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Anyone else here using Google Voice? And I don't just mean for the voicemail part. I just set up a number online with them and I'm considering dropping my unlimited SMS with VZW and using the Google voice SMS instead.
I'm just curious to see if anyone else has tried this? The number I got is the same last four as my current one, but the prefix is different, so that's not too bad. I figure I could drop my bill almost $30 by no longer using VZW's SMS service.
This is one of the first reasons why Android interested me. I've never paid for txt messages & never will.
Limitations:
1. You can't send an email-to-txt to a GV number
2. You can't receive MMS
3. You can't send txts to short numbers (like "Text REDCROSS to 90999")
Unless those features are worth $360/year, I think it's an easy decision...
Been using GV as my primary number for over a year now. My most recent VZW bill shows 0 text usage even though any of my friends would tell you that we exchange tons of texts
The biggest shortcoming is the lack of MMS support. If your friends aren't in the habit of sending you picture messages though (my circle just uses email), then it's a non-issue.
It's also great that using the Local Google Voice Settings Plugin with Tasker allows me to tweak GV call forwarding on the fly. Call me while I'm at work and you'll hit my desk phone. Call me in the evenings and you'll hit my cell.
Ok everything sounds pretty good to me then, the lack of MMS support is kinda weak though, I do that pretty frequently. I was considering just straight porting my number to them, but then I decided it wouldn't be worth it with my ETF. I'll give it a shot though with email instead of MMS, with Androids and all the options to share media, I'm sure I could live without it.
Afterthought: next question about GV, anyone have a way to integrate the incredible's messaging app with the SMS of GV? Mostly because I like how I have my widgets set up and would like to continue to use them. And secondly because GV isn't the most aesthetically pleasing to me at the moment
Well, you can choose to have your GV# forward text messages to your cell#. That way you could still use your stock messaging app/widget. The problem with that approach is that people's numbers won't come through looking like their number. Instead, you'll see another number that GV is essentially using as a proxy.
Before I had an Android device, I had my contacts set-up to take this into acct. So Johnny Smith might have phone number 444-555-6767, but when he called or texted my GV#, my phone would show incoming from 999-111-2323. I would store both the regular number and the 'proxy' number into someone's contact.
Your life will be a lot easier if you just use the GV app/widget. I'll take functionality over aesthetics any day, but that's your call.
But the problem with forwarding the messages to my current carriers number is that it defeats the purpose of dropping the unlimited texting. I'll give it a shot, I future dated the change on my online account to start next billing cycle. Should give everyone enough time to take down my GV number. Thanks for the help guys! Anyone else that has something to add whether they're pros/cons please let me know.
Hypcrsy said:
But the problem with forwarding the messages to my current carriers number is that it defeats the purpose of dropping the unlimited texting.
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Indeed. But you asked how to use the stock messaging app with Google Voice. That's how.
No stock messaging system is going to integrate with Google Voice while also keeping your text usage at 0. Your phone doesn't 'think' it's receiving SMS. An SMS app isn't going to 'see' the GV text (unless you have it set to forward to your existing #)
I was actually thinking about this the other day....interesting responses, thanks guys
One thing great that has gone unmentioned is the browser accessibility of google voice....phone issues? Can text anywhere you can get internet via browser. I've used that a fair amount. The way the number can be routed to other phones is always a useful thing as well. I like not being attached to my physical phone numbers anymore.
I just got a google voice account the other day. I am still trying to figure out if I like it. So far it is pretty good. The voice to text is not that accurate yet but I hear that it improves over time. I have not given it out to people yet so not sure how it will work once I do that.
Thanks for the info...
SoBBie
I use GV as a business line. Complete with a business VM message. I love the fact u can screen the VM live then chime in if u wana talk. MMS is the only reason I will not use ot as a vzw replacement #.... Other wise I use it daily.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
byrong said:
Indeed. But you asked how to use the stock messaging app with Google Voice. That's how.
