Database Users

Google Voice - FREE calling in the US without VOIP

Okay guys I have just found something interesting and would like to see what your opinions or if my idea makes sense.
With the new google calling on Gmail.com, I went into my gvoice setting and I saw that I can now forward my calls to gmail.com instead of to my cell phone. I have only checked gmail as the number to forward my calls to, so when I make a call it actually goes through gmail and not my cell phone. thus, its free?
The problem with this is that I can now make free calls out with my gv number but will not be able to receive calls on my cell if someone calls my gv number since its not being forwarded to my cell number.
I hope I am explaining myself clear enough

Pretty sure you just told all incoming calls to go to GMail, and that's it. You didn't change any setting for outgoing calls, you are still using your plan minutes. Because you are still calling an actual phone number.
Just because you change a setting in the Voice options doesn't mean your phone suddenly knows to do voip without any voip program to do it. Your phone is still using normal voice calls.

I think you're right now that I think about it more....my bad...
mod, please delete thread.

Wait, don't quit just yet. What provider are you with? If you have a plan that gives you phone numbers you can call without costing minutes, you can assign your GV number to that. You can then make and receive calls from your GV number without using minutes. I did this for about 6 months with Myfaves until I realized I just didn't make enough phone calls for it to be worth it.

Google Voice + Sprint = ? GV Callback Users

We've heard about the upcoming Google Voice + Sprint integration.
http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/sprint-integrates-google-voice.html
I use Google Voice for all of my calls. I don't give out my regular cell phone number, and have already 'trained' my audience to only use my GV#.
Also, many of you may be familiar with the app GV Callback, or now, "Google Voice Callback", coupled with Sprint to Home. This makes up for the fact that any call placed through the regular Google Voice App is billed as a 'Landline to mobile' (or landline to landline) call, incurring 'anytime minutes'. I discovered this the hard way, after a 2 month project, where I thought I was calling someone's cell phone, but it was really a landline. $900 later.. I began to research.
So basically, all of my outgoing calls (now) show as calls being placed to my "home" aka, my Google Voice number, and are therefore, covered by Sprint to Home ($5).
I haven't found any details on how this Google Voice + Sprint integration will affect this. I also emailed the developer of GV Callback, and he didn't know either. I'm curious if anyone knows, or has heard anything.

I use gv + sipdroid to handle all my inbound and outbound domestic calls. Avoids using up my minutes and keeps my cell number private.
Gv - outbound calls
Sipdroid - inbound calls
Sent from my SPH-D700

ghostrid3r said:
Gv - outbound calls
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Click to collapse
How does that avoid using minutes on its own?

I've used the official Google Voice on my phone for almost 2 years and I don't recall it ever counting as a landline. It's always been mobile-to-mobile for me.

BrianFX said:
How does that avoid using minutes on its own?
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gv uses it's own list of callback numbers that gets re-routed through their VOIP servers to connect to the recipient. Therefore, the receiving party see's your gv number. Although, one does have the option to place a call using gv or without gv before call is made, which comes in handy if you have m2m feature on your plan and want to directly dial using your cell number instead of your gv number.

arashed31 said:
I've used the official Google Voice on my phone for almost 2 years and I don't recall it ever counting as a landline. It's always been mobile-to-mobile for me.
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As mentioned in the comment above, if you use the gv app for your outgoing calls, I'm sure they count as calls to a landline. A way to check is, check an outgoing call on your bill- if you recognize the number, it most likely wasn't called through your gv app. If it's one of those 404 or 972 (or other less common) area codes, then you probably called through the gv app.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

I was wondering the exact same thing. I have to have people who call me a lot use my mobile number so I can use my unlimited sprint to sprint mobile minutes, but that means I can't have them use my GV number. I am hoping that Sprint + GV will make my GV number a sprint mobile number fixing this problem. I think this will be the case but would love to hear from someone who knows.
I'm also wondering what will become of the number I don't keep... does my current cell number go back into the Sprint pool if I choose my GV number? Does my GV number go back into the GV pool? I'd like to keep both if possible for a transition period, but I doubt that will happen.
From what I've read Sprint + GV this will also allow picture messaging to be sent to my GV# and for my phone to manage text messages. Which is great for most everyone in sprint as almost all of their plans have unlimited text. I'm also curious how this will work exactly...

