Google Voice...NEWBIE

Google Voice is a voice-over-IP service from Google. It's very similar to Skype, but calling is free inside the U.S. and you can send text messages.

Google Voice is not a VOIP service like Skype. I think you're better off going to the website and watching the video to understand what it is.

You can definitely use it to get unlimited text messages of course, but you'll need to get a Google Voice number to do that. So it's no different than the other texting apps that you'll see in the App Store. However, GV is ad free and if anyone calls your Google Voice number it'll forward them straight to your real mobile number. So it's a bit convenient for someone that doesn't want to shell out $15 for unlimited texting.

If you're jailbroken, you can integrate GV Text messaging into the native iPhone App with SMS GV Extension which works wonderfully, and it'll even work with biteSMS.

WRIGHTRACING said:

So basically you can talk and text for free??? No use of minutes or text messages out of my monthly usage?

Do you have to be on WiFi or 3G??? Mostly everywhere around here is EDGE

Click to expand...

I have an idea. Why don't you go to google.com/voice and find out?

celticpride678 said:

Google Voice is a voice-over-IP service from Google. It's very similar to Skype, but calling is free inside the U.S. and you can send text messages.

Click to expand...

Google Voice isn't voip though. That's something built into gmail chat.

Google produced several easy-to-understand videos. Spend 5 minutes watching those first...then if you have questions, come back here.

Google Voice is a call management service. It's a central number, when called, rings all your phones. If someone calls my GV #, my cell phone, home phone and office phone all ring at once. And I can't answer any of those phones, my voicemails are transcribed and sent to me as an email (or text or pushed through the new app) so I can read them.

It is not a VOIP service. Making a phone call through GMAIL is a VOIP service, but that is not Google Voice. Confusing, I know.

While Google Voice can save you minutes, it will still use them. It can, however, replace your text messaging.

Seriously, go watch the videos. GV can be complicated....and Google does a better and prettier job of explaining it than any of us here.

WRIGHTRACING said:

So basically you can talk and text for free??? No use of minutes or text messages out of my monthly usage?

Do you have to be on WiFi or 3G??? Mostly everywhere around here is EDGE

Click to expand...

You cannot talk for free using Google Voice. It's not a VOIP service. What it does is that it uses your minutes so you can call up your Google Voice number, and then forward yourself to an internationally number to talk internationally using Google's low rate plans. If you want to talk free on Google Voice you're gonna have to call the GV Number during your free weekends or unlimited nights, and you can even add it to your A-List to call it for free.

Texting is completely free as long as you use your Google Voice number. However, be aware that it will forward texts that were sent to your GV Number to your actual number, so you'll need to change one setting on your GV Account to then text entirely for free.

And as far as I'm aware, GV uses data for text messages and your minutes for calling.

Google Voice is a telephone forwarding service. It forwards your calls and texts to wherever you want, including Google Talk, the phone and messaging service inside Gmail. You can also set it up to function as your voicemail as well. You can use it for call screening or blocking and it can also transcribe your voicemails in addition to some other features.

Problem is you will have to give out this number to all your contacts.

On your iPhone you can use the Google Voice app to send and receive texts over your data service or wifi (free texting). If you download the talkatone app you can connect your Google Voice account with your Gmail account and use Gmail's Google Talk to function as a VOIP telephone (free calls). If you're on wifi you can avoid using up any of your AT&T quotas.

Google is provides so many controls and it is one of the services of it. There are no any different between skype and google voice. Only difference is you can call in any where it is free and also you can send text messages.

Google Voice is like having a second line on your phone with great options.

Besides the text messaging, it also makes for a great voicemail replacement, as you can get your voicemail sent to you via text message, in your email, or just access it from the app, all with the original audio and a transcription.

For voice, it's great as a second number, or, if you make it your primary number, a way to keep a consistent number no matter what you do with the calling plan on the back end. You can use a cell phone, land line, or VoIP service of your choosing, but to the people you call it always looks like the same number.

black7mt said:

Google Voice is also cheap for worldwide call and free for US and Canada

Click to expand...

No it isn't!! You still have to use the minutes of whatever phone you dial from. Again, Google Voice IS NOT VoIP!

just watch the videos here: http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html

celticpride678 said:

Google Voice is a voice-over-IP service from Google. It's very similar to Skype, but calling is free inside the U.S. and you can send text messages.

Click to expand...

No, no, no! Google Voice is NOT VOIP. It's basically a centralized calling service. You route your calls through it and can use features like having voicemails transcribed to e-mails and texts, rejecting calls from set numbers, having multiple different phone numbers rung, silencing all your phone numbers or just set ones for a certain length of time. It's actually quite powerful.

It does include free texting.

zhenya said:

No it isn't!! You still have to use the minutes of whatever phone you dial from. Again, Google Voice IS NOT VoIP!

Click to expand...

But you can use your minutes to call internationally, not be charged international rates by AT&T or whomever. Google's international rates are far cheaper than AT&T's.

I can't get a google voice number because it says none are available in my area when I try to sing up, has this happened to anyone else??

redbeard331 said:

I can't get a google voice number because it says none are available in my area when I try to sing up, has this happened to anyone else??

Click to expand...

It happened to me when setting up a phone number on another account. Just use a different area code like I did

ericg301 said:

Seriously, go watch the videos.

Click to expand...

I agree.

Google saves one so much time, I'm surprised so many people fail to use it.

I use google voice as a "work" phone number. I also use gv as my voicemail "client" for both my AT&T and my GV voice mails.

NO it's not a VOIP app per se, but yes, you can use the iphone app "Talkatone" to make VOIP calls. Still doesn't make it a true VOIP app however.

I think GV is very useful.