No stock messaging system is going to integrate with Google Voice while also keeping your text usage at 0. Your phone doesn't 'think' it's receiving SMS. An SMS app isn't going to 'see' the GV text (unless you have it set to forward to your existing #)
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So if I have fowared on, will the phone company still charge for the txt message from my GV?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
that's correct, you will be charged if you have texts forwarded to your carrier phone #. Think of the google voice app on phone as a chat interface that is linked to a phone #. I have also thought as mentioned it's not the prettiest app...but there are some themed versions out there to be sure.
2faroffroad said:
So if I have fowared on, will the phone company still charge for the txt message from my GV?
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Yes. If you have forwarding on, your phone treats it the same as receiving a regular text, since Google is forwarding a regular text to your Verizon phone #
I just use it to see how transcribing works. It is funny on many people but it usually gets the numbers right, which is awesome
I am with you 100% on the transcription - it is hilarious. It has no idea in the world what my wife is saying - 1 in 10 words right, I would guess! I only keep it on for the entertainment value.
So far I'm pretty happy with it. It does have those neat screening features for incoming calls. One weird thing I got was a voicemail recording of the phone ringing and my mom picking up and going "hello? hello?" Hopefully bugs like that don't happen too often. The one thing I will miss is the MMS ability, but hey, I have a Droid Incredible, there are many ways around that.
As for the themed versions of GV, can you point me in the right direction? I'd like like to see what I can find. Thanks again for all the responses, definitely made the decision a lot easier for me.
The best part of GV thus far is that I dropped my bill almost $30 a month. Sprint can suck it with there $69 simply everything plan....mine is Simply Unlimited Everything for $55 a month.
EDIT: Nevermind I found some solid looking themed GV inboxes. Thanks again everyone for responding!
Okay, so I know that Wi-Fi calling isn't a feature native to AOSP, although hopefully that changes when Lollipop gets ported/released to the G3 D851, but I am curious of the options that you all are aware of, if any, so that I can have my phone ring when people call my T-Mobile number while I am out of service range. I know I could give people my google voice number, but I don't want to confuse some of the older members of my family with two different numbers to reach me at (make that 3 if you include work). Is their anyway to forward your carrier number to google voice temporarily so that I can take calls over google voice on Wi-Fi? Any other solutions? Your insight will hopefully help me out in finding a solution. Wi-Fi calling has become very important to me, but man, I really wanna start using one of the newly developed AOSP roms that have been released in the past few days.
Get a Google voice number and set up forwarding from your tmo number to the Google voice. It will ring when called, won't be able to text and use completely normally though.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Free mobile app
I just bought a Pixel XL on eBay and I'm considering switching from AT&T to Project Fi. I have pretty good AT&T coverage where I live, and I'm not sure how good the Fi coverage will be. I'm a long-term user of Google Voice and my main Google account is a G Suites account. I know that I will lose some GV features if I port my GV number to Fi, so I don't want to do that. One of the main things I want Project Fi for is to use for international travel.
Here are some options I'm considering. Please tell me if these will work:
Option 1: Get Project Fi on a separate Google account, then sign into Google Apps using my old account. I think I might have problems forwarding calls from my old GV number to my Project Fi number. Also, if I do this, is there any way I can dial out from Project Fi and show my old GV number as the calling number or send texts from my old GV number?
Option 2: Get a Project Fi account and use it only for international traveling. I know that the telephone number won't be the same as my US number, but that won't be a big problem. Is it possible to set up a new Project Fi account for a month and then shut it down? If that would work, I could just subscribe again when I need it and continue using my old AT&T account when I'm in the US.
Any ideas or suggestions about this would be appreciated!
I spent 20 minute writing a reply and my ****ty work internet borked when I submitted and everything was lost. So, Short answers:
1a) no, you can't forward from one GV# to another or from Project Fi to GV. You can however set up an intermediate # through someplace like callcentric, forward your old # to that, then have that forwarded to your new #.
