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Google Voice users...What do you think so far?
- Thread starter IBradMac
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dhlizard
macrumors G4
I only have my cell phone, so I find it kind of pointless. I don't have any reason to forward a number to multiple phones (obviously since I only have one), but the text messages have saved me quite a bit of money already. I have GV Mobile and Prowl working with my computer at home to push Google Voice SMS messages to my phone, so it's kinda nice, but other than that I don't see the point.
Google Voice is perfect for making a prank call 🙂
Or handing out a number for people to contact you but you don't really want to talk to 🙂
Or handing out a number for people to contact you but you don't really want to talk to 🙂
I've had it for a couple weeks now, but I haven't really used it. I can't really find a way for it to be useful...
I was intrigued by the gizmo+siphone combo to get free calling over data and not use any of my minutes...
I even went as far as setting up google sync so that I all my contacts would stay updated on my phone.
Well, it was fun and cool for a day or two, but when you break it all down, all the sh*t you have to go through to save a few bucks just isn't worth it.
I mean, I've got the cheapest phone plan on att already and the only way to get free sms using gv is to leave a program running on a computer 24/7, it's just not worth it...
Plus, I have yet to get an accurate transcribed voicemail! Geez! they make no sense!
On the other hand, it's a great number to give to people for business, clasified ads or dating purposes! I also enjoy the call groups and schedules you can set up. I think it's pretty cool so far and we can expect a lot more to come.
I even went as far as setting up google sync so that I all my contacts would stay updated on my phone.
Well, it was fun and cool for a day or two, but when you break it all down, all the sh*t you have to go through to save a few bucks just isn't worth it.
I mean, I've got the cheapest phone plan on att already and the only way to get free sms using gv is to leave a program running on a computer 24/7, it's just not worth it...
Plus, I have yet to get an accurate transcribed voicemail! Geez! they make no sense!
On the other hand, it's a great number to give to people for business, clasified ads or dating purposes! I also enjoy the call groups and schedules you can set up. I think it's pretty cool so far and we can expect a lot more to come.
GoCubsGo
macrumors Nehalem
I used it some tonight. Whenever you have two bars on Edge service its best to not even bother with it and use your regular phone. My BEST use for it would be to dedicate the line solely as a business line.
1> Personalized voicemail that my friends don't need/want to hear.
2> Ability to forward, and record my business calls.
3> Ability to screen callers and easily blacklist bad callers.
I'm not completely sold on it yet but I think it has the potential to be a great business tool.
1> Personalized voicemail that my friends don't need/want to hear.
2> Ability to forward, and record my business calls.
3> Ability to screen callers and easily blacklist bad callers.
I'm not completely sold on it yet but I think it has the potential to be a great business tool.
I've been using it for about a week now. For calls I don't really have any complaints about it. I only have one phone (my iphone) so the forwarding thing isn't of any use right now. I wanted to use it mostly for free sms and voicemail transcriptions. As of yet, I have not received any voicemail so I can't comment on that. For sms it is working fine. I am not one who sits down and has long conversations via sms, but I use it enough that ATT 1500 txts are probably just not quite enough but I really dont need unlimited. For me, GV is worth the extra steps needed so I don;t end up just throwing money away. I like the fact that I can be texting from my computer and when I get up and leave, I carry the same conversation with me on my phone.
The biggest downside is the performance. I am using an old iphone (2g) and it just slows things down due to not having 3g service and a slower processor/memory. I have been getting decent results using backgrounder to keep GV mobile running so I don't have to log in every time I want to check my sms or make a call. I hope to get an improvement in performance when I upgrade phones. One plus is that there is wifi where I work and at home which speeds things up considerably.
The other thing that is a pain is giving out 2 phone numbers. I have been trying to get the people I know who have ATT to use my cell number and give the GV number to people on different networks. If there is a way to get free mobile to mobile when other ATT customers call your GV number please let me know!
The biggest downside is the performance. I am using an old iphone (2g) and it just slows things down due to not having 3g service and a slower processor/memory. I have been getting decent results using backgrounder to keep GV mobile running so I don't have to log in every time I want to check my sms or make a call. I hope to get an improvement in performance when I upgrade phones. One plus is that there is wifi where I work and at home which speeds things up considerably.
The other thing that is a pain is giving out 2 phone numbers. I have been trying to get the people I know who have ATT to use my cell number and give the GV number to people on different networks. If there is a way to get free mobile to mobile when other ATT customers call your GV number please let me know!
I was playing around with GV.. Sent a SMS to a friend... he replied right back to the GV number, then I got the text in my normal SMS folder on my iPhone... My question is, does that reply text count as a text or data?
dontwalkhand
macrumors 604
Great app, just one problem, the icon on the home screen is kind of "pushed downward" on my iPhone, and I wonder why it does that.
That counts as a text. You need to disable google voice from forwarding SMS to your phone.