I stop using gv cuz eats my minutes and learned the hard way and calls sometimes not clear it's good feature if U want to hide your # but useless or do pair with sip for free landline minutes.
Sent from my SPH-D700

hoopsbwc34 said:
I was wondering the exact same thing. I have to have people who call me a lot use my mobile number so I can use my unlimited sprint to sprint mobile minutes, but that means I can't have them use my GV number.
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There's a solution for that if you only want to use your GV number-- in the 1st post. I run about 0-15 minutes per month with that setup
With GV Callback, you can easily set up filters to *not* call certain people from you GV number, etc.
which is why I hope it doesn't change.

Why use that Google Voice Callback? It's not even officially support by Google.
The Google Voice integration does the following:
1. Ports in your Sprint number for free
2. You use Google Voice with you Sprint number
3. All the benefits of Google Voice with your Sprint number for free. No ten dollar fee and no opting out of your contract.

Whosdaman said:
Why use that Google Voice Callback? It's not even officially support by Google.
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I don't have unlimited minutes. Placing a call through Google Voice uses my "anytime" minutes, and as mentioned above, murdered my bill.
Whosdaman said:
The Google Voice integration does the following:
1. Ports in your Sprint number for free
2. You use Google Voice with you Sprint number
3. All the benefits of Google Voice with your Sprint number for free. No ten dollar fee and no opting out of your contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing, will this be optional? Because, (also mentioned above), I don't give out my sprint number any more. I've been primarily using my GV number for a couple of years now.

decalex said:
I don't have unlimited minutes. Placing a call through Google Voice uses my "anytime" minutes, and as mentioned above, murdered my bill.
That's the thing, will this be optional? Because, (also mentioned above), I don't give out my sprint number any more. I've been primarily using my GV number for a couple of years now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't run into any problems, do you have free incoming calls? Incoming don't count against my minutes, and I have unlimited nights+weekends.

decalex said:
I don't have unlimited minutes. Placing a call through Google Voice uses my "anytime" minutes, and as mentioned above, murdered my bill.
That's the thing, will this be optional? Because, (also mentioned above), I don't give out my sprint number any more. I've been primarily using my GV number for a couple of years now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please pardon my ignorance but I just started researching how to make a call over Wi-Fi and I have tried to make a call from my computer using GV to a toll free number. It worked and I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna get charged by google or Sprint so I just wonder why should it be any different if I do the same from my phone??? Over Wi-Fi, using sipdroid with GV.
I just can't get it what they would charge me for? The call isn't using Sprint voice network or Sprint Data network for that matter since I'm using my cable internet.
As far as I see it, it uses Google and pbxes bandwith.
And what is GV callback good for anyway? By my understanding that would be something Sprint could charge me for since I don't have free incoming calls.
And I can make call without GV callback just as well over Wi-Fi with my phone.
AND I totally don't understand how Sprint charged you $900 when you didn't even use your Sprint #
Please explain it to me as I was a little child.

Stank0 said:
Please pardon my ignorance but I just started researching how to make a call over Wi-Fi and I have tried to make a call from my computer using GV to a toll free number. It worked and I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna get charged by google or Sprint so I just wonder why should it be any different if I do the same from my phone??? Over Wi-Fi, using sipdroid with GV.
I just can't get it what they would charge me for? The call isn't using Sprint voice network or Sprint Data network for that matter since I'm using my cable internet.
As far as I see it, it uses Google and pbxes bandwith.
And what is GV callback good for anyway? By my understanding that would be something Sprint could charge me for since I don't have free incoming calls.
And I can make call without GV callback just as well over Wi-Fi with my phone.
AND I totally don't understand how Sprint charged you $900 when you didn't even use your Sprint #
Please explain it to me as I was a little child.
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Click to collapse
OK he was billed because he was calling a landline number that he thought was a cell which used his anytime minutes and mad him have overage.
With Google voice the downside is that you lose anymobile anytime because all calls are coming from Google which is not a cell number. The solution open provides is to subscribe to sprint to home which lets you have free calls to your home number. You make that home number you Google voice number. Then you use ghost callback to make your calls this makes Google call your cellphone from your Google voice number which is a free call so then every call you make becomes free. Combine this with setting up Google to show your Google voice number as the callerid when it forwards calls to your cell and then every call can be free.
The question open has is that all this depends on essentially having two numbers. A gv number and a sprint number. When you combine them by porting no one really knows what happens to a setup like this...
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

