Google voice mail (phone number) question.

[steve_ma]

Real noob question but hoping someone can educate me.

Does Google voice require a Google phone number? The reason I ask is that with office, cell, home numbers and etc.....I don't feel like giving personal and professional contacts (yet another) number and since pretty much every phone in existence has call forwarding.... I don't think I see the value add? Can someone clue me in?

Sent from my ThunderBolt using TapaTalk

 

[spartanguy81]

Real noob question but hoping someone can educate me.

Does Google voice require a Google phone number? The reason I ask is that with office, cell, home numbers and etc.....I don't feel like giving personal and professional contacts (yet another) number and since pretty much every phone in existence has call forwarding.... I don't think I see the value add? Can someone clue me in?

Sent from my ThunderBolt using TapaTalk

When you set up google voice online it automatically forwards calls to your google voice. I have no idea what my google voice number is.

Add long as you have data, you can just use the app to listen to (or look at) your voice mail. You can plug in you're google voice number to check voicemail the old fashioned way if you don't have data or if you're just old fashioned.

 

[natehoy]

No. More to the point, Google will issue you a number and you forward your phone's call busy function to it instead of your regular voicemail number but you never have to give out the GV number.

The real point for me is to have a number I own that is not locked to a carrier or service. I've never been able to port even a cell number to a new carrier, much less between landline or voip services. Google Voice takes the stress out of that for me. I have one number, and it's MINE.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

Real noob question but hoping someone can educate me.

Does Google voice require a Google phone number? The reason I ask is that with office, cell, home numbers and etc.....I don't feel like giving personal and professional contacts (yet another) number and since pretty much every phone in existence has call forwarding.... I don't think I see the value add? Can someone clue me in?

Sent from my ThunderBolt using TapaTalk

When you sign up for Google Voice, you'll get a phone number...you'll even get a limited choice on what number you want based on area codes and such (at least you used to). What you use that number for is completely up to you.

Under the Google voice settings, you can configure what happens when people call that number -- many people like myself simply have all calls forwarded to their home or cell phone. You can also setup options for taking voicemails from folks calling this number. I like it because my cell number that I've had for years has a different area code than where I currently live, so I can use my GV number as a "local" number if needed, even though if people call it, it still rings my cell phone.

Using Google voice as your voicemail service, however, is a bit different. Normally, when someone calls your cell phone number, it rings a number of times, and if you don't answer, the call is "forwarded" to Verizon's VM answering service where the caller can leave their message. If they do so, you get a notification (in theory), and can then retrieve your messages. What you can do with Google Voice is setup your verizon account to forward your answered calls to them, instead of to Verizon, where Google Voice will then handle the collection of messages from callers. In other words, these people are still calling the exact same number they have already been using...your unanswered calls are just being forwarded to a different location. When a message is left for you, it is Google Voice that notifies you, either via the Android app, or via email, or via SMS (or all 3 if you'd like) that you have a message waiting.
Just to be clear: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GIVE ANYONE YOUR GOOGLE VOICE NUMBER TO USE IT FOR VOICE MAIL SERVICE ON YOUR CELL PHONE.

Here are some things I personally like about using GV for voicemail:
1. I can be notified of a new message even if my phone is turned off or out of signal range. Works great for me as I sometimes work in office buildings with no cell reception or don't allow cell phones. If someone calls me and leave a message, I can get a notification to my GMail account and listen to the message from my computer.
2. No storage size or time limits -- don't have to worry about messages expiring or your inbox filling up. (at least I don't believe there are)
3. It's easy to setup, and in my opinion, is a more feature rich service than Verizon's voicemail, including their Visual Voicemail service...and it's free.

In case anyone is interested, here are the instructions I used to setup my Verizon account to use GV for voicemail (includes instructions for deactivation):
Instructions to use Google Voice as your voicemail when people call your cell phone number - Google Voice Help

One thing to keep in mind is this is a setting you're applying to your Verizon account...not your phone. If you get a new phone, your VMs will still be forwarded to GV.

