Using Google for voice and text. All over Wifi?

[cmyoch]

I pulled my spare Razr Maxx HD from the drawer to play around with. I want to try to set this phone up completely as a spare phone utilizing Google Voice, Hangouts for placing calls, etc. I am currently with Verizon. This may be a reach but is there any way to set up GV to operate simultaneously with my active phone with Verizon? When someone calls me, GV rings, texts copy to the spare phone, etc.? Or, am I stuck utilizing a completely different phone number to place calls, texts, etc. over Google on this second device?

I'm sure I left several holes in what I'm asking for so please let me know what other info I can provide?

Thanks,

 

[B. Diddy]

Last time I checked, the Google Voice app doesn't allow for calls over wifi--it requires some kind of telephony on the device. There used to be apps like Talkatone that allowed you to make Google Voice calls over wifi, but that support ended about a year ago.

The recently added ability to make calls over wi-fi with Google Hangouts (using Hangouts Dialer) might be a solution. According to the app description:

"Now call any phone number in the world from your Hangouts app using your data connection. Download and install the Hangouts Dialer to activate phone calling functionality in the Hangouts app. After installation, you can access all phone calling features directly from Hangouts or use Hangouts Dialer for a shortcut to the dialer screen in Hangouts.
● Make phone calls from the Hangouts app (and all calls to other Hangouts users are free!).
● Connect with your Google Voice number to make VOIP calls in the Hangouts app from your Google Voice number."

 

[cmyoch]

I just tested the Hangouts dialer a few minutes ago and it worked over wifi. I phoned my wife and she said her caller ID showed up as an Atlanta call (We live in the St. Louis area on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River). I assume that was a Google number that was sourced from.

I may be totally dreaming here with what I am thinking of. I thought about having this spare device at my desk constantly connected to wifi. If I get a call, the call would ring both devises, texts would arrive on both devices as well except that the spare phone at my desk does not have a SIM card in it, not connected to Verizon. Quite honestly, I can live without texts coming over to the phone because I use Mighty Text on my PC and I send/receive texts continually on that. It's the phone capability that I'm more interested with.