stilesja said:
OK he was billed because he was calling a landline number that he thought was a cell which used his anytime minutes and mad him have overage.
With Google voice the downside is that you lose anymobile anytime because all calls are coming from Google which is not a cell number. The solution open provides is to subscribe to sprint to home which lets you have free calls to your home number. You make that home number you Google voice number. Then you use ghost callback to make your calls this makes Google call your cellphone from your Google voice number which is a free call so then every call you make becomes free. Combine this with setting up Google to show your Google voice number as the callerid when it forwards calls to your cell and then every call can be free.
The question open has is that all this depends on essentially having two numbers. A gv number and a sprint number. When you combine them by porting no one really knows what happens to a setup like this...
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's what you would have to do to receive INCOMING calls.
Outgoing calls shouldn't be charged at all since I initiate the call over Wi-Fi and it's being routed outside of Sprint network completely.
(Phone->router>modem>my Internet provider> sipdroid>GV>target phone)
And unless Sprint owns at least one of those "nods", I don't think they have any grounds (or even way) for charging (or using my minutes) for anything. Sprint shouldn't even KNOW that I made such a call.
Henceforth. I understand that it's probably true for Sprint to use my anytime minutes for INCOMING calls (without Sprint to Home), OUTGOING are a different story no matter whether I call cell or landline. All expenses are on Google since GV makes that final part of call. And for the time being GV calls (to US numbers) are free. At least till the end of this year.
I'm still missing point of using the GV callback though. As far as I understand it, GV callback will turn your FREE outgoing call into CHARGEABLE incoming call.
EDIT: BUT... If the incoming call come through sipdroid... it shouldnt use my anytime minutes either since it doesn't use Sprint network. Voice nor data.

Tagged for future research OR as seen mentioned elsewhere "for cute kittens".

Haha, ya, I'll do the research once they take away my sprint to home dealy... Still going strong though.
. . NS4G . . CM7 . .

Google voice

Anyone had any issues with google voice? I have had phone calls not come through every so often, and contacts not blocked end up in the spam folder. Only fix I found was to deactivate my Sprint number and re-activate it 15 mins later on Google Voice. Friend has a Nexus S 4G and can not contact her unless I have google voice activated and even then it will go back and some contacts. If anyone has issue like this let me know.

i never really had an issue with google voice, but whenever i did have some sort of issue the first thing sprint reps would ask is "are integrated with google voice?" seems like they want to blame that first for any tech problems.
i got a new ns4g yesterday and decided ditch googlevoice, the novelty has worn of for me

Canadians' reply to American question
G'day,
You asked about Gvoice problems.
Not sure if your situation can be considered contextually similar to mine as I am doing a bit of trickery to be able to use the voicemail section from Canada.
The relevant problem for me is similar to your spam thing. Very rarely, and randomly to boot, voicemail left for me will vanish ... I only know it was left for me because the leavers informed me. No hint whatsoever that it ever happened.
Aside from that its been good to have a voicemail that can SMS me, transcribe to text and just overall be what I thought my OVERPRICED carriers voicemail should be. Already pay far too much for cellular anything in my opinion.

floydlloyd said:
G'day,
You asked about Gvoice problems.
Not sure if your situation can be considered contextually similar to mine as I am doing a bit of trickery to be able to use the voicemail section from Canada.
The relevant problem for me is similar to your spam thing. Very rarely, and randomly to boot, voicemail left for me will vanish ... I only know it was left for me because the leavers informed me. No hint whatsoever that it ever happened.
Aside from that its been good to have a voicemail that can SMS me, transcribe to text and just overall be what I thought my OVERPRICED carriers voicemail should be. Already pay far too much for cellular anything in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please let us know how you managed to get it working in canada
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

I'm not sure how he does it but I have my Nexus on Boost and supposedly you can't use Google Voice mail on a prepaid service but mine works. All I did was go through the setup on the google voice app and set it to be my voice mail...I didn't set up anything through the online settings from my computer. But the funny thing is if I reject a call myself it will send it to my Boost voicemail....if I let it just ring out, it will go to Google Voice mail. Don't know if that helps in your case but it works for me.

