How do you use Google Voice (and Skype)?

[maturola]

As I understand it, GV uses your mobile minutes to contact the GV server, which then places the call on your behalf. That seems to me that the call would actually be going to the GV server, rather than directly to your wife, and using your regular minutes. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is how it works, and why I have a hard time seeing the value of this service.

100% correct!

The Value for me is that I don't give out my Cellphone or home number, I can manage what calls to take on the weekend or after 5 PM if i want to, I can listen to voicemail while people are leaving it and I never miss a call no matter where I go, All my phones rings at once (home, home office, work, cell, and sometime my GF cell).

 

[doboy]

What I do is forward all text messages to my Google Voice number to my Gmail account. Then on my iPhone I set up push Gmail using Microsoft Exchange. Voila.

And you can reply from your email and it'll send a text back without ever opening an app (minus Mail).

same here except I forward text to Gmail to MobileMe (pushed).

 

[DirtySocks85]

I used to use the GV Mobile app, but since there isn't a jailbreak for the iPhone 4 yet I'm going to be using Black Swan/Voice Central for a bit.

 

[zhenya]

100% correct!

The Value for me is that I don't give out my Cellphone or home number, I can manage what calls to take on the weekend or after 5 PM if i want to, I can listen to voicemail while people are leaving it and I never miss a call no matter where I go, All my phones rings at once (home, home office, work, cell, and sometime my GF cell).

So that means you use GV as your main number, right? If you place a call from your regular cell phone dialer, or from your home or work phones, it's going to show up as those numbers, right? It just seems like it would be hard to get people to always call your GV number, when it's not always the one that shows up on their caller ID.

It's great that it works well for you, but I guess I'm on the side of the OP, where I don't really see how it would benefit me other than the voicemail. I'm glad to have my mind changed though!

 

[maturola]

It just seems like it would be hard to get people to always call your GV number, when it's not always the one that shows up on their caller ID.

Why would it be hard???

If people want to call you at home they dial your "home" phone number...
If you call them back from "home" they see your home number

if they want to get you at work, they dial you "work" number...
if you call them back from "work" they will see you work number

And so on..this are just labels... it is not different for you GV number

I use my GV number as my main phone..and instead of letting them decided "where" to call me, I manage where the calls are router, based on time, location or maybe even mood (just turn on the Do not disturb and I am ome free )

 

[rKunda]

I use google voice mainly for the free texting and then give out my gv number to people that I don't know very well or want to screen their calls.

For the texting I followed this guide to set up push notifications with the prowl app. I then have a redirection setup in the app to link to the black swan web app which I find their interface much better than the official google web app.

I wish Prowl could redirect the weblication.

 

[zhenya]

Why would it be hard???

If people want to call you at home they dial your "home" phone number...

if they want to get you at work, they dial you "work" number...

And so on..this are just labels...

Well, because in my experience, people tend to call you at the number that they have from you last on their caller ID, not on whatever number I tell them to call me on. Sometimes they will look you up and call you on whatever number you gave them, but it sounds like my GV# just becomes another number to 'manage'.

 

[maturola]

Well, because in my experience, people tend to call you at the number that they have from you last on their caller ID, not on whatever number I tell them to call me on. Sometimes they will look you up and call you on whatever number you gave them, but it sounds like my GV# just becomes another number to 'manage'.

That is the while point.... IT become the "numbers to rule them all"...
(sorry for the geeky reference couldn't resist).

that's the point...no more "several numbers" only one...the system take care of the "managing" (after you set it up of course)

 

[zhenya]

That is the while point.... IT become the "numbers to rule them all"...
(sorry for the geeky reference couldn't resist).

that's the point...no more "several numbers" only one...the system take care of the "managing" (after you set it up of course)

No, I understand that is the point - and I almost put a similar reference in myself. My point is, that it doesn't seem like that's how it would work out for me - I might give people that number, but if they don't see that number as my number when I call them (they have my GV number as the number associated with 'me' in their address book, but when I call from work, they get a number with no name that they don't recognize) - they start to associate the other numbers with 'me' as well.

I guess I also feel like having separate numbers allows me to easily manage when I get calls from people - work contacts get my work number - which I only get when I'm AT work - friend and family get my mobile number - anyone I'm buying anything from gets my home number, which automatically rejects telemarketing calls. Voila, automatic call management.

 

[larock]

I use skype every day as a means to communicate with my husband, who is deployed to the Middle East. If I am away from my computer, I just log into skype on my iPhone and I appear as "online" to all of my skype contacts. They just initiate a call or chat via skype and it rings on the iPhone. It is a free way to communicate (other than his cost to have an internet connection). Otherwise, when I am at my computer, we just call computer to computer via skype (free).

While I was deployed I used Skype to call my family, couldn't beat the three dollars a month Skype Out plan. I also used my Google Voice account to text my family while I was away. It was also nice because my kids could always call my Google Voice number and leave me a message, I liked hearing their voices.

I have no idea how my parents and grandparents made it through their deployments (Vietnam and WWII) with just mail.

Now that I'm home, my Google Voice number gets handed out (especially to my Army contacts). I have a tendency to hop from one phone to another so it's much easier for them to get a hold of me through my Google Voice number.

If someone tells me, I called you at what I thought was your cell number (maybe the number I last used to call them) but couldn't get a hold of me, I remind them I gave them "the number" to get a hold of me. Their bad, not mine.

Google Voice, Skype and my iPhone just make my life so much easier and happier.

