Google Voice SMS Users:

[les017]

I have disabled GV sms forwarding and instead forward to Gmail and use the mail-to-sms conversion for my GV contacts. This allows for near-instand GV text since the Gmail pushes instead of waiting for GV 5 minute refresh rate.

All of my fussy and/or Verizon contacts I still use Handcent

This sounds cool. How do you do this?

sorry man, didn't see this.

It's all accounted for in GV. Go to GV and under "settings > Voicemail & SMS" makes sure that SMS forwarding to email is set (with your proper Gmail addy showing). Then in your Gmail (this is just what I do for convenience).....make a new folder called "SMS. The under settings create a filter so that an email with Subject containing "sms" get the "SMS label applied.

Now when you get an SMS via GV it will get forwarded to Gmail which will do a fairly instant push to your phone. NOTE that you will likely also get a GV notification (eventually) as well as a Handcent/Chomp/native SMS notification as well. Personally I turned off ALL GV notifications, so that's done. As for Handcent I have to leave these on cuz I have not yet moved everyone over to my GV number. But I simply check that couple times a day.

Now in your phone Gmail or on your computer you can open the GV/Gmail (which is already converted by Google) and simply reply to the sender. When your reply is sent it will go out as SMS but will leave you with a Gmail "conversation showing the whole thread of the conversation. Simply click "Archive" and this will leave the Gmail in your SMS folder and clear out your Inbox.

This probably sounds horrid - sorry for the rush response. But really it works well. I just wish Google would hurry and implement MMS thru GV.

 

[Laurence5905]

Pls excuse my ignorance...

What are 406 numbers? I use the built-in texting app, and I have the 250-text-per-month plan...

 

[qoncept]

I have a couple of questions.. First, with the 406 numbers, do you REALLY ask everyone in your contacts to send you a text, and then manually go in and update everyone with the number that comes back? What do you do when you add a new contact? Immediately ask them to text you? This sounds like a horribly annoying PITA and a very simple "forget it" for me.

Second, for those of you that use the Google Voice app for voicemail and something else for SMS, don't you get 2 notifications for every single SMS? Or no notification for VM if you disable all of Google Voice's notifications? If so, how do you know when you have a voicemail?

Personally, I think the Google Voice app is a pretty bad for texting, but I'm pretty much committed to the phone number switch, and I'm not willing to do any of the above things to get around it.

 

[qoncept]

Well, I found there's an unofficial Google Voice API that should be dead simple to implement in to any app. I'm honestly really surprised Handcent or the others havent done it. Anyone interested in trying to petition the author to add it?

Google Voice Add-on Development Post Topic - Open For Discussion

This easy:
POST /voice/sms/send/ id=&phoneNumber=[number to text]&text=[URL Encoded message]&_rnr_se=[pull from page]

 

[Royal2000H]

I have a couple of questions.. First, with the 406 numbers, do you REALLY ask everyone in your contacts to send you a text, and then manually go in and update everyone with the number that comes back? What do you do when you add a new contact? Immediately ask them to text you? This sounds like a horribly annoying PITA and a very simple "forget it" for me.

Second, for those of you that use the Google Voice app for voicemail and something else for SMS, don't you get 2 notifications for every single SMS? Or no notification for VM if you disable all of Google Voice's notifications? If so, how do you know when you have a voicemail?

Personally, I think the Google Voice app is a pretty bad for texting, but I'm pretty much committed to the phone number switch, and I'm not willing to do any of the above things to get around it.

That's what I did on my dumb phone and YES it was a pain in the ass.
On the droid, adding a person on the phone at least adds them to contacts in Google.
And you can initiate a text to them through the Google Voice app.
When they respond, you have their 406 number.

Even though I've been using the GV app since I got the phone, I might go back to 406 numbers because I have an unlimited text plan ($30 I think for the whole family) anyway and the app sucks. I don't use the messaging app, but since I've been texting people for over a month, I have all their 406 numbers in the messaging app, and can add those numbers to contacts.