 

[steve_ma]

Great posts and thanks for the clarification, all.

 

[natehoy]

Another small point to note is that a Google Voice number is free, and yours. You can create it any time, then use it as you like over time.

I originally created my Google Voice number as a voicemail-only number. Then I went to change carriers and found out that my new carrier wouldn't accept my cell number from my old carrier (the first in a string of "why in the name of all that is good have I been paying $1 a month for well over ten years now for local number portability when it NEVER EFFING WORKS?!?!?!!?").

Instead of giving out my new CELL number, I just gave out my Google Voice number since I was going through a number change anyway.

My actual voice number has since changed twice. But the phone number people know they can reach me on has not.

So you might want to get a GV number, start using it for voicemail, then keep it in mind for the next time you are forced to change phone numbers for any reason.

You can also slowly transition people over to the new number in preparation for the day when your phone number might suddenly change (accidentally drown your phone, and find out the ETF and a new account with a new number is a whole lot cheaper than buying a replacement phone at retail, for example, not that that's ever happened to ME :-[ :-[ :-[ ).

 

[jim302]

Here's the simple way to accomplish what you want to do (Google Voice for Voicemail only)

1. Register for your account at http://voice.google.com using your primary Google account set up on the phone
2. Pick a phone number based on area code and other factors. For this example, I will use 919-555-0123
3. Log on to Google Voice with your computer
4. Click the gear and open settings
5. Go to the Voicemail and Text tab to record your name and greeting. You can also disable text and voicemail notifications (the Google Voice app can handle that)
6. Download the Google Voice app from the market
7. When setting up the Google Voice app, tell it not to use Google Voice for any calls
8. You can also skip the voicemail setup since it will give you an error.
9. Call *71 followed by your new Google Voice number (*719195550123) to activate the voicemail feature. You should get a confirmation tone.
10. If you ever want to switch back to VZW voicemail, call *73 and listen for the confirmation tone

If you set it up this way, you will never have to give out your Google Voice number, and can easily switch back to VZW voicemail if you want to.

 

[spartanguy81]

In a fun side note, google voice is pretty sweet for international calls. I call my parents in Italy for two cents a minute.

In another reiteration of the number not being important, when I first signed up for google voice, my number wasn't even my area code. I changed the number after I started using the international calling so my parents would recognize the area code when I called. You can easily change the number if you are traveling and someone needs a local number to reach you at.

 

[natehoy]

In a fun side note, google voice is pretty sweet for international calls. I call my parents in Italy for two cents a minute.

In another reiteration of the number not being important, when I first signed up for google voice, my number wasn't even my area code. I changed the number after I started using the international calling so my parents would recognize the area code when I called. You can easily change the number if you are traveling and someone needs a local number to reach you at.

... or simply add numbers for $30 a pop one-time fee ($10 to add the new number, $20 to keep the old number) if you have several people in different areas who want local numbers.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

Here's the simple way to accomplish what you want to do (Google Voice for Voicemail only)

1. Register for your account at http://voice.google.com using your primary Google account set up on the phone
2. Pick a phone number based on area code and other factors. For this example, I will use 919-555-0123
3. Log on to Google Voice with your computer
4. Click the gear and open settings
5. Go to the Voicemail and Text tab to record your name and greeting. You can also disable text and voicemail notifications (the Google Voice app can handle that)
6. Download the Google Voice app from the market
7. When setting up the Google Voice app, tell it not to use Google Voice for any calls
8. You can also skip the voicemail setup since it will give you an error.
   [*]Call *71 followed by your new Google Voice number (*719195550123) to activate the voicemail feature. You should get a confirmation tone.
9. If you ever want to switch back to VZW voicemail, call *73 and listen for the confirmation tone

If you set it up this way, you will never have to give out your Google Voice number, and can easily switch back to VZW voicemail if you want to.

