YES, it does it cost minutes to check voicemail.

[garybeck]

Hello, I can't find this in the user guide... does it cost minutes to call my voicemail? If so, can I access my voicemail from a landline and avoid the charges somehow?

thanks

 

[lou61166]

Hello, I can't find this in the user guide... does it cost minutes to call my voicemail? If so, can I access my voicemail from a landline and avoid the charges somehow?

thanks

Yes it does cost minutes to check voicemail from the V and yes you can check voicemail from a landline phone.

 

[tli]

... I can't find this in the user guide... does it cost minutes to call my voicemail?...

It's clearly spelled out on page 162.

 

[Thorsten]

garybeck, could you please edit your original post and change the title to sth like "[EDIT]Yes, it costs minutes to check my voicemail"? This way, others browsing this forum will know right away what's up and that this isn't an open question.

Saves everybody a bunch of time, man.

 

[garybeck]

garybeck, could you please edit your original post and change the title to sth like "[EDIT]Yes, it costs minutes to check my voicemail"? This way, others browsing this forum will know right away what's up and that this isn't an open question.

Saves everybody a bunch of time, man.

done, man

 

[kc3]

I use Skype for many of my outgoing calls and my caller-id is set to use my cell phone number so using Skype I can now check my voicemail without using any minutes Skype is $3 a month to get unlimited outbound calls over 3g or Wifi

 

[RMdroid]

Use Google Voice for making your calls. It doesn't use phone minutes, it uses data, which is free.

 

[garybeck]

OK, I got one person telling me to use Skype and another says Google Voice. Which is better?

 

[OverBoard]

I use Skype for many of my outgoing calls and my caller-id is set to use my cell phone number so using Skype I can now check my voicemail without using any minutes Skype is $3 a month to get unlimited outbound calls over 3g or Wifi

Skype can be as little as $2.50/month if you buy it for a whole year/$30.

 

[raysurrx7]

Use Google Voice for making your calls. It doesn't use phone minutes, it uses data, which is free.

Not True. Google voice uses your minutes to make phone calls but uses data for everything else.

 

[Jenny Z]

Use Google Voice for making your calls. It doesn't use phone minutes, it uses data, which is free.

No, Google Voice definitely uses your minutes.

 

[garne2t]

Not true. Google Voice uses minutes to make a phone call but does NOT use minutes to check voicemail using the Google Voice app.

 

[MacFett]

Google Voice doesn't use minutes to check voicemail does it?

If you use the Voice app it has the voicemail right in the app. If you use Google Voice to check your VM voice mail with your VM phone that will use minutes unless you use Groove to connect GV through WiFi or 3G.

 

[Predrag]

Or to explain it in more simple way; yes, there is a way to use GooglVoice number to make phone calls without using your plan voice minutes.

GoogleVoice application will always use your voice minutes, although many people seem to think it doesn't. Here is the way it works: when you try to make a call using your Google Voice account (and the phone number Google gave you with it), GoogleVoice app will simply transfer your outgoing call to your Virgin phone number and hand the call off to your regular phone dialer. What essentially happens is, the person you called will see a call coming in from your Google Voice phone number, and on your end, your regular phone dialer app (the one that uses Virgin Mobile minutes) will be completing the call. All Google Voice did here was broker a connection between your cellphone and recipient's phone. The phone traffic still goes via Virgin voice network and sucks up your minutes.

There is, however, an application that allows you to use your Google Voice account (and the phone number they gave you) and make phone calls from your Android phone using only data network (i.e. via the internet), and NOT using any voice minutes. It is called GrooveIP. There is a separate discussion (or two) about it, with much more detail. GrooveIP does exactly what most people expect GoogleVoice to do (but in fact does not). When you want to make a phone call without using your minutes, you fire up GrooveIP and dial from there. It will use Google Voice and make that call over data networks. In fact, you don't even need to launch GrooveIP. If you try to make a call the usual ways (from the Contacts list, from the call log, or by simply dialing a number from the phone dialing app), as soon as you tap the green 'call' button, a dialogue box will come up asking you if you wish to complete the call using Virgin voice network, or GrooveIP. Since GrooveIP is always running in the background (it must, as it needs to be permanently logged into GoogleVoice), any incoming calls made to your Google Voice number will be received by GrooveIP, which will ring your phone and wait for you to answer it.

The only problem with GrooveIP is that it cannot be used to check Virgin voice mail. When you need to check your voice mail, you call your own mobile phone number; then you interrupt the greeting by pressing * and enter your password. However, when you try to use GrooveIP to call your Virgine Mobile number, it will automatically switch the call to the voice network for some reason, which will immediately start clocking your minutes.

So, there you have it.