Story of the guy who thought in circles !!!
asb123 said:
Please let us know how you managed to get it working in canada
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Click to collapse
Well ... Joke was on me !!
At first I thought I had discovered the Holy Grail ... (fool ... I am I am) I erroneously thought that I could beat the system by forwarding unanswered / phone off type calls to Google Voice, then use "Google Voice Callback FREE" app to "intercept" the "outgoing" forwarded call.
Damn ... worked really well in my coupla tests with friends etc but I quickly realized, once my online call log was posted (roughly 3 hour wait plus or minus) I was essentially just calling Google Voice using INTERNATIONAL LONG DISTANCE ... not good, I was prepared to eat the coupla minutes there, so not ready to fall on sword or anything just yet LOL
( Must have been on some heavy drugs 'cause I never stopped to realize that the forwarding is out of my hands and done at the carriers end FIDO.ca in my case)
Unless there is a way to do forwarding LOCAL to the phone or maybe have it answer THEN redirect the call using tasker or some other programmatic method I think I'm stumped ... of course I'm stumped just like the rest of us Canucks. LOL
I have a long distance plan that gives me free minutes to the US that I never use ... tried setting my voicemail # in Android to dial it ... then pause (tried comma and semicolon) then dial my Gvoice number ... No go there ...
Aaaaaargh ... lotta wasted time really without thinking it thru b4 hand AND here I was thinking that I had figured it out, so I posted that yesterday.
So out of all this blah blah blah Coupla questions
1. Is the forwarding TRULY out of my hands and done at the carriers end?
2. is there SOME way I can redirect incoming unanswered calls locally on my phone so that "Google Voice Callback FREE" app can intercept it?
Sorry to get any hopes up with my "genius" non-discovery
Floydlloyd

budphone.ca cheesy interface with ads BUT voicemail & Canadian Long Distance free
Me again,
For those too cheap ...like myself, to pay even more for voicemail. I got this in a tweet a while back and ignored it thinking I could get the Gvoice thing going "somehow".
budphone(dot)ca
Labatts breweries wants our "consumerist" attention so thru freephoneline.ca they are offering this ... get a phone number and long distance calling to many cities in Canada + voicemail + forwarding to normal phones + coupla other things ... go see if you're interested. I dont work for BUD or Labatts BTW. I just like the free voicemail ...1 day only so far.
I signed up and it is OK for me for now. I really only wanted the voice mail. It does give me an alternate phone number too ... without affecting my current FIDO cell plan.
I already have long distance at $.25 per call in North America no matter how long the call is ... (dial a number ... pause ... dial target number. Works on cellphone homephone etc.
I haven't left it off the hook for days or anything to see if the "no matter how long the call is" thing is true, but hours on end is no problem.
This was called talk 25 with win-tel who now seems to primus.ca and it seems they've abolished that SUPER deal except for grandfathering AFAIK You can look there too to see if they offer any killer deals.
Whew ... lotta babbling there ... but might spark some Ideas perhaps?
Floydlloyd

Google Voice is available in Canada at the 403 (Calgary, AB) area code. Google will let you set it up if you sign up over a vpn. Buy yourself a cheap DID.

Can't get Google Voice to ring my Nexus

Here is my issue...
I'm on Tmobile's $30/mo prepaid plan. I want to use google voice to ring my nexus as I've been using a GV number for the last year or so. So in other words, I don't want to use my carrier number, I want my GV number to ring the phone. I had succeeded in doing this with my GS3 and Galaxy Nexus before without any issues. When I call my GV number from another phone, it won't ring my nexus, and eventually goes to GV voicemail.
What makes it stranger is that I was able to get it to ring once or twice by calling my GV #, but trying the call again would result in the Nexus not ringing anymore.
I have tried doing the **004*XXXXXXXXXXX# codes a dozen times getting a message like "Call forwarding Connection problem or invalid MMI code."
I've tried deleting the phone from my computer on the GV page and adding it back again. No success there.
I'm short on ideas. Any help would be much appreciated.

Go here and follow the guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2057887
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

I'm not interested in using VOIP. I want to use the cellular network because the call quality is better than any VOIP solution. I just want my GV number to be in front of my tmobile number.

If I understand correctly you want people to call your GV number, and GV to forward/ call your device on the device's number?
If so, all you should have to do is log into GV on the computer, put your device's number into the settings, verify you have the phone, and it should be set up.
I have it set up that way with T-Mobile prepaid, and never had any issues. If you are doing those things and it is still not working, please elaborate more.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I'm having a similar issue, I have a Nexus 4, I'm on the T-Mobile $30 plan, I go to verify my T-Mobile # on GV and after I hit "Connect" it says 'Verifying your phone...' for 30 seconds or so, then says "We could not verify your phone. Please try again.".
I've tried calling from at least a dozen computers, nothing, my phone never rings, no matter how much signal I have or what, it's INFURIATING.

