Google Voice - Best Way To Use

[takeshi]

Don't forget to search. This isn't the only Google Voice thread. There's at least one big one in the Apps forum.

Also there is no way to stop the base messenger from texting you rather than Handcent.

What exactly does this mean? Are you saying that there's no way to disable the built-in Messenger's notifications? If so, there is a way.

I like the email so I can play it on my computer.

You can play voicemail on your PC via http://www.google.com/voice without the email.

Correct me if im wrong but isnt sms the reason most people want google voice, for the free text.

Dunno -- have you polled everyone using Google Voice? It's not the main reason why I got GV. Not everyone's going to give each GV feature the same priority so I'd say no.

Ok, I just got my invite for Google voice today from Google. I have not decided the best way to set it up yet. Honestly I did not think I would be getting an invite this quick, so I have not been reading up on what the program can do and the best way of utilizing it. I have my Droid and I have a landline. I mostly use my droid for texting and surfing and do not talk near my limit on minutes (700). I know Google Voice is free for stuff, but if I am already paying money to Verizon then I might as well get my moneys worth, or am I wrong on that?

Start with figuring out how you want to use GV. I use it for everything but that's because I want it handling all of my inbound calls for me. What features are you interested in? What are your goals for GV? All that can make a difference in how you set it up.

this is one part of gv that im not sure about. bc since the text is coming from google and not verizon wouldnt it charge the other person a text outside of the "free" ones?

It's difficult to directly answer your question because of the way it's phrased. Nedaroth's post was a little incomplete. What needs to be done is:

• Use only GV to send and receive SMS.
• Disable SMS forwarding and notifications in Google Voice (then you won't receive SMS from Google)

 

[droidhero]

I am a little confused here. So if someone within VZ calls my GV number which forwards to my VZ phone does that then count as using their minutes even though its "in" the network? Does the same go for people with unlimited texts within the network?

When I send things will my GV number show up or my VZ number?

 

[hanano17]

I intially set up my account using my existing mobile number, because I wanted it for VM. I realized after that you have more options by getting a google number, because you can get the VM with that too. Today I noticed under settings it said I could add a google number, so I did. I got an email shortly after saying I had upgraded my account by getting a google number added.

I don't know if its a feature they added recently, or if anyone else noticed it, but it makes me not regret being hasty and picking use existing number.

 

[hanano17]

I am a little confused here. So if someone within VZ calls my GV number which forwards to my VZ phone does that then count as using their minutes even though its "in" the network? Does the same go for people with unlimited texts within the network?

When I send things will my GV number show up or my VZ number?

I'm not positive, but as I understand it your google number will be just like your normal number. So if you call VZ to VZ, it won't use minutes. If you call someone VZ to AT&T, it uses the minutes.

When you set up your account, it will let you pick which number to have shown and/or use when making calls. The setting are under the google voice app.

 

[WLJohnson05]

I am a little confused here. So if someone within VZ calls my GV number which forwards to my VZ phone does that then count as using their minutes even though its "in" the network? Does the same go for people with unlimited texts within the network?

When I send things will my GV number show up or my VZ number?

This is what i was saying in my first post.

like if im texting back and forth with someone on verizon using my gv number, does it go in regular texts on my bill or is it included in the "in" ones that are unlimited? same for phone stuff...

 

[SSHGuru]

I guess some people have multiple phones they use. In this day and age though I think most people use the cell for their primary phone and carry it everywhere. So I don't see any advantage in using a GV number - in fact it would be annoying to tell everyone a new number.

I think the reason why many tech writers love it is because they have an office #, a home #, hotel #'s and multiple cells. What they don't understand is that 99% of humanity doesn't have or need these.

 

[hanano17]

I guess some people have multiple phones they use. In this day and age though I think most people use the cell for their primary phone and carry it everywhere. So I don't see any advantage in using a GV number - in fact it would be annoying to tell everyone a new number.

I think the reason why many tech writers love it is because they have an office #, a home #, hotel #'s and multiple cells. What they don't understand is that 99% of humanity doesn't have or need these.

Well it's not just to organize multipule phone numbers. It's useful to screen calls, block calls, etc. Plus you can give out the number to people you don't want to have your 'real' number. If none of that appeals to you, well its nice to just have just incase...you don't have to actually give it out to take advantage of the VM feature. To each their own I suppose.

 

[Donkey Hodie]

I'm kind of in the same boat as SSHGuru, I just got my GV invite and have set it up but I'm not sure whether I'm going to keep using it. My life's pretty simple, one phone, single number. I know that after setting it up I called my number from my wife's phone and it took forever to go to voice mail. I suppose that's one way to cut down on messages, very few of the people that call me would want to wait that long to leave one .