how does Google Fi work / coordinate with current google voice number (gmail / hangouts)

[GrandMobile]

When signing up for an invite - Google Fi is asking for gmail account.

My question is how it works with current google voice number. I have my main gmail account which is tied to my "main" phone number (ported my long time mobile number to google voice a couple of years ago). If I request an invite from this main gmail (google voice) account how will it work / coordinate with current google voice number tied to this gmail address -
* will I be allowed to create a new number and keep my current google voice number?
* If above is yes, what are the ramifications with hangouts with "two" numbers tied to that gmail address?
* If above is yes, a bit foggy on how the redirect / sequencing of forwarding to other numbers will be handled through google voice
*** have current google voice acting as a forward to both T-Mobile and at&t mobile numbers
*** have current google voice acting as voice mail for both T-Mobile and at&t mobile numbers

Sorry if above is not clear, but trying to get Google Fi set up correctly as I use multiple gmail / google voice accounts

Thank you in advance for any help / guidance

 

[Crashdamage]

I can't help much with your questions except I know this: Each Google account can have only one Google Voice number associated to it. If you port your cell number to Google Voice that becomes the one and only number associated with that account.

So, I'm betting you would not be allowed to create a new number using your 'main' account and keep your ported number as that makes two numbers on the same account - a no-no.

I'm curious about this stuff too. My wife has a Nexus 6 and I put in a request for an invitation for her. She has a Google Voice number that's used as her business number, so it's critical that Fi allows her to continue to use it the same way as she does now.

GV handles all her voicemail, her cell number is forwarded to GV. VoiceChoice automatically selects whether outgoing calls go with GV or her cellphone number.

This is a perfect setup. Works just like 2 lines on 1 phone, one for friends and family, one for her business and everything else. And it automatically chooses which number appears on people's caller ID and which voicemail message they hear.

Hopefully she can keep it and from what I understand about Fi works I'm optimistic she can.



Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[mmaxis47]

GV handles all her voicemail, her cell number is forwarded to GV. VoiceChoice automatically selects whether outgoing calls go with GV or her cellphone number."

Wouldn't this cause an infinite loop when someone calls her GV number? GV would call her cell phone number, which is forwarded to GV, which is forwarded to her cell number, which is forwarded to GV,.....

Or is GV smart enough to see that the call is forwarded from her cell phone number and does not attempt to call it again?

Also, when a message is forwarded to GV from her cell number, what shows up on Caller ID? Her cell number, or the actual caller's number?

My head hurts now.

 

[Crashdamage]

Wouldn't this cause an infinite loop when someone calls her GV number? GV would call her cell phone number, which is forwarded to GV, which is forwarded to her cell number, which is forwarded to GV,.....

No, it works perfectly. All her voicemail comes through GV visual voicemail. My phone is setup the same way..

Also, when a message is forwarded to GV from her cell number, what shows up on Caller ID? Her cell number, or the actual caller's number?

You misunderstand. It works like ordinary voicemail but with a lot more options. If someone calls her, on either number, the caller ID shows the caller. There's an option in GV to show which of her numbers was called instead.

Anyway, if she doesn't answer, the call goes to GV instead of going to T-Mobile's voicemail system. Depending on what contact group the caller is in or if the caller is not in her contacts at all, they hear one of several special messages and can leave a message. The caller has no clue that GV is involved. She gets a visual voicemail and text transcript of the message. There's many other options in GV, lots of other ways to set it up.



Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[mmaxis47]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to try it out. I have GV and was tempted to try forwarding my cell number to it, but I was worried about getting in a loop.

 

[ptScott]

I've been searching for answers on how a ported telephone number would either co-exist or interfere with a Google account that already has a Google Voice number migrated to Hangouts.

I need the Google Voice number to remain in service and be accessible through Hangouts. I am not interested in dropping my existing mobile phone number. My assumption here is that I will not be able to benefit from the Project Fi multi-device features.

As the multi-device feature is something that requires an opt-in, I assume it's similar to the initial migration request from a Google Voice number to Hangouts. I assume this will remove whatever Google Voice number was previously migrated.

My hope, and I'm highly doubtful, is that Google has updated Hangouts to allow management of two numbers. Without this, the transferred mobile phone number would use a standard messaging app and provide no Project Fi benefits aside from the network switching and lower prices (still worth it to me).