I just got setup on this same tmo plan, and I'm having similar issues with GV. I managed to get GV to forward incoming calls to my tmo phone number, but If I call out, it still uses my tmo number regardless of whether I have GV set to make all calls. The GV voice mail also is screwy. If someone calls my phone and I let it ring and don't pick up, it will go to GV, but if I tell the phone to ignore the call, it goes to tmo voice mail. This 30$ plan is just what I've been looking for but honestly its really aggravating that it all worked flawless on Straightalk with ATT sim. I don't want to have to use GrooveIP or some other app to call constantly through GV, when it worked properly on ATT's network. Tmo, definitely has to work to do in this area.

Here's how I got it to work.
Went to google voice and put in my work deskphone number.
Verified it, then boom, I have a verified number.
Used that to set up a google voice number that's 3 numbers off from my old one (Same area code, first three different, last 4 the same) and paid $4.99 for GrooVe IP, logged into my Google Voice account and now I can make calls to and from my google voice number. Be sure to download an app called Contact Cleanup or something like that, I think GrooVe IP needs you to have your phone numbers in international format to dial. Also, my only real complaint about this is occasionally someone will call my old number because my new one wont ring, but signging out and back into GrooVe IP seems to fix this.
Every few days I try to verify my cell number with no luck, I was reading and the best I can come up with is it's either a fault, or something on purpose, on T-Mobile's end.
And FYI my phone shows up with my GV number on caller ID, and text messages, and all that jazz, I sent out a few dozen text messages using GV online to everyone in my contacts list know to only use my old number for emergencies.
I haven't using a single minute on my T-Mobile plan since I did this like 2 weeks ago, I love it.

Two things to keep in mind.
1) "Forward calls to" phone numbers can only be used in one GV account at a time. Otherwise you could create 100 Gmail/GV accounts and forward them to one line. I had this issue trying to add my home phone to both my GV and my spouse's GV account. Many free SIP DID's have this as a known issue. Google can remove the number, but it's a painful process.
2) The Nexus 4 has a ARP issue on WiFi. Ping your phone LAN IP after you lock the screen to see what I mean. This has caused some issues with some VOIP apps.

ficklecycler said:
Here is my issue...
I'm on Tmobile's $30/mo prepaid plan. I want to use google voice to ring my nexus as I've been using a GV number for the last year or so. So in other words, I don't want to use my carrier number, I want my GV number to ring the phone. I had succeeded in doing this with my GS3 and Galaxy Nexus before without any issues. When I call my GV number from another phone, it won't ring my nexus, and eventually goes to GV voicemail.
What makes it stranger is that I was able to get it to ring once or twice by calling my GV #, but trying the call again would result in the Nexus not ringing anymore.
I have tried doing the **004*XXXXXXXXXXX# codes a dozen times getting a message like "Call forwarding Connection problem or invalid MMI code."
I've tried deleting the phone from my computer on the GV page and adding it back again. No success there.
I'm short on ideas. Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using the same gmail on your phone as the account you originally created the GV number on?
I was having this problem and I transferred the # to my new gmail, problem solved.

Frustrated... what to do??

I have been a Verizon Customer for longer that it has been Verizon.
Service in my area has been great... up until the last year or so. Basically since they put 4G here. I no longer have service in my office, or several other places that I frequent. I travel alot and most always have verizon service where I go.
So here is the dilema... I don't want to lose my phone number! I was thinking about porting my number to another service, cause I do not want to lose my number... I have had it forever. But at the same time I do not want to lose my verizon line until I know that the other service is ok for me. primarily the unlimited data.
Anyone have any ideas?
Chris

cseeley said:
I have been a Verizon Customer for longer that it has been Verizon.
Service in my area has been great... up until the last year or so. Basically since they put 4G here. I no longer have service in my office, or several other places that I frequent. I travel alot and most always have verizon service where I go.
So here is the dilema... I don't want to lose my phone number! I was thinking about porting my number to another service, cause I do not want to lose my number... I have had it forever. But at the same time I do not want to lose my verizon line until I know that the other service is ok for me. primarily the unlimited data.
Anyone have any ideas?
Chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a issue a growing number people are encountering now a days. I would suggest that you take look into T-Mobile network Test Drive offer an see if they are for you.I know that in my area T-Mobile is terrible so I'm with Verizon till I get kicked off Unlimited then it looks like it's Sprint time. The porting of the number won't be too much of a issue as most company's do that now. I don't know what happened when they flipped the 4G switch but their towers weren't ready.

