Google Voice

[takeshi]

So I guess google voice is an application that you can dl on your android or iphone and get free text msg.

It's quite a bit more than that but free text messaging is certainly a common reason for people to use GV. GV is really a service with an app. The app itself isn't sufficient for everything that GV does.

Has anyone ever done this? Is it good?

Yup. Define exactly what you mean by good. Good is really too subjective to mean anything out of context.

GV does occasionally have issues with timely delivery of SMS and voicemail notifications. You might want to at least read some of the GV threads here.

oh okay, I think I'll get a Droid X with verizon wireless then. Is there a tutorial on how to set up your google voice to your phone so that when someone text you you get a notification and it doesn't charge you and when someone calls you it goes to your phone?

The GV site will guide you through setup. There are guides and threads that you can search for if you want more resources. As for notifications, the app will notify you.

After you set up your voicemail after first launch, just go to the settings (press menu and settings should be under more). That's where you'll find options for text notifications.

Setting up text notifications is counter to what the OP is looking for. The OP is looking to avoid charges for text messaging. SMS notifications will incur charges if there is no text plan.

 

[gsDroid]

Wait a minute, I thought sms and texting are essentially the same thing, where mms is different than texting because it includes some sort of media. I use google voice for texting since I don't have a text plan and I have never been charged for sending or receiving texts (sms messages) on my google number.

 

[BigMcGuire]

MMS is multimedia messages. Anything that contains pictures, more than 3x160char messages, or video. Google Voice does not have MMS.

MMS and SMS are identical in what is used to send/receive them on a normal Cell Phone.

 

[takeshi]

I use google voice for texting since I don't have a text plan and I have never been charged for sending or receiving texts (sms messages) on my google number.

If you're replying to me:

SMS notifications (notifications of voicemail sent to your phone via SMS -- not via the GV app) and SMS forwarding will incur charges. I'm not talking about sending and receiving SMS via GV.

 

[johnpalley]

guys this is an extremely important subject for me because google voice alone is the only reason im about to switch from my blackberry to the droid pro. you know how on bb when you start typing on the home screen, whatever you type, contacts that match the wording pop up on the screen? i want to make it so if i do that on the pro then i hit send on one of my contacts then it automatically uses google voice. i also wanna make sure that if i dial a number from the recent calls that it auto uses google voice also. same if im just dialing a random number on the keypad and of course if im dialing from my contacts list. is this possible? i hope so cause if not i cant even buy this device.

and also debracey, im not familiar with this device cause i dont own it yet but what exactly is the dialer app? is that a 3rd party app that you added yourself?

 

[debracey]

Virtually everything on the phone is an application, be it one that comes with the phone or one added by the user (ie. market app).

When I said "dialer app" I was referring to the default telephone dialer that is provided with the Android OS.

Dialing from the contacts list through GV is supported, but dialing straight off the number pad isn't. So, I was searching for a 3rd party thing, but then I decided against it because outgoing GV calls go against your minute plan and don't count for VZ Mobile-2-Mobile even if you're calling another VZW mobile number.

-- Dan

 

[johnpalley]

thanks for the response debracey but this is extremely confusing for me cause ive never used android before. i really need answers to these specific questions please. what happens if you start typing on the home screen, and whatever you type, contacts that match the wording pop up on the screen then you make a call by selecting a contact? is this possible to do like blackberries and does that use google voice? what if i dial a contact or number from my recent calls? does that use gv?

are you talkin about it doesnt use gv only if you dial a random number with the dialer and hit send to make a call?

one person in this thread said if wifi is turned off then gv works with the dialer app, is this true?

 

[johnpalley]

thanks for the response debracey but this is extremely confusing for me cause ive never used android before. i really need answers to these specific questions please. what happens if you start typing on the home screen, and whatever you type, contacts that match the wording pop up on the screen then you make a call by selecting a contact? is this possible to do like blackberries and does that use google voice? what if i dial a contact or number from my recent calls? does that use gv?

are you talkin about it doesnt use gv only if you dial a random number with the dialer and hit send to make a call?

one person in this thread said if wifi is turned off then gv works with the dialer app, is this true?