 

[Crashdamage]

Hangouts can only handle one number per Google Voice account. Obviously because each GV account can have only one GV number. Hangouts can handle multiple accounts, but only one account at a time because of the need to login/logout.

So, if you use Hangouts for VOIP calling and messages on any device I don't see how it can be used for more than one number in a seamless way. You're stuck with multiple accounts and logins.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[Crashdamage]

Uh-oh...may not be able to switch my wife's Nexus 6 to Fi after all. I expected Fi to effectively work as a replacement for T-Mobile service. But from the Fi help page Switching from Google Voice to Project Fi:

https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6159953?hl=en

"Features that aren’t available on Project Fi
You can’t make or receive calls or access voicemail using Google Talk, Google Voice apps, or Obihai devices."

Key words: You can't make or receive calls...using...Google Voice apps...

Problem is, to make Fi work as smoothly and easily as T-Mobile does now, she absolutely must be able to use the GV app.

It works like this: the GV app is set to make all calls through GV by default. VoiceChoice 2.0 intercepts outgoing calls and dials out, automatically choosing to use either her cell number or GV, depending on the group the contact she is calling is in. Business contacts see her business number, friends and family see her cell number. All calls to her GV number are forwarded to her cell number. Unanswered calls to her cell number are forwarded to GV so GV can handle all voicemail.

This works perfectly. Routing is automatic. She doesn't have to do anything special or remember anything, she just uses the phone normally and the phone and GV deals with which phone number is used for outgoing calls, voicemail is centralized in one place and she even gets text transcriptions of voicemail. But if she can't use the GV app she will lose all that super-handy functionality.

But it's not exactly clear that all is lost. The help page is written for those with a GV number on the account to be used for Fi, and what happens with your GV number, settings, etc when switching to Fi. In her case, her GV number is her business number, associated with a separate Google account setup just for business. There is no GV number on her personal account to be used for Fi. I don't know what difference that makes, if any, as far as keeping her present setup.

Bottom line is I'm not certain how this will work out. So far there's no way to ask Fi people a question. I know I'm not doing anything to risk her business communication, so she stay on T-Mobile until I can figure this out.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[ptScott]

Am I correct in thinking that "Google Voice" is being used separately from a Google Voice number that has been migrated to Hangouts? Or are they one and the same?

 

[dusoccer10]

Uh-oh...may not be able to switch my wife's Nexus 6 to Fi after all. I expected Fi to effectively work as a replacement for T-Mobile service. But from the Fi help page Switching from Google Voice to Project Fi:

https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6159953?hl=en

"Features that aren’t available on Project Fi
You can’t make or receive calls or access voicemail using Google Talk, Google Voice apps, or Obihai devices."

Key words: You can't make or receive calls...using...Google Voice apps...

Problem is, to make Fi work as smoothly and easily as T-Mobile does now, she absolutely must be able to use the GV app.

It works like this: the GV app is set to make all calls through GV by default. VoiceChoice 2.0 intercepts outgoing calls and dials out, automatically choosing to use either her cell number or GV, depending on the group the contact she is calling is in. Business contacts see her business number, friends and family see her cell number. All calls to her GV number are forwarded to her cell number. Unanswered calls to her cell number are forwarded to GV so GV can handle all voicemail.

This works perfectly. Routing is automatic. She doesn't have to do anything special or remember anything, she just uses the phone normally and the phone and GV deals with which phone number is used for outgoing calls, voicemail is centralized in one place and she even gets text transcriptions of voicemail. But if she can't use the GV app she will lose all that super-handy functionality.

But it's not exactly clear that all is lost. The help page is written for those with a GV number on the account to be used for Fi, and what happens with your GV number, settings, etc when switching to Fi. In her case, her GV number is her business number, associated with a separate Google account setup just for business. There is no GV number on her personal account to be used for Fi. I don't know what difference that makes, if any, as far as keeping her present setup.

Bottom line is I'm not certain how this will work out. So far there's no way to ask Fi people a question. I know I'm not doing anything to risk her business communication, so she stay on T-Mobile until I can figure this out.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

Did you try the call/chat function at the bottom of that website? You may be able to reach them that way.