KidStallyn
macrumors 6502
I love the app. My biggest complaint is in the txt portion of the app, which is all I use at this time. I realize we will never get push notifications as long as it's not in the App store. That sux, but is there a way for it, when the app is running, to automatically poll for new txt messages. I rarely close the app, but it gets annoying to have to sit there an hit the refresh circle every few mins. I would like it to notify me, like with a vibrate or something.
And is there a way to show the contact information instead of the phone number. One person that I txt all the time, shows up as her ph number, yet when I started the conversation, I selected her from my contact list.
And is there a way to show the contact information instead of the phone number. One person that I txt all the time, shows up as her ph number, yet when I started the conversation, I selected her from my contact list.
nutmac
macrumors 603
Google Voice is great for the following:
And it's also not so great at the following:
- International phone calls: Calls to Canada is merely a penny a minute and rates to other countries are extremely competitive even the cheapest of calling cards. Adding credit is relatively easy, but I wish I could specify different amount (it's locked at $10).
- Voicemail: Visual Voicemail is alright but Google Voice's text transcription is way nicer (although results vary from person to person, it's still very handy).
- Second phone number: I don't want to give out my cell phone # to everyone, particularly certain business and gov't organizations.
And it's also not so great at the following:
- SMS: Without a push app, SMS isn't very useful. One can enable forwarding to mobile number (which is enabled by default, but shouldn't), but receiving SMS costs money and defeats the purpose of free texting. This would be solved by Google Voice app that does push.
- Dialer: Dialing # through web app is annoying and dialing your GV number then entering recipient's number is even more tedious (you can program the entire combination with "pauses", but you still have to wait nearly a minute for a call to be made). This would be solved by Google Voice app (either official or through Cydia).
Go to your Google Voice web page and click on contacts. You need to update them there. If you are using a Mac it is really easy to import all your contacts from Address Book to Google. Then GV Mobile will display the names of the contact rather than the phone number.
Thats another feature I would like to address. I would like to know before I pick up whether its coming on the Google # or my cell # when I have it configured that way.
I guess maybe just edit the contacts online?
i use gv for international calling due to their cheaper rate plans... it's not so great. half the time i hear echos, or the person im calling has a hard time understanding me... so i end up dialing directly from my cell where it sounds 100% better. but for domestic use it is fine
Google Voice is perfect for me. I recently moved, and do not want to change my cell number.
However, people locally here, especially businesses, like local numbers. Out of area numbers look bad on applications, in my opinion.
So now, I can have 2 numbers that both ring my phone, no problems. People in 2 completely different area codes both have a local number for me. 🙂
However, people locally here, especially businesses, like local numbers. Out of area numbers look bad on applications, in my opinion.
So now, I can have 2 numbers that both ring my phone, no problems. People in 2 completely different area codes both have a local number for me. 🙂
i've found it rather...useless so far to be honest.
Other than being able to give someone you MAY NOT want to talk to again in the future a number that isn't your real number...it pretty much mimics the functionality of the iPhone.
Do I really want a txt message/email of my voicemessages transcribed? (if I had the time to check the transcription..which usually is god awful to begin with...don't I have the time to listen to the message in Visual Voicemail?)
Can't I see who called, when, right from the phone app?
This is all the free functionality at least...
If you run a business or are in high demand for work, then I could understand maybe wanting certain calls, to forward to certain numbers or having different voicemails depending on the caller, but if you're an everyday person...I think its asking a little much.
Also if you pay for credits and use the calling functionality, it would be of much more use...but simply as a service...I don't really see the point when you own an iPhone.
Maybe if you owned a Razr 😕
Other than being able to give someone you MAY NOT want to talk to again in the future a number that isn't your real number...it pretty much mimics the functionality of the iPhone.
Do I really want a txt message/email of my voicemessages transcribed? (if I had the time to check the transcription..which usually is god awful to begin with...don't I have the time to listen to the message in Visual Voicemail?)
Can't I see who called, when, right from the phone app?
This is all the free functionality at least...
If you run a business or are in high demand for work, then I could understand maybe wanting certain calls, to forward to certain numbers or having different voicemails depending on the caller, but if you're an everyday person...I think its asking a little much.
Also if you pay for credits and use the calling functionality, it would be of much more use...but simply as a service...I don't really see the point when you own an iPhone.
Maybe if you owned a Razr 😕
mkrishnan
Moderator emeritus
I believe the person calls you via the GV number, then you answer the phone, and mid-conversation, when you want to switch, you press a key; when you press a key, all your GV registered numbers/devices ring; you pick up the one you want and the conversation continues on it.
The major limitation, AFAIK, is that the call has to start with GV -- that is, the person has to call your GV number, or perhaps you can call out from the menus in GV. If I understand correctly, they cannot call your real cell phone number, for instance -- GV wouldn't have a connection to the call and can't forward it.