1b) you can have your old # show up, but only if you use hangouts dialer (uses data for calls) when calling out. Calling via the mobile network will show your projec t fi #.
2)Yes you can cancel immediately if you want, but if you travel a lot, you might rather use the "pause service" feature that is built right into the Project Fi App.
Thanks a lot for your reply! The pause service feature sounds like just what I was looking for. I think I'm going to get a Fi account with a different GV number and try it out. That way , I can see test the coverage and see how well it works in the US and for international traveling. If Google manages to get the GV app working for Fi, I will switch my main GV number to Fi.
woody1 said:
I just bought a Pixel XL on eBay and I'm considering switching from AT&T to Project Fi. I have pretty good AT&T coverage where I live, and I'm not sure how good the Fi coverage will be. I'm a long-term user of Google Voice and my main Google account is a G Suites account. I know that I will lose some GV features if I port my GV number to Fi, so I don't want to do that. One of the main things I want Project Fi for is to use for international travel.
Here are some options I'm considering. Please tell me if these will work:
Option 1: Get Project Fi on a separate Google account, then sign into Google Apps using my old account. I think I might have problems forwarding calls from my old GV number to my Project Fi number. Also, if I do this, is there any way I can dial out from Project Fi and show my old GV number as the calling number or send texts from my old GV number?
Option 2: Get a Project Fi account and use it only for international traveling. I know that the telephone number won't be the same as my US number, but that won't be a big problem. Is it possible to set up a new Project Fi account for a month and then shut it down? If that would work, I could just subscribe again when I need it and continue using my old AT&T account when I'm in the US.
Any ideas or suggestions about this would be appreciated!
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MTNTNBKR reply is correct.
I have been a FI user since they started. Coverage has been excellent in USA ( I am in Dallas area..only place in Texas I have dropped out is deep up into the rural panhandle).
Customer service is wonderful...the few times I have had trouble it is easy to logon from notebook, outline your question ONCE, and ask them to call ME. The callback has never been more than 45 seconds later, and it has always been someone that actually was qualified to answer my question. Put this against my Sprint or ATT horrible customer service experience...call in, input all your contact info, explain it to EACH of the 3 levels of service person you have to go through and spend hours on hold, and FI is a clear winner.
International travel is simply fantastic. No extra fees, same $10 per GB (it does cost $.20 per minute to call on local cell, but free if you use wifi), and it simply works. I have landed in Dominican Republic, Mexico City, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong..and every one is the same experience. Fire up the phone while the plane is taxiing and you get a welcome message..."Welcome to _______, your project FI number is now active". You can use google maps, UBER, everything right away, and all your apps and your regular number just work. Simple.
I use 4 different Google Voice numbers...home, and 3 separate businesses, all run through Hangouts dialer with different ring tones assigned to each. Calls come in from each of those just fine. You don't actually "forward" to your FI number, just set up the GV numbers to answer in Hangouts. Oddly, I have had to go in a couple of times and re-select RING on those lines, but other than that it works fine.
That's good information. How well does your Project Fi work with apps on other devices. For example, I use my GV number to text and receive calls on my phone, my Android tablet, and my Windows desktop PC. Is there any major change in operation when you switch your GV number to Pi?
nevermind
Anybody with SM-T837V making phone calls or texting with their Verizon #? I mean with any native app? I got Verizon with it and so it has a # for itself but I don't see any options to directly use it for calls let alone text.
Tybirdy9 said:
Anybody with SM-T837V making phone calls or texting with their Verizon #? I mean with any native app? I got Verizon with it and so it has a # for itself but I don't see any options to directly use it for calls let alone text.
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From what I understand all carriers remove the phone and messaging apps and only allow tablets as data only. Only international unlocked tablets from overseas have phone and messaging apps. Now whether or not they could be added back through a new ROM is not yet clear.
Joe333x said:
From what I understand all carriers remove the phone and messaging apps and only allow tablets as data only. Only international unlocked tablets from overseas have phone and messaging apps. Now whether or not they could be added back through a new ROM is not yet clear.
