I've been paying $30 a month for T-mobile's prepaid plan with 100minutes and 5gb of LTE data and throttle after and using talkatone for unlimited inbound and outbound calls, and now they're going to be no more, any free alternatives?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
OMG, Talkatone and Google Voice no more comes May 15th!!! Noooooooooooo!!
- Thread starter Swagged
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If possible, could you provide a link to the information about Google Voice being discontinued. I really would like to learn more about that.
Thanks...
If possible, could you provide a link to the information about Google Voice being discontinued. I really would like to learn more about that.
Thanks...
"SPECIAL NOTE TO EXISTING TALKATONE FOR GOOGLE VOICE USERS: Talkatone will continue to support Google Voice users until May 15, 2014. After May 15, 2014 Talkatone users will no longer be able to access Google Voice through Talkatone because Google is discontinuing third party access to Google Voice on that date. We encourage all existing Talkatone for Google Voice users to consider switching to the new Talkatone service, the features of which are described above, prior to May 15, 2014 to ensure a seamless and uninterrupted transition. Happy Talking!"
HERE
In other words, Talkatone is not going to work with Google Voice after May 15.
Google Voice is not going away.
Google Voice is not going away.
wording suggests something other than what is happening.
You will no longer be able to use Talkatone in combination with Google Voice on May 15th.
That is different than not being able to use Talkatone and Google Voice on May 15th.
Google is simply cutting off 3rd party access to Google Voice.
I'm only slightly familiar with this as I had the Nexus 5 for a bit after it's launch and users were talking about this coming up.
You will no longer be able to use Talkatone in combination with Google Voice on May 15th.
That is different than not being able to use Talkatone and Google Voice on May 15th.
Google is simply cutting off 3rd party access to Google Voice.
I'm only slightly familiar with this as I had the Nexus 5 for a bit after it's launch and users were talking about this coming up.
I'm not sure what today's update to Talkatone "means" to us GV users, but an update to the came out earlier today, what caught my attention were the notes regarding the update:
Get a FREE unique, local U.S. phone number for your device
Get FREE texting with your device to U.S. phone numbers
Get FREE inbound calls with your device
Get up to 20 FREE outbound call minutes per month to U.S. phone numbers (with the option to purchase more minutes as needed)
Get UNLIMITED, FREE Talkatone-to-Talkatone calls and texts anywhere in the world
* Link your Facebook account and/or your carrier phone number (via SMS) to get additional FREE outbound call minutes each month and virtually unlimited FREE texting and inbound call minutes
Call and text for FREE using WiFi when you don't have cell coverage
I don't use FB and haven't looked into this app update, but, there you go...
Get a FREE unique, local U.S. phone number for your device
Get FREE texting with your device to U.S. phone numbers
Get FREE inbound calls with your device
Get up to 20 FREE outbound call minutes per month to U.S. phone numbers (with the option to purchase more minutes as needed)
Get UNLIMITED, FREE Talkatone-to-Talkatone calls and texts anywhere in the world
* Link your Facebook account and/or your carrier phone number (via SMS) to get additional FREE outbound call minutes each month and virtually unlimited FREE texting and inbound call minutes
Call and text for FREE using WiFi when you don't have cell coverage
I don't use FB and haven't looked into this app update, but, there you go...
Well, I just deleted Talkatone and set GV to forward to my cell number. Too bad Google is cutting off third party access, but I don't need a third number to do the same thing two was doing. And only 20 minutes of outgoing calls isn't worth it I think - free or not.
Apparently I can only call over wifi using google hangouts, and I so don't want to create a google+ profile.
hangouts lets you call over cellular. I do understand your feelings about the G+ profile part though.
A real shame. Talkatone worked flawlessly and much better than the actual GV app. I linked a second work number to forward my phone, my incoming-out coming calls or texts never failed.
Thank you for your suggestion. It appears you can make a call to anyone but texts are limited to other Hangouts users.
Yeah, for that the actual Google Voice app would likely still be needed. Or perhaps some other apps that allow texting through them, like even Facebook Messenger that supports that now (and I believe even voice calling type or features too).
Talkatone was very nice for when I had no AT&T reception. My last house in NJ I had zero reception and had to use Talkatone for calls when home. Thankfully I've moved and my new house has decent reception. It's a shame to see it go. Google really should put some serious attention into google voice, it's definitely a killer app.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Talkatone is not "going". The tone of some of these posts make it sound like Talkatone as a useful app is dead as soon as GV cuts off the connection (May 15). That's not the case at all. It's all very simple.
1. Google has decided to cut off third parties from leveraging Google (voice) assets.
2. This means Talkatone can't keep using that Google tech as the underpinnings for voice & text after May 15
3. Talkatone has created it's own VOIP service as a replacement so that it can continue to operate much like it has after May 15.
The only burdens I see in this change is that free outbound calling will no longer be unlimited* as it has been and that one either needs to port their GV phone number to Talkatone or redirect calls to that GV number to a new free number provided by Talkatone.
