? Maybe they're rolling it out slowly like they sometimes do (like with IMAP a while ago).
 
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