Setting up Google Voice?

[SterlingSpring]

Alright have my Captivate, Voice is downloaded and its recognizing my phone, but how do I use it for "Free SMS" and Visual Voicemail? I tried YouMail for Visual Voicemail and that didn't work either. I see no options for SMS or Visual Voice Mail...

Please help!

 

[Joeybear23]

Alright have my Captivate, Voice is downloaded and its recognizing my phone, but how do I use it for "Free SMS" and Visual Voicemail? I tried YouMail for Visual Voicemail and that didn't work either. I see no options for SMS or Visual Voice Mail...

Please help!

I just set up Visual Voicemail with GoogleVoice and it works great.

Here is the order of operations for Voice Mail (I don't do SMS):

1. Sign up for Google Voice
2. Choose the setup option online for voicemail (it was in the initial startup screen, but since you already have an account, it may be under settings instead now)
3. Google will call you and have you punch in a verification code.
4. Once verified, and your carrier is identified correctly, Google Voice will give you a code to dial on your phone that changes where your voicemail comes from.
5. Download and install the GoogleVoice app from the Android Market.
6. Have it configure your voice mail settings, and tell it how you want to handle outgoing calls (international, ask, or none)
7. Go back to your GoogleVoice account online and deactivate the email and text notifications, otherwise you will get a VM indicator, a text and an email everytime someone leaves a voice mail.


Hope this is helpful. Be sure to click on "Thanks" if it was.

 

[gspeed]

Alright have my Captivate, Voice is downloaded and its recognizing my phone, but how do I use it for "Free SMS" and Visual Voicemail? I tried YouMail for Visual Voicemail and that didn't work either. I see no options for SMS or Visual Voice Mail...

Please help!

you open up the app on your phone. You can sms from the app itself. It also allows you to get notifications for voicemail in the app itself.

 

[SterlingSpring]

Its the setting up thats the problem. It still hasn't worked, when I go to "Configure" when setting up the Voicemail I put in the voicemail number, and it does something and just takes me back to "Voicemail service" or Voicemail settings for google voice which has the number. And service has "Google Voice" clicked. It just does nothing and takes me back to the configure option...

 

[Joeybear23]

Its the setting up thats the problem. It still hasn't worked, when I go to "Configure" when setting up the Voicemail I put in the voicemail number, and it does something and just takes me back to "Voicemail service" or Voicemail settings for google voice which has the number. And service has "Google Voice" clicked. It just does nothing and takes me back to the configure option...

Did you change the number that was getting put in there automatically?

I left the number that GV populated.

 

[SterlingSpring]

Yes its the same and it still does that..

 

[Joeybear23]

Yes its the same and it still does that..

Okay okay okay, I think I know what you are talking about.

Choose the skip option then move on.

 

[alphadog]

I too had trouble setting up using the Android GV app - And i have had no problem on other Android phones.

My solution was to go to my PC, Google Voice, Settings and click on my mobile and tell it to use GV Voicemail. I then got the pop up with the number to enter on my phone, typed that number in and viola! no more probs.

 

[stepchild]

I just set up Visual Voicemail with GoogleVoice and it works great.

Here is the order of operations for Voice Mail (I don't do SMS):

1. Sign up for Google Voice
2. Choose the setup option online for voicemail (it was in the initial startup screen, but since you already have an account, it may be under settings instead now)
3. Google will call you and have you punch in a verification code.
4. Once verified, and your carrier is identified correctly, Google Voice will give you a code to dial on your phone that changes where your voicemail comes from.
5. Download and install the GoogleVoice app from the Android Market.
6. Have it configure your voice mail settings, and tell it how you want to handle outgoing calls (international, ask, or none)
7. Go back to your GoogleVoice account online and deactivate the email and text notifications, otherwise you will get a VM indicator, a text and an email everytime someone leaves a voice mail.


Hope this is helpful. Be sure to click on "Thanks" if it was.