Workaround for the first burden: Install the Google Hangouts app and continue to outbound call through GV (using Hangouts instead of Talkatone) or something else, or pay the dirt cheap rates for outbound Talkatone calls after the small amount of free* outbound calls that Talkatone includes.
Workaround to the 2nd burden: point that GV number to the Talkatone number. That's how GV was supposed to work anyway- not be a VOIP solution but instead be a single, permanent number that can be your public number that redirects calls to the multitude of numbers you might own over time as you hop phone service to phone service.
Initially, I thought I was going to just drop Talkatone and go with Google Hangouts as a full replacement. But (IMO) it's far from a full replacement right now. Talkatone seems so much more polished & intuitive as a "soft phone" app while Hangouts seems like it's probably 2-3 major updates away. So, in my own case, I think my solution will be to execute the Talkatone registration request (to set up with them), forward all calls/texts to the GV number to the replacement Talkatone number and make my outbound calls either through Skype or Hangouts (Skype costs about $30/yr for unlimited* outbound call service to landlines or mobile phones while Hangouts is still free for now).
1. Google has decided to cut off third parties from leveraging Google (voice) assets.
2. This means Talkatone can't keep using that Google tech as the underpinnings for voice & text after May 15
3. Talkatone has created it's own VOIP service as a replacement so that it can continue to operate much like it has after May 15.
The only burdens I see in this change is that free outbound calling will no longer be unlimited* as it has been and that one either needs to port their GV phone number to Talkatone or redirect calls to that GV number to a new free number provided by Talkatone.
Workaround for the first burden: Install the Google Hangouts app and continue to outbound call through GV (using Hangouts instead of Talkatone) or something else, or pay the dirt cheap rates for outbound Talkatone calls after the small amount of free* outbound calls that Talkatone includes.
Workaround to the 2nd burden: point that GV number to the Talkatone number. That's how GV was supposed to work anyway- not be a VOIP solution but instead be a single, permanent number that can be your public number that redirects calls to the multitude of numbers you might own over time as you hop phone service to phone service.
Initially, I thought I was going to just drop Talkatone and go with Google Hangouts as a full replacement. But (IMO) it's far from a full replacement right now. Talkatone seems so much more polished & intuitive as a "soft phone" app while Hangouts seems like it's probably 2-3 major updates away. So, in my own case, I think my solution will be to execute the Talkatone registration request (to set up with them), forward all calls/texts to the GV number to the replacement Talkatone number and make my outbound calls either through Skype or Hangouts (Skype costs about $30/yr for unlimited* outbound call service to landlines or mobile phones while Hangouts is still free for now).
Last edited:
I don't know why I can't use my GV number to make outbound, and receive inbound calls using the official GV app, instead on hangouts....why must the GV app call my home or cell phone in order to make the call?
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
GV wasn't meant to be a VOIP app. It's meant to do exactly what you are not liking. The idea behind it is to get one number that can be redirected to connect a call to another. That way you can "own" that ONE number forever. The problem this is meant to solve is the problem of porting a number you've given out to everyone when you change phone service providers or even move out of a area code area. With GVs ability as "middle man" you could change the underlying number 1000 times but never have to give out any of those other numbers to anyone. Everyone will just keep using the ONE number you've set up at GV. It then redirects calls made to it to whatever other number(s) you happen to have at the moment.
Most people seem to want GV to be a VOIP service much like Talkatone, MagicJack, Vonage and others. So it seems to be moving in that direction with this merger into Hangouts. However, Google Hangouts (the app) seems pretty far from the simple and somewhat complete "soft phone" functionality like the Talkatone app.
I'm thinking register with Talkatone and continue using it for everything except outbound calling. For outbound, use either GH or Skype or similar. That way Talkatone can continue to be as useful as it has been for both inbound voice & texts.
Most people seem to want GV to be a VOIP service much like Talkatone, MagicJack, Vonage and others. So it seems to be moving in that direction with this merger into Hangouts. However, Google Hangouts (the app) seems pretty far from the simple and somewhat complete "soft phone" functionality like the Talkatone app.
I'm thinking register with Talkatone and continue using it for everything except outbound calling. For outbound, use either GH or Skype or similar. That way Talkatone can continue to be as useful as it has been for both inbound voice & texts.
Now, I understand. My current issue with hangouts, as I am using it now in an attempt to get use to it before may 15th, is that it doesn't notify me of missed calls within the app so I have to leave notifications on which I hate, and also I'm wondering if hangouts is going to consume more data with usage over lte, 4g, etc, I was apple to use talkatone for hours and barely consume data. I was even able to use talkatone when t-mobile throttled my data...ugh, this is crazy, and now I have a stupid google+ account.
No, no sms, or mms unless they have google hangouts as well. I using the google voice app for sms, I don't know if it handles mms, though..