As for your particular situation, it looks like your wife will be fine as long as her Google Voice is on a different Google account that Project Fi. Based on how I interpreted it, people need to use either Google Voice or Project Fi if there is one Google account. If a person has two accounts, then it is possible to use both.

 

[Crashdamage]

Yeah, I tried the Call button but it's not available unless you're fully registered for Fi and we're still waiting for her invitation. Probably not live yet anyway.

I hope you're right about Google Voice on a different account. I kept reading it and it just didn't seem clear. My guess is it's 50/50, could go either way.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[diesteldorf]

This is critical for me as well. I need tp be able to keep my access to Google Voice and the Google Voice app because I have service with multiple carriers and still plan to hang on to my Verizon Unlimited Data plan, even if switch to Google FI

I also like having access to the GV app and GV website, since it allows an easy way to search through
previous text history. I could could do a search for JOHN and easily pull up all past and present texts relating to JOHN. Last time I checked, Hangouts doesn't offer an easy search function.

If I switch to FI, I would hate to lose access to past, current, and future text archiving and search capabilities.

At this point, I requested an invite from FI using my primary GMail account. I am thinking my best option may be to request an invite from Project FI using a secondary Gmail account that I don't normally use.

If I signup for FI using my secondary Gmail account, I should still be able to maintain my Google Voice number on my primary account and still use Google Voice with Verizon and FI. Of course, all my app purchases are tied to my primary Google account, so I would just sign into both accounts on my FI Nexus 6.

 

[ptScott]

In wanting Project Fi to link with my primary Google Account (Purchased items, Synced Data, Etc), I've used Google's Transfer feature to move my Google Hangouts/Voice number to a secondary account. Your text/call history will not transfer with this process.

support.google.com/voice/answer/3527591

I can't see any reason why Hangouts would stop working with two separate accounts when one of them is Project Fi enabled. If this is true, my concerns have been addressed...

 

[diesteldorf]

In wanting Project Fi to link with my primary Google Account (Purchased items, Synced Data, Etc), I've used Google's Transfer feature to move my Google Hangouts/Voice number to a secondary account. Your text/call history will not transfer with this process.

support.google.com/voice/answer/3527591

I can't see any reason why Hangouts would stop working with two separate accounts when one of them is Project Fi enabled. If this is true, my concerns have been addressed...

Thanks for posting that.

I don't mind if I use FI with secondary Google account, since I would prefer to keep my Google Voice account with my primary. However, this is good to know.

 

[Crashdamage]

This is what has me worried. From the Fi help page 'Switching from Google Voice to Project Fi':

"You can’t make or receive calls or access voicemail using Google Talk, Google Voice apps, or Obihai devices..."

Key words: You can't make or receive calls...using...Google Voice apps...

That sounds like the GV app may not work with Fi at all, non-functional, even using a GV number not associated with the Fi account. To be able to use Fi the way we need it's essential to use the GV app, VoiceChoice 2.0 and to have conditional call forwarding. IOW we need Fi to act as a direct replacement for the postpaid T-Mobile service we have.

I haven't found an answer yet to if the GV app will work at all or about conditional call forwarding. If anyone knows I would really appreciate it.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[diesteldorf]

I'm one of those that is very curious, but I'm not chomping at the bit. I'll definitely wait for things to be clarified with Google Voice before accepting any invite.

As cool as this service would be, TMO is average to weak in my area and Sprint is pretty good.

Considering, I already pay Sprint just under $34 for Unlimited Talk/Text and 2 GB data, FI would be no better financially, but it would still be cool to try it.

 

[ptScott]

Has anyone dialed 1-844-TALK-2-FI (Listed in Project Fi app) yet to see if any of these questions might be answered?

 

[sbmmm]

What was your solution? Are there any hiccups?

I read the same language of the invite and I contacted Google chat support. Basically, they said both GV and Fi use enough of the same code on the same servers that there are conflicts. I was told it's like trying to transfer/install data that already exists and the program recognizes that causing conflicts. I hope they work it out (if they even want to).

I was thinking of using an intermediary voip service (Skype, etc.) to relay calls between two separate Google accounts, one using GV and the other using Fi. I dislike the messiness of this solution, but was hoping there was something better.

Any thoughts?

BTW, I do have a dormant Obihai 200 that I could start using with GV...