Google Voice Contacts

[Chebyshev]

I recently got a Droid and set it up to use my Google Voice account for SMS and dialing using the official app. It works fine, except for a couple things:

When I get a text from someone on my Google Voice number, it doesn't associate that text with a contact. It comes in from a 406 number with the person's name next to it. I get why this happens, but the whole idea is integration here. My contacts are Google-wide (mean both Voice and Android are synced) so why can't it associate an incoming text from Google Voice with a contact? I guess because it is forwarded through my Verizon number it can't figure it out? Which leads me to...

Why doesn't the Google Voice app push a notification when you get an SMS? If it did this, the above issue would be moot since I wouldn't have Google Voice SMSs forward through my Verizon number. The 5 minute polling option not really an option. People expect responses to texts at faster than a 5 minute interval.

 

[nerdbox08]

I recently got a Droid and set it up to use my Google Voice account for SMS and dialing using the official app. It works fine, except for a couple things:

When I get a text from someone on my Google Voice number, it doesn't associate that text with a contact. It comes in from a 406 number with the person's name next to it. I get why this happens, but the whole idea is integration here. My contacts are Google-wide (mean both Voice and Android are synced) so why can't it associate an incoming text from Google Voice with a contact? I guess because it is forwarded through my Verizon number it can't figure it out? Which leads me to...

Why doesn't the Google Voice app push a notification when you get an SMS? If it did this, the above issue would be moot since I wouldn't have Google Voice SMSs forward through my Verizon number. The 5 minute polling option not really an option. People expect responses to texts at faster than a 5 minute interval.

I don't quite understand every semantic of Google Voice, but from what I understand, let me give you my take on it.

Google Voice is still considered Beta. It's going to go through some more change, I'm sure. It appears in the options that they plan to implement forwarding of calls and SMS to a number all at once, instead of how it's currently setup, so that will probably change.

I'm not sure how you have your plan set up and if you are using the Friends and Family calling circle to get free minute airtime, but currently you can't do that with text messages, hopefully the future change that I mentioned above will help get around it. Right now, you are using your plans text message allotment to have those messages forwarded to your Verizon number. The same goes for calling: if you don't have unlimited minutes or the calling circle, you are using your plan minutes to dial through Google Voice.

The problem is this: Google Voice is working through another carriers device. Google is working with that carrier to bring features. Do you think that carrier is going to easily allow their customer to completely circumvent their fees so they can get free texting and calling? If that was the case, Google should offer us a phone from Google and pay for data through Google, then use Google Voice as our phone and SMS. Alas, this isn't an option at this time.

If people are going to utilize a free, beta service, they also have to accept the limitations that come with the service. Especially when it's being offered piggy back to another company.

We could also petition a developer and possibly pay them for their time to develop an app for us that gets around the 5 minute polling from within the Google Voice app itself, but it might not be a possibility at this time. That's something I'm completely unsure of.

On a side note: I'm looking to see if Verizon offers a completely data only package. If anyone knows it if, please let me know via PM. Thanks.

 

[hookbill]

I'm not sure how you have your plan set up and if you are using the Friends and Family calling circle to get free minute airtime, but currently you can't do that with text messages, hopefully the future change that I mentioned above will help get around it. Right now, you are using your plans text message allotment to have those messages forwarded to your Verizon number. The same goes for calling: if you don't have unlimited minutes or the calling circle, you are using your plan minutes to dial through Google Voice.

Maybe you lost me somewhere in all of that but you certainly can text using Google Voice free of charge. Google Voice sends it out as data so you don't get charged for using text messaging. Likewise if someone text you on your Google Voice number you won't get charged for that either.

You do have to make sure you have your settings correct in order to do this but it can be done. I did it all summer long, my brother and I do a lot of texting during the baseball season. I have the 250 minute text plan with Verizon and I would go way over that if not for Google Voice.

 

[nerdbox08]

I'm not sure how you have your plan set up and if you are using the Friends and Family calling circle to get free minute airtime, but currently you can't do that with text messages, hopefully the future change that I mentioned above will help get around it. Right now, you are using your plans text message allotment to have those messages forwarded to your Verizon number. The same goes for calling: if you don't have unlimited minutes or the calling circle, you are using your plan minutes to dial through Google Voice.