SO: If you want to use the messaging/3rd party texting apps. You do need to store everyone's 406 numbers. You would need them to text you (or you to text them through the GV app or online and wait for their response) to get and store their 406.

As for your second question, I'm wondering the same. Actually, you can turn off GV notifications and get an SMS/email to tell you that you have a voicemail. Then you open GV and view the voicemail. But for this, it would also mean you have many "unread" SMSes because you're reading the forwarded version and not the GV version.

 

[Royal2000H]

Well, I found there's an unofficial Google Voice API that should be dead simple to implement in to any app. I'm honestly really surprised Handcent or the others havent done it. Anyone interested in trying to petition the author to add it?

Google Voice Add-on Development Post Topic - Open For Discussion

This easy:
POST /voice/sms/send/ id=&phoneNumber=[number to text]&text=[URL Encoded message]&_rnr_se=[pull from page]

In response to:

Is there any planned integration with Google Voice? I mean through data rather than through 406 numbers.

I got:

Handcent sms plan to do it ,please wait

Looks like this will cost money...

 

[qoncept]

Does anyone know if the source is available for the default SMS app? I really prefer that, and I'd be willing to modify it if I can find the code.

 

[tktouch12]

i have a gv number, but i have unlimited texting on my phone line, so i just use the default messagin app. (i dont think its that bad)

 

[HolyGrail]

I have a couple of questions.. First, with the 406 numbers, do you REALLY ask everyone in your contacts to send you a text, and then manually go in and update everyone with the number that comes back? What do you do when you add a new contact? Immediately ask them to text you? This sounds like a horribly annoying PITA and a very simple "forget it" for me.

Second, for those of you that use the Google Voice app for voicemail and something else for SMS, don't you get 2 notifications for every single SMS? Or no notification for VM if you disable all of Google Voice's notifications? If so, how do you know when you have a voicemail?

Personally, I think the Google Voice app is a pretty bad for texting, but I'm pretty much committed to the phone number switch, and I'm not willing to do any of the above things to get around it.

That's what I did on my dumb phone and YES it was a pain in the ass.
On the droid, adding a person on the phone at least adds them to contacts in Google.
And you can initiate a text to them through the Google Voice app.
When they respond, you have their 406 number.

Even though I've been using the GV app since I got the phone, I might go back to 406 numbers because I have an unlimited text plan ($30 I think for the whole family) anyway and the app sucks. I don't use the messaging app, but since I've been texting people for over a month, I have all their 406 numbers in the messaging app, and can add those numbers to contacts.


SO: If you want to use the messaging/3rd party texting apps. You do need to store everyone's 406 numbers. You would need them to text you (or you to text them through the GV app or online and wait for their response) to get and store their 406.

As for your second question, I'm wondering the same. Actually, you can turn off GV notifications and get an SMS/email to tell you that you have a voicemail. Then you open GV and view the voicemail. But for this, it would also mean you have many "unread" SMSes because you're reading the forwarded version and not the GV version.

I don't have unlimited text, but I like using Handcent over Google Voice app, but the Google Voice app lets me send but not receive free text. I confused as to where I am to add everyones 406 number when I receive it? Do I delete the contacts phone number and put the 406 number in its place? Will this allow me to receive text via GV and not just send? Last, is there any way to use Handcent to send sms via Google Voice so I can use that instead?

 

[qoncept]

but the Google Voice app lets me send but not receive free text.

Make sure you have GV set to not forward SMS to your cell phone and you'll receive free text in the GV app.

 

[HolyGrail]

but the Google Voice app lets me send but not receive free text.

Make sure you have GV set to not forward SMS to your cell phone and you'll receive free text in the GV app.

Thanks, but having trouble doing this. I am in Google Voice settings on my pc as well as my phone. I don't see a option for this.

 

[Royal2000H]

but the Google Voice app lets me send but not receive free text.

Make sure you have GV set to not forward SMS to your cell phone and you'll receive free text in the GV app.

Thanks, but having trouble doing this. I am in Google Voice settings on my pc as well as my phone. I don't see a option for this.

On your pc browser, go to the forwarding phones, edit your cell phone, and untick forward SMS.