 

[maturola]

No, I understand that is the point - and I almost put a similar reference in myself. My point is, that it doesn't seem like that's how it would work out for me - I might give people that number, but if they don't see that number as my number when I call them (they have my GV number as the number associated with 'me' in their address book, but when I call from work, they get a number with no name that they don't recognize) -

YEah, they will see your GV number if you initiate the call phone a GV app. I usually initiate calls phone my laptop, GV call my cell phone and them connects me to the person I am calling.

 

[McGiord]

Skype for fre voip to voip calls with my family and relatives when I am out of the country. And for international calls when needed, cheaper and convenient than anything else out there. Sometimes I get even better call quality through Skype than with the cell line.

 

[w3iiipu]

Unlimited minutes with A list and GV

People with A list can list the GV "dial out" number on their A list and every calls they make thru GV will not count againts their ATT minutes.

 

[Acejam2k]

People with A list can list the GV "dial out" number on their A list and every calls they make thru GV will not count againts their ATT minutes.

But you still need to have AT&T service.

With SIPdroid + GV on an Android phone, you can make and receive calls entirely for free, from anywhere in the world - as long as you have a Wifi connection. You can also use 3G data - but in either situation you will never use your AT&T minutes. This means you can call my local google voice number, and my phone will ring, even if I was halfway around the world in Europe/Asia. (and it would be 100% free)

 

[FlashHead]

Skype for me.

I started with SKYPE because I travel a lot for business and it is the perfect alternative to iChat when you have low bandwidth.

From there I started using it to call my wife on her cell whenever I wanted and for her to call me. Even when I'm not logged on she can leave a voice message that will show up right away in my e-mail.

Now with the new updated app it is functioning as my primary phone. All for about 60 dollars a year. It's the best seal out there I tried some other solutions and have two SIP accounts and four softphones and SKYPE is the hands down winner.

 

[Thetics]

Sorry, I only use Google Voice for teleportation.

 

[w3iiipu]

is there a way to stop google voice from forwarding text to my iphone?
i wanna have it forward to my email instead.

i dont seem to see an option that can disable text forwarding to my att number.

I have google voice set to email me when an SMS comes. Which in turn, that email is pushed via exchange to my iphone. Then I just reply to the email... which sends SMS back to the person.

Free texts

You can have GV send SMS messages (that are sent to GV #s) to your email and not as an SMS. You reply to emails to return the texts. Free SMS.

How exactly if someone dont mind giving me a dummy step by step =/

 

[donutboi]

is there a way to stop google voice from forwarding text to my iphone?
i wanna have it forward to my email instead.

i dont seem to see an option that can disable text forwarding to my att number.





How exactly if someone dont mind giving me a dummy step by step =/

same here. I dont see that option under setting.

 

[rKunda]

Settings -> Voice Settings -> Voicemail & Text -> uncheck "Send a text (SMS) message to:..."

 

[w3iiipu]

Settings -> Voice Settings -> Voicemail & Text -> uncheck "Send a text (SMS) message to:..."

yea have that unchecked but yet i still get text send to my att number when people reply to my google voice number. =(

 

[Nrwrit3r]

Okay so after looking at this thread I created a google voice account - it seems really cool.

I have a few questions though:

1 - How is this "safer" than giving out your actual cell #? If you use the # enough won't it become a # that could identify you just like your cell's #?

2 - I had a friend text me via the google voice #. It took about 4 minutes to get to my phone but appeared instantly in the "inbox" online. That's a long time to wait for a text especially if you're trying to have a texting convo with someone. Is there normally such a delay?

3 - Is there a way to call using GV but have your own # show up instead of the GV #?

 

[wreckshop]

Okay so after looking at this thread I created a google voice account - it seems really cool.

I have a few questions though:

1 - How is this "safer" than giving out your actual cell #? If you use the # enough won't it become a # that could identify you just like your cell's #?

2 - I had a friend text me via the google voice #. It took about 4 minutes to get to my phone but appeared instantly in the "inbox" online. That's a long time to wait for a text especially if you're trying to have a texting convo with someone. Is there normally such a delay?

3 - Is there a way to call using GV but have your own # show up instead of the GV #?

1) The key is that people must only know your GV number. If that's the case, then you have all sorts of options like screening calls, filtering and even blocking if you want.

2) Sometimes its slower, sometimes its faster. Most of the time its about the same as the inbox. Unfortunately thats one of the drawbacks of GV..... for the most part I never get texts later than a minute. I'm willing to live with that considering all the benefits that GV has, not to mention free texting.

3) If you never want whoever your calling to see your GV number send your recipient a text from the GV app. Make sure you allow text messages to be forwarded to your phone. When your recipient responds, the text you get back will be a 406 area code or some other weird area code. That is a number GV uses to "route" your call. When you call or text back using that 406 number, the caller ID will show your GV number.

To get the full benefits of GV, you need to make GV your "real" number. It's kind of a pain in the butt to do because you have to get all your contacts to use your GV number instead of your old number but its worth it. Say you lose your cell... you can still make and receive txt msgs, receive VM. How cool is that?

 

[Rayfire]

yea have that unchecked but yet i still get text send to my att number when people reply to my google voice number. =(

It's actually on Settings -> Phone and I think it's Edit then uncheck "text settings" under advance. Took me quite a while to look for it but that should forward all your texts to your email instead of being counted against your AT&T SMS plan.

 

[w3iiipu]

It's actually on Settings -> Phone and I think it's Edit then uncheck "text settings" under advance. Took me quite a while to look for it but that should forward all your texts to your email instead of being counted against your AT&T SMS plan.

Thank you!!!