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Darn. I mean they give'em # but with no means of using them for communication
Tybirdy9 said:
Darn. I mean they give'em # but with no means of using them for communication
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Weta Rom has them
I'm using Pulse SMS as my default text messaging for my Samsung Note 9 and have it installed on my tablet as well as other devices, and I use it on my desktop through their web app or Chrome app. It works flawlessly. Much better than the current version of Android/Google Messages. Unfortunately, doesn't work for calls. I use Google Voice still for voice calls to/from all my devices. A while back, I ported my VZW number to Google Voice so I have more flexability on calling. My biggest frustrat the moment is that Verizon doesn't seem to be pushing out updates for the tablet like they do the phones. I'm a few months behind on the security patch for Android on this tablet. Not happy about it.
I have a Verizon S7 Edge cell, and was able to load Verizon Messenger Plus on my wifi Tab S4. It let's me send and receive texts using the Verizon cell number on the tablet. It used to let you make and receive cell phone voice calls over WiFi, but they disabled that feature.
Just get the T-Mobile version using Digits app to use S4 Tablet as a phone
I have it on my Galaxy Tab S4 works great not needing to bring phone along too,
But I bring it anyway...
https://www.androidcentral.com/what-t-mobile-digits-and-why-do-i-want-it
T mobile version works well
drjoe1 said:
I have a Verizon S7 Edge cell, and was able to load Verizon Messenger Plus on my wifi Tab S4. It let's me send and receive texts using the Verizon cell number on the tablet. It used to let you make and receive cell phone voice calls over WiFi, but they disabled that feature.
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So they have reactivated calling on the Verizon Messenger Plus app!
First, you need to specify a 911 address. The default is your billing address - which is my work office and needed to be changed to the home address. When you enable the calling function, you both receive calls to your cell (e en if the cell is powered off) and can place calls from your tablet.
The limitations:
1) There doesn't seem to be a way change away from the default ring tone. Maybe 8f you sync contacts with 6our phone?
2) There doesn't seem to be a way to independently set the ringer volume - it is loud and controlled by the multi-media volume. If you are listening to music or video and the multi-media volume is high, the ringer is high.
It is just a button push to turn the calling function on and off.
Joe
So just right off the bat, I know that T-Mobile are assholes and they setup their voicemail to only work by calling in or using their ****ty proprietary app.
That said, I get a vague sense that there probably shouldn't be a lot stopping someone that has root access and maybe a custom rom from fixing the default visual voicemail feature included in the google phone app to get it working with T-Mobile anyway by figuring out what exactly it is the default app needs to do to make T-Mobile think it's their app that's connecting?
Wondering if anyone knows if that's something I could potentially look forward to in the future because quite frankly I hate calling in to get my voicemails and I hate their app. If I had to choose between one of those 2 options for voicemails and just straight up disabling voicemails all together for my line, I'd picking disabling voicemails.
Is this a new change? I have MetroPcs and visual voicemail was working on my 5T running android 9, then it stopped working when I switched to the 9 Pro.
VVM working fine for me on the 9 Pro coming from the 7 Pro.. I'm actually on Premium, not sure how that happened since I don't remember signing up for it lol.
VVM on T-Mobile hasn't worked for years unless you're specifically using their proprietary VVM app. It wasn't working for me on my last phone (Nokia 7.1) and it's not working right now either on my OP9Pro. It's pretty well documented too:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tmobile/comments/cexhou
It's not just me.
I gave up trying to get the in-dialer VVM (and Pixel call screening) to work, and went back to using Google Voice. It's MUCH better than T-Mobile's POS voicemail app, but no, it's not the ideal.
Guys, have you tried that one?
We're not looking for an alternative voicemail service. We're looking to use the in-dialer voicemail like every other device that has the Google dialer as the default.