Joeybear23, thanks for these instructions. I did it just like you outlined and it worked great. And I did have to skip the one part as it got stuck in a loop.

 

[Joeybear23]

Joeybear23, thanks for these instructions. I did it just like you outlined and it worked great. And I did have to skip the one part as it got stuck in a loop.

Cool.

I'm glad it worked for you, too.

Have you had a chance to use it much?
My first few VM's came thtrough great with transcriptions and everything, but the last few have said "transcription unavailable"
One of them was kind of mumbling, so I can understand that, but the others seemed clearly spoken...

 

[gspeed]

transcriptions sucks. Been using for few months and the transcriptions are rarely accurate. Actually they are quite comedic.

One of the latest to leave a voicemail

"David there, said that it is Sunday January corner, call me back yo man like hopefully you're not getting enter it wasn't hole, call me back and from all."

BTW I don't know anyone named David either. Complete gibberish.

Also when you initially get the voicemail notify and in the app it will take a little while for the transcription to appear, but as you can see sometimes transcriptions suck.

 

[Joeybear23]

...
My first few VM's came thtrough great with transcriptions and everything, but the last few have said "transcription unavailable"
One of them was kind of mumbling, so I can understand that, but the others seemed clearly spoken...

I take that back.

I just looked at my account again, and the transcriptions for the recent ones are now there. I guess there was a delay or something.

They were pretty accurate, besides a few punctuation mistakes.

 

[Joeybear23]

transcriptions sucks. Been using for few months and the transcriptions are rarely accurate. Actually they are quite comedic.

One of the latest to leave a voicemail

"David there, said that it is Sunday January corner, call me back yo man like hopefully you're not getting enter it wasn't hole, call me back and from all."

BTW I don't know anyone named David either. Complete gibberish.

Also when you initially get the voicemail notify and in the app it will take a little while for the transcription to appear, but as you can see sometimes transcriptions suck.

Do you still have the voicemail?
It would be fun to see the Google transcript compared to what was actually said.

 

[SterlingSpring]

I open up the app and go to Inbox with SMS and theres no option anywhere to send messages...its like its stripped down...

 

[gspeed]

I open up the app and go to Inbox with SMS and theres no option anywhere to send messages...its like its stripped down...

did you try pressing the menu button while in the app?

 

[gspeed]

Do you still have the voicemail?
It would be fun to see the Google transcript compared to what was actually said.

yes I still have the voicemail... Granted it was my drunk brother calling but many other sober people have left voicemails that have led to hilarious transcriptions.

At this point I actually don't rely on the transcription itself. I do like seeing it anyways nonetheless for comedic purposes.

 

[SterlingSpring]

Yes, and the options are as follows Refresh, Labels, Balance, Settings, and Help. Labels takes you to the different portions and when I go to say the "Inbox" under the Labels section there are the SAME options.

 

[gspeed]

Yes, and the options are as follows Refresh, Labels, Balance, Settings, and Help. Labels takes you to the different portions and when I go to say the "Inbox" under the Labels section there are the SAME options.

thats strange I have the same options as you except compose is the first option I have. I'd suggest maybe trying to uninstall and then reinstall to see if that changes anything.

 

[SterlingSpring]

Done so SEVERAL times. I can never really get past the configuration point...without skipping the voicemail step so the app is likely confused..for whatever reason.

 

[gspeed]

Done so SEVERAL times. I can never really get past the configuration point...without skipping the voicemail step so the app is likely confused..for whatever reason.

did you try this solution posted by alphadog?

I too had trouble setting up using the Android GV app - And i have had no problem on other Android phones.

My solution was to go to my PC, Google Voice, Settings and click on my mobile and tell it to use GV Voicemail. I then got the pop up with the number to enter on my phone, typed that number in and viola! no more probs.

You need to activate Google voice to use on your mobile. You have to supply your number to Google voice through a desktop to complete activation.