can i use this nexus 7 as a cell phone by using google voice?

preppystud

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2013
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i know that there is the google voice app for this.
so if someone calls my number, will this thing ring even when it is in its standby mood with wifi service availible?
 

mathelm

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2012
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You'll go through 'Google Voice", but you can't use it directly with a nexus 7. You have to use a app like Talkatone.....
 

zkSharks

Retired Moderator
Mar 15, 2011
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As it's been said, the answer is technically yes, but you'll need to use a third-party application such as GrooVe IP to enable VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) functionality.
 

preppystud

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2013
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oh. i didn't know that there are so many choices. i just assumed that if i installed google voice app, it will allow me to use it like a cell phone.

so which app should i use in order to get phone calls even when the nexus 7 is in the standby mood?

also, will those apps work if i use a different android based tablets?
 

RichardRight

Banned
Jul 20, 2012
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I use Talkatone and prefer it over Groove IP. Yes, it rings when someone calls. Best of all, as long as I talk through my tablet and not my phone, it subtracts no minutes from my prepaid smartphone.
 

mathelm

Well-known member
Oct 18, 2012
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2 things make Talkatone better than Grove IP. 1. it's free and 2. it also handles text messages...

But go to google play and do a search for VOIP. There are many to choose from....
 

MJKearney

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Jul 31, 2012
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I have GrooveIP on my N7. I use the free version because, for the Nexus 7, the paid version doesn't offer worthwhile added functionality. You can use a Bluetooth headset with GrooveIP.

The problem with Google Voice is that call quality is inconsistent. I get complaints from the person on the other end that my voice often cuts in and out. Maybe this is just due to my WiFi signal, but I tend to use alternative calling methods instead. Below, I described one alternative that I found.

There's this thing called a house telephone. It's hooked up to something called a wire. This wire thing goes through a hole in the wall and then to some tall, wooden pole out on the street. From what I can see, this wire thing then is strung from pole to pole, until the poles get really small and I can't see them anymore way down the street. So I don't know exactly where this wire thing ends up. But I do know that if I use this telephone with a wire to call someone, somehow they get my call. The weird thing is that sometimes I call someone's cell phone, and they still get my call. I don't know how the wire thing gets attached from my telephone to their cell phone (I assume the phone company workers are very busy moving around and attaching wires), but it works, and the sound quality is pretty darn good! Modern technology - absolutely amazing!!
 

MJKearney

Well-known member
Jul 31, 2012
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Is there one you can't use a BT headset with?....
I don't know. I was just confirming that it was possible with GrooveIP. The OP may not have been aware of that. Bluetooth capability is app-dependent.
 

preppystud

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2013
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so my main question is if i install some kind of app, if someone calls my google number, the nexus 7 will ring even when it is in the standby mood, right? so i can use this as a cell phone alternative, too.
 

Channan

Keyboard Warrior
Mar 21, 2010
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2 things make Talkatone better than Grove IP. 1. it's free and 2. it also handles text messages...

But go to google play and do a search for VOIP. There are many to choose from....

That's the main reason I prefer GrooVe IP. I'd much rather use the official Google Voice app for texting and hated also getting notifications in Talkatone. There's a free version of GrooVe IP which doesn't allow cellular calling, but if you've got a Wi-Fi only Nexus 7, that's not an issue.

GrooVe IP is more reliable for me, has a much better looking interface, and has no ads (paid version at least). To me that was worth the one-time $5 fee.

so my main question is if i install some kind of app, if someone calls my google number, the nexus 7 will ring even when it is in the standby mood, right? so i can use this as a cell phone alternative, too.

Yes. I use Google Voice on all my devices, and when someone calls me, they all ring.
 

jmjatlanta

New member
Jun 13, 2013
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Okay, here's my experience at using the Nexus 7 as my only cell phone for the last 2 months. At work, I have WiFi access. At home, I have WiFi access, the problem was when I wasn't in one of those 2 places.

I attempted to solve this problem with FreedomPop. If traveling where there was strong 4G Sprint coverage, I could make and receive calls. In my experience, Sprint's 4G coverage wasn't in the places I need it. Plan B is the Verizon Jetpack. It wasn't free, but still cheaper than a cell phone. I've been using it for the last month, and it is much better for my area (North Atlanta). I'm on the 4GB plan, and share it with my wife. I'm not on the Jetpack often, and could possibly drop to the 2GB plan. I'll wait a few more months to find out.

I use Google Voice for voicemail and text messages, and Groove IP for my dialer. I have a bluetooth headset (Plantronics Voyager Legend). Here's the skinny:

Call quality: With strong 4G signal, or good WiFi signal, the person on the other end cannot tell I'm not on a regular cell phone. I often can, as the person on the other end's voice is slightly clipped. In my truck (which is noisy), the noise cancelling of the bluetooth headset makes it hard for the receiver to know I'm in my truck. I do wish the volume of the Plantronics was higher, however. I have to press the earpiece into my ear at highway speeds.

At low quality 4G or poor WiFi bandwidth, the receiver's voice cuts in and out. The worse the signal, the worse it gets. I installed a WiFi repeater in my home so there are few places where I have this problem while there. While on 4G, pulling over often solves the problem. While on WiFi, moving closer to the hotspot works well.

Interestingly, dropped calls are not much of an issue for me. Even if the caller drops out for a few seconds, moving for a better signal restores it. In my limited experience, I'll notice it before the caller does.

The downsides:
MMS messaging. Messages sent to multiple recipients or picture messages are not received. The sender doesn't even know I didn't get the message. Google Voice simply doesn't handle them (except for messages from Sprint phones).
Extra devices. I have to bring my tablet, my bluetooth headset (which I could live without in a pinch), and my Jetpack (which has a battery life of 3 hours). That is sometimes a pain, but I'm rarely without my tablet, and the other 2 devices are small. The gym is about the only time this is an issue. I don't mind not being able to answer the phone, but it is difficult to work out without my tunes.
Voice commands. There may be a way to do this, but I haven't figured it out yet. I can't tell my bluetooth device to call a number or answer a call. The bluetooth device says "No phone connected"

That's my somewhat long-winded explanation of how it has been going with the Google Nexus as my oversized smartphone.
 

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