Google Voice --Default SMS--Why Not?

[jonzer]

So...Google Voice...Anyone have any idea when and if I will ever be able to use this as my default SMS app? Currently I cannot and it is sooooooooo frustrating that I cannot just set this as default...I have sent many messages to Google regarding this...but nothing.

Everyone I know has my Google Voice number...and if I get a message within Voice and respond within Voice all is good. But sometimes, when I get a call and I am busy and I want to send a quick auto response text with the context of the calling app, it will send from my default SMS which uses my Carrier number...not my Google Voice number...and if they respond to that text, I do not get notified because I have notifications off for that app to avoid duplication of what I am getting with Google Voice.

Any advice here would be appreciated. It has been this way ever since Google rolled out the Material Design update to Voice (maybe longer) and I could no longer set it as my default. This s such a simple thing, I do not understand the lack of being able to set this.

 

[Rukbat]

Try using Hangouts Dialer. The left side is SMS.