??????????

 

[TheLabRat]

Relax, you will be fine. After my usable and still functional VZW Samsung Sch-U740 became unstable, I was using it for 3.5 years, I replaced it last month with a D2. I installed GV on my stock VZW D2 and it runs swimmingly. I am impressed, I had to drill down and tweak the Google Voice Website settings from my Laptops Chrome Browser and I also had to drill down deep into and tweak the D2's GV App settings. If you need help The Google Voice Online help documentation will walk any 5th grader thru it. I found it's best to keep things as simple as possible at first.

There is a "Search - Setting" in the My D2's 2.2 Froyo Menu that alsos me to specifi@ally include in a "Type-Ahead" Search Featyre.

A little secret tip for you...We put our GV#'s on our VZW Freinds&F@milyPlan, so those calls are now INCLUDED@ N/C. Shhhh plz!

HTH,
+AHW

Vzw D2 w/2.2 Froyo (Not R00Ted... yet)

 

[johnpalley]

Relax, you will be fine. After my usable and still functional VZW Samsung Sch-U740 became unstable, I was using it for 3.5 years, I replaced it last month with a D2. I installed GV on my stock VZW D2 and it runs swimmingly. I am impressed, I had to drill down and tweak the Google Voice Website settings from my Laptops Chrome Browser and I also had to drill down deep into and tweak the D2's GV App settings. If you need help The Google Voice Online help documentation will walk any 5th grader thru it. I found it's best to keep things as simple as possible at first.

There is a "Search - Setting" in the My D2's 2.2 Froyo Menu that alsos me to specifi@ally include in a "Type-Ahead" Search Featyre.

A little secret tip for you...We put our GV#'s on our VZW Freinds&F@milyPlan, so those calls are now INCLUDED@ N/C. Shhhh plz!

HTH,
+AHW

Vzw D2 w/2.2 Froyo (Not R00Ted... yet)

what about debracey saying gv doesnt work with the dialer app? is he wrong? are you saying the D2 is identical to the droid pro and thats why i shouldnt worry about it? if so then i feel alot better. im new to android so i dont know how similar these different phones are when it comes to stuff like this. the droid pro is gonna be my first android device

 

[debracey]

In my experience it does not work through the default dialer app. I am a full time Software Engineer / Android developer, so I would consider myself significantly experienced in this.

Here's what I did:

1. Downloaded Google Voice from the market
2. Installed it
3. Set it up -- I know it works because it receives voice mails and stuff
4. Set the call setting to "Use Google Voice for All Calls"
5. Hit the home button
6. Opened the dialer from the lower left corner button
7. Dialed my house (which has caller ID)
8. On the caller ID it says my cell #

Edit: I should mention that it does dial using my GV # (using the above steps) if I select someone from my contacts list. What I am talking about above is dialing a number straight off the number pad...

It's also worth noting that the newest version of the Google Voice app uses a random number for outgoing calls -- so you cant place your GV # in your friends & family list and expect all calls to be free (there are ways to get around that though.)

If someone with another Droid Pro could simply confirm my findings we'd know for sure...

-- Dan

 

[johnpalley]

debracey, is it possible to start typing on the home screen, and whatever you type, contacts that match the wording pop up on the screen then you make a call by selecting a contact like with blackberries? if this is possible will the call use google voice?

does the gv work when dialing from all your recent calls?

 

[debracey]

Yes - you have to add your contacts as searchable items (by default its turned off.) Once you do that it works as you describe.

And yes - that part does go through your GV #.

 

[johnpalley]

Yes - you have to add your contacts as searchable items (by default its turned off.) Once you do that it works as you describe.

And yes - that part does go through your GV #.

so recent calls that arent in your contacts use gv when you hit send?

 

[debracey]

No, that's another problem.

It appears that the *only* way to dial through google voice is to dial through your contacts list.

-- Dan