as someone else said, if you add it to your calling circle, then no ,minutes are used off your plan, I have had it for monthes and never get charged minutes for it
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Google voice warning!
- Thread starter ahwang
- Start date
Ah yes, another uneducated GV user talking out of his a**.
There's nothing wrong with not agreeing with, or personally wanting GV features yourself, but to say there are no benefits other than international calling (which is awesome, but is like 10th on my list of amazing GV features) but don't turn off new users who are legitimately interested in this amazing service just because you don't know anything about it.
Also, to the previous posters, there have been a million posts on what GV does and it's benefits at this point, so just do a search and you'll find out, and the another poster, no.. GV does not work just like a calling card. Yes, it doesn't use you mobile to mobile minutes (only if you don't do the friends and family hack) but other than that, nothing about it is like a calling card.
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I love google voice just for the voicemail. Set your default voicemail to GV and you can get free visual voicemail using the app in the market store. It will also send you transcripts of the message (doesnt work so great ATM).
*please note that when someone leaves you a message it uses your plan's minutes.
*please note that when someone leaves you a message it uses your plan's minutes.
Retribution
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I looks like I have to change my plan. I have the pda/smartphone plan no friends and family option
I just set up GV, but have yet to give out the GV number I created..as of right now those that dial my cell number and leave me a voicemail, I am now getting the visual vm in email and SMS. This goes towards my unlimited data package, right?
Also, if someone calls my GV number from a Verizon cell number and I pick up using my Verizon cellphone, this call will counted towards my minutes?
This doesnt make sense, does it?
and just to correct: adding GV to your friends and family wont do a darn thing because the number dialed isn't the actual number called.
I just wanted to clarify some points about your statement. You see, if you add your GV number to your "friends and family" all your incoming calls to your GV number are free ONLY IF you select "Display my Google Voice number" in the "Calls" setting tab in GV. While the caller ID on your phone won't let you know immediately who is calling you at first glance - because only your GV number is displayed - as long as you have Call Presentation enabled it doesn't really matter.
Example - when my phone rings it shows my GV number in caller ID. As soon as I answer it I have "Call Presentation" enabled thus I hear I have an incoming call from "John" or whoever else. I can immediately decide to answer it, or put them to voicemail, OR put them to voicemail WHILE listening in to them leaving a message and decide whether to pick up right in the middle! It works out great and Verizon (my carrier) only "sees" my GV number calling which is in my "friends and family" list - thus all FREE incoming calls!
Remember - in order to have truly incoming AND outgoing free calls you must enter TWO numbers in "friends and family" if you are using the GV application. You must enter your GV number for incoming and the number your GV application dials for outgoing. Once in a while GV will change this outgoing number so you have to pay attention and update your "friends and family" from time to time.
Last month I used 2 minutes of my calling plan and 2,348 minutes of "M2M" free minutes, so I know it works. The hardest part is getting people to call your new number especially if you are in my shoes and have used the same mobile number for 15 years...
The email would be data and the SMS would be your texting plan. I have been using GV for quite a while and would like to share some things with you in addition to answering your questions. The GV application works quite well and serves as your central information point. I put the application shortcut right next to my phone icon on my Droid because I use it so much. Your GV voicemails can be viewed and played right in the application as well as your texting. I found if I enabled SMS and email notifications it was too much. The application already lets you know when you get a voicemail, so really it's quite repetitive (and annoying) to get simultaneous SMS and/or email notifications. It's like getting poked in the shoulder by 3 different people at the same time letting you know dinner is ready
I would like to point out one important notification issue. This is in regards to GV SMS functionality. The GV application does NOT PUSH SMS to your phone immediately! The shortest duration it can be set to refresh is every 5 minutes. You either have to manually refresh or wait 5 minutes to get your new text messages. Imagine sitting there trying to carry on a text conversation with a 5 minute delay or having to hit "refresh" every few seconds! There IS a solution. In the "Phones" tab within the GV website hit "Edit" under your Cell phone and check mark the box titles "receive SMS on this phone". What this does is it forwards any texts to your GV number to your regular messaging inbox on your phone in addition to your GV application. Using this method you will get each text immediately on both your GV application and regular messaging center. While I hate getting 2 notifications every single text it IS better than the aforementioned problem.
You will notice when people text your GV number and it is forwarded to your regular SMS inbox it assigns people a funny looking 10-digit number that usually starts with a "4". This is a unique number assigned to each person just like a telephone number. Save this number to your phone's contact listing of whoever is texting you at the time. I usually save it under "other" of the persons phone book entry. This allows you to text the person via the phone's regular SMS function, but it shows on their end it is coming from your GV number and not your cellular number! It works the same for phone calls too! So, in reality, you can either text via the GV application OR your phones regular SMS messaging center provided you use the persons unique contact number provided by GV. **Note: you will only get this specific number after a person RESPONDS to your text and you are viewing it via the phone's regular SMS messaging center**
If somebody calls your GV number from a Verizon number and you answer it will NOT count as a Verizon-to-Verizon number. It will count against your minute plan. Remember, when somebody calls your GV number it goes through GV and gets forwarded to you... It's not like a regular, direct phone call. Verizon has no idea it is coming from a landline or another Verizon customer. There is a solution to this if you set up your account like I described in a previous posting above yours.
I think this is the part that I am having the hardest time wrapping my mind around. I have my GV number in my "Friends and Family" but I am confused on the number GV uses to dial out. How do I find out what this number is?
When I call my friends via GV my GV number shows up and IDs me. So, this is not the number GV uses to dial out? I almost thought I had this thing figured out.
The next thing I need to start doing is saving the random number starting with the number "4" in the "other" section to ID my friends when they respond from my GV SMS. Right? :icon_eek:
I've read the whole thread and this is what I understand:
I don't have friends and family. I've been using Google Voice to make outgoing calls. From what I read in this thread even though I use Google Voice's number, which is different then my Verizon number, calls are still being charged to me.
I have a 450 minute call limit and I rarely even get close to that so if the above is true, I've never caught it.
I do however do some texting with my Google Voice number and I know for a fact that does not count against my 250 free text messages. If the first part of this post is true then wouldn't my text also go against my Verizon plan.
From what you guys are saying this was not my understanding of Google Voice. I've been using it for at least 6 months without any issues. Or are you saying that since it's a Google platform that changes things?
I don't have friends and family. I've been using Google Voice to make outgoing calls. From what I read in this thread even though I use Google Voice's number, which is different then my Verizon number, calls are still being charged to me.
I have a 450 minute call limit and I rarely even get close to that so if the above is true, I've never caught it.
I do however do some texting with my Google Voice number and I know for a fact that does not count against my 250 free text messages. If the first part of this post is true then wouldn't my text also go against my Verizon plan.
From what you guys are saying this was not my understanding of Google Voice. I've been using it for at least 6 months without any issues. Or are you saying that since it's a Google platform that changes things?