Maybe you lost me somewhere in all of that but you certainly can text using Google Voice free of charge. Google Voice sends it out as data so you don't get charged for using text messaging. Likewise if someone text you on your Google Voice number you won't get charged for that either.

You do have to make sure you have your settings correct in order to do this but it can be done. I did it all summer long, my brother and I do a lot of texting during the baseball season. I have the 250 minute text plan with Verizon and I would go way over that if not for Google Voice.

Yes, you can text via the Google App at no charge, but to have the texts fowarded to your Verizon number I've always read it uses your text allotment.

 

[Chebyshev]

Yes it still uses my Verizon text allotment to get Google Voice SMSs sent to my Verizon number, but there is no push capability in the Google Voice app, so I have to have them forwarded or I don't get them reliably.

I guess that is the solution to this whole deal - the Google Voice app needs to push to notifications.

 

[hookbill]

I'm not sure how you have your plan set up and if you are using the Friends and Family calling circle to get free minute airtime, but currently you can't do that with text messages, hopefully the future change that I mentioned above will help get around it. Right now, you are using your plans text message allotment to have those messages forwarded to your Verizon number. The same goes for calling: if you don't have unlimited minutes or the calling circle, you are using your plan minutes to dial through Google Voice.

Maybe you lost me somewhere in all of that but you certainly can text using Google Voice free of charge. Google Voice sends it out as data so you don't get charged for using text messaging. Likewise if someone text you on your Google Voice number you won't get charged for that either.

You do have to make sure you have your settings correct in order to do this but it can be done. I did it all summer long, my brother and I do a lot of texting during the baseball season. I have the 250 minute text plan with Verizon and I would go way over that if not for Google Voice.

Yes, you can text via the Google App at no charge, but to have the texts fowarded to your Verizon number I've always read it uses your text allotment.

Not if you set it up not to push to your Verizon number. You will still get a notification just like every other text. You go to Google Voice (the internet) then settings. Select the Phones tab and then make sure that your Verizon number is not checked. Then you will not get the push to Verizon number but you will still get your text.

 

[Chebyshev]

Not if you set it up not to push to your Verizon number. You will still get a notification just like every other text. You go to Google Voice (the internet) then settings. Select the Phones tab and then make sure that your Verizon number is not checked. Then you will not get the push to Verizon number but you will still get your text.

Yeah, but you won't get notified until the Google Voice app polls the server to see if you have anything new. This can be set up to occur as frequently as 5 minute intervals, but I've found that that is too slow for normal texting. It needs to be immediate notification like Gmail or Messaging.

 

[hookbill]

Not if you set it up not to push to your Verizon number. You will still get a notification just like every other text. You go to Google Voice (the internet) then settings. Select the Phones tab and then make sure that your Verizon number is not checked. Then you will not get the push to Verizon number but you will still get your text.

Yeah, but you won't get notified until the Google Voice app polls the server to see if you have anything new. This can be set up to occur as frequently as 5 minute intervals, but I've found that that is too slow for normal texting. It needs to be immediate notification like Gmail or Messaging.

This is true. But I'm cheap and don't want to pay more then $5.00 for a service I rarely use except during baseball season. And my brother and I can go at it specially if we are watching the same game but like me, he uses Google Voice too so we know it's limitations - and reliability (It doesn't always work).

 

[nerdbox08]

Not if you set it up not to push to your Verizon number. You will still get a notification just like every other text. You go to Google Voice (the internet) then settings. Select the Phones tab and then make sure that your Verizon number is not checked. Then you will not get the push to Verizon number but you will still get your text.

Yeah, but you won't get notified until the Google Voice app polls the server to see if you have anything new. This can be set up to occur as frequently as 5 minute intervals, but I've found that that is too slow for normal texting. It needs to be immediate notification like Gmail or Messaging.

This is true. But I'm cheap and don't want to pay more then $5.00 for a service I rarely use except during baseball season. And my brother and I can go at it specially if we are watching the same game but like me, he uses Google Voice too so we know it's limitations - and reliability (It doesn't always work).

This was my whole point. It's still beta and has draw backs.

I understood what you meant about the push, but it's not instant like if you did the forwarding, but the forwarding costs you =\

BUT, and this wouldn't absolve the issue the OP is having, but Verizon does offer a data only plan for ... $50? Maybe when GV because stable I'll switch to that and use GV exclusively. Hrm. Interesting thought.