cseeley said:
I have been a Verizon Customer for longer that it has been Verizon.
Service in my area has been great... up until the last year or so. Basically since they put 4G here. I no longer have service in my office, or several other places that I frequent. I travel alot and most always have verizon service where I go.
So here is the dilema... I don't want to lose my phone number! I was thinking about porting my number to another service, cause I do not want to lose my number... I have had it forever. But at the same time I do not want to lose my verizon line until I know that the other service is ok for me. primarily the unlimited data.
Anyone have any ideas?
Chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go get a new number from some other carrier then forward your Verizon number to it till you get it figured out then port or not

cseeley said:
I have been a Verizon Customer for longer that it has been Verizon.
Service in my area has been great... up until the last year or so. Basically since they put 4G here. I no longer have service in my office, or several other places that I frequent. I travel alot and most always have verizon service where I go.
So here is the dilema... I don't want to lose my phone number! I was thinking about porting my number to another service, cause I do not want to lose my number... I have had it forever. But at the same time I do not want to lose my verizon line until I know that the other service is ok for me. primarily the unlimited data.
Anyone have any ideas?
Chris
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This one's easy. Port your phone number to Google Voice. Then get a new number from Verizon for your existing phone. Install the Google Voice app on your phone and all of the incoming and outgoing calls will be via Google Voice using the number your ported there.
I've had Google Voice as my primary number for years and I'm completely independent of any carrier or single phone. In fact, when someone calls my phone number it rings on my cell phone, my home phone, my office phone, my tablet and my PC. My wife giggles every time I get a call because it sounds like I'm in a clock store with all the alarms going off at once.
If you get a new phone from another carrier just install Google Voice on it and both your old cell phone and new phone will ring at once. You will be completely independent of a carrier. I am so independent of the carrier that I have no idea what phone number is on my current cell phone. I'd have to look in the settings to see what it is.
Two caveats:
1) You will need to use Google Voice for text messaging. If you use any other text messaging app it will show that the message came from the cell phone's number and not Google Voice's number.
2) Google Voice messaging doesn't handle MMS texts. You can't send/receive photos or videos.
One huge advantage:
You can send/receive texts on your PC by going to Voice.Google.com and logging in. In fact, your entire text messaging history is stored in the cloud. Get a text and it shows up on your phone, on your tablet and in your browser. Immediately. When I'm on my computer and I hear my phone chime that a text has arrived, I never take my phone out, I just look at the text in my browser. It's so much more convenient than any other messaging app that I would never change.

Yeah... I already use google voice quite a bit with a different number.
Here is the problem, if I port my number out of Verizon, their system automatically closes the line when the port is complete. It is no problem getting it turned back on, but then I lose the unlimited data.
That is where my problem lies.
Chris
TabGuy said:
This one's easy. Port your phone number to Google Voice. Then get a new number from Verizon for your existing phone. Install the Google Voice app on your phone and all of the incoming and outgoing calls will be via Google Voice using the number your ported there.
I've had Google Voice as my primary number for years and I'm completely independent of any carrier or single phone. In fact, when someone calls my phone number it rings on my cell phone, my home phone, my office phone, my tablet and my PC. My wife giggles every time I get a call because it sounds like I'm in a clock store with all the alarms going off at once.
If you get a new phone from another carrier just install Google Voice on it and both your old cell phone and new phone will ring at once. You will be completely independent of a carrier. I am so independent of the carrier that I have no idea what phone number is on my current cell phone. I'd have to look in the settings to see what it is.
Two caveats:
1) You will need to use Google Voice for text messaging. If you use any other text messaging app it will show that the message came from the cell phone's number and not Google Voice's number.
2) Google Voice messaging doesn't handle MMS texts. You can't send/receive photos or videos.
One huge advantage:
You can send/receive texts on your PC by going to Voice.Google.com and logging in. In fact, your entire text messaging history is stored in the cloud. Get a text and it shows up on your phone, on your tablet and in your browser. Immediately. When I'm on my computer and I hear my phone chime that a text has arrived, I never take my phone out, I just look at the text in my browser. It's so much more convenient than any other messaging app that I would never change.
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