I believe that only forwards your unanswered calls. If you view the instructions I also linked to above, there are 3 activation numbers recommended:
Instructions to use Google Voice as your voicemail when people call your cell phone number - Google Voice Help

Verizon (CDMA network): *71[GVnumber] AND *90[GVnumber] AND *92[GVnumber]

These include forwarding for:
* Busy Call Forwarding (Busy Call Transfer)
* No Answer Call Forwarding (No Reply Forwarding)
* Unreachable Call Forwarding (Phone Off Forwarding)

You want to make sure you set up all 3 to ensure ALL your missed calls get re-directed properly.

 

[natehoy]

I believe that only forwards your unanswered calls. If you view the instructions I also linked to above, there are 3 activation numbers recommended:
Instructions to use Google Voice as your voicemail when people call your cell phone number - Google Voice Help



These include forwarding for:
* Busy Call Forwarding (Busy Call Transfer)
* No Answer Call Forwarding (No Reply Forwarding)
* Unreachable Call Forwarding (Phone Off Forwarding)

You want to make sure you set up all 3 to ensure ALL your missed calls get re-directed properly.

*71+GV number <-- this one does "No Answer/Busy Transfer" and I believe also what you call "Unreachable Call Forwarding".

Calling Features: No Answer/Busy Transfer

All the reference materials I see about the *90 and *92 codes are from 2009. All the current Verizon documentation only makes reference to the following three codes:

*71+number = Forward calls when you don't answer for any reason.
*72+number = Forward ALL calls immediately.
*73 = Cancel *71 or *72.

Google has no instructions in regards to the *9x numbers, and Verizon only documents them for FiOS any more.

Is it possible that this information is out-of-date?

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

*71+GV number <-- this one does "No Answer/Busy Transfer" and I believe also what you call "Unreachable Call Forwarding".

Calling Features: No Answer/Busy Transfer

All the reference materials I see about the *90 and *92 codes are from 2009. All the current Verizon documentation only makes reference to the following three codes:

*71+number = Forward calls when you don't answer for any reason.
*72+number = Forward ALL calls immediately.
*73 = Cancel *71 or *72.

Google has no instructions in regards to the *9x numbers, and Verizon only documents them for FiOS any more.

Is it possible that this information is out-of-date?

Yup -- in fact the date on it is 2009. Either way, I dialed all 3 and mine works. Good to know though. I've been using these services for years, and didn't know that they had been merged.

 

[natehoy]

Yup -- in fact the date on it is 2009. Either way, I dialed all 3 and mine works. Good to know though. I've been using these services for years, and didn't know that they had been merged.

I've only dialled *71 and mine seems to work.

The only thing that I can't seem to get to work is "ignored call forwarding", and I can't find any documentation on that (if I slide UP to ignore a call, it seems to go to Verizon VM no matter what). I don't think the *9x codes (even if they were still valid) apply to that condition, though.

 

[jim302]

I believe that only forwards your unanswered calls. If you view the instructions I also linked to above, there are 3 activation numbers recommended:
Instructions to use Google Voice as your voicemail when people call your cell phone number - Google Voice Help

*71 = no answer/busy call transfer, so if you ignore a call waiting call or the phone is off, it will still transfer to Google Voice as it is still an unanswered call. There is no need to dial the other numbers, which may or may not work in your market (and could even lead to unexpected behavior).

I used to use YouMail (only stopped because I wasn't a fan of their Android app) which used the same call forwarding method (just like any third party voicemail), and *71 was all that was needed.

If you are concerned with callers accidentally ending up in your Verizon voicemail when using third party voicemail, you should be able to have VZW delete your voicemail box. After doing this, you may want to dial the *71google_voice_number code just in case they mess up your call forwarding settings, then make sure that everything still works as expected.

Info straight from VZW: Calling Features: No Answer/Busy Transfer