One thing to consider is on Pixel Devices TMobile VVM works by default but I haven't seen it work on OnePlus yet, at least on the unlocked version like my 8 & 9 pro. Would be nice if someone could figure out the Pixels secret. Thanks
It works on other carriers outside of the pixel. T-Mobile actively blocks it.
TMobile VVM works fine for me. I don't subscribe to premium. I did purchase my OP9 plus from best buy so it the LE2125 unlocked
Creative_Ingenuity said:
TMobile VVM works fine for me. I don't subscribe to premium. I did purchase my OP9 plus from best buy so it the LE2125 unlocked
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The T-Mobile app or the in-dialer voicemail?
entropism said:
The T-Mobile app or the in-dialer voicemail?
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Right. We're talking about getting the in-dialer voicemail, not the T-Mobile app.
Are you running stock? I don't even see a in app voicemail?
I found the switch in settings. Uninstalled T-Mobile POS VVM. Testing now
Mine is working.
Not to beat a dead horse here but this is where I am at. I know T-mo will not provision VVM unless you use theirs. I am running an unlocked OP9 LE2125. When I got to settings and look at VVM in the google phone app, it has carrier blank and T-mo voicemail number greyed out. What I am currently attempting to do is look at the code and see if i can change that number. I currently got a google voice number and I know people do not want to use google voice, they are simply trying to use the VVM without using T-mo. I am trying to see if i can find at least a work around until Lineage OS for OP9 is released. I currently contacted T-mo to shut my voicemail off and I used the short code to stop forwarding calls to my voicemail. So far when people call my T mobile number google voice picks up if i let it ring or if i reject a call. Now i need to see how to get into the google phone app to update that greyed out number
Creative, that's not what people are looking to do. If you were using a Pixel (or a few other phones that use Google's Dialer as standard) the in-dialer VVM uses T-Mobile's (or whatever carrier you're using) voicemail service, it just runs everything through the dialer.
In addition, you don't need to have T-Mobile shut off voicemail to use Google Voice, you go into your call settings and just change the conditional call forwarding numbers to your google voice number.
And it's not about not wanting to use Google Voice. It's about getting the same functionality that every other carrier has without HAVING to use Google Voice.
Going to be honest here, you're making way more out of this than you need to.
luckylui said:
Mine is working.
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That looks like the OnePlus dialer, not the Google Dialer, no?
entropism said:
Creative, that's not what people are looking to do. If you were using a Pixel (or a few other phones that use Google's Dialer as standard) the in-dialer VVM uses T-Mobile's (or whatever carrier you're using) voicemail service, it just runs everything through the dialer.
In addition, you don't need to have T-Mobile shut off voicemail to use Google Voice, you go into your call settings and just change the conditional call forwarding numbers to your google voice number.
And it's not about not wanting to use Google Voice. It's about getting the same functionality that every other carrier has without HAVING to use Google Voice.
Going to be honest here, you're making way more out of this than you need to.
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I'm out of work for another month. Just trying to keep busy lol. That's all
Not sure if people care, but I've finally able to use Google's native visual voicemail in the phone dialer.
I've been using the google voice trick to have conditional call forwarding to my google voice, and I check voicemail there.
I can confirm that I have visual voicemail working on my stock pixel 5 and a second pixel 5 on T-Mobile.
Here's what I did:
1) go into google voice --> hamburger menu --> settings --> device & numbers --> and delete the linked number and also everything else in there (I'm not sure this step is needed but it worked for me)
2) go to the phone dialer and send the following code: ##004# (then wait for the success message that it worked, took about 15 or so seconds to get confirmation). I rebooted. Then the visual voicemails started appearing natively in the phone dialer.
3) For my wife's phone, for some reason the visual voicemail icon on the bottom right was not there, but then suddenly appeared after rebooting and waiting a few minutes. I also wasn't getting messages, so I sent the ##004# code again, and then it started working. Again, no idea if that did anything but it started working! Good luck!
4) Profit!
Hope this helps others.
Cheers!