How should I set the messaging settings after adding Google Voice

[Taildragger22]

I got a Republic Wireless phone (Moto e4, Android 7.1) last August (2017), and this is the first time I have used a data plan. I thought it would be a good idea to get a Google Voice number:

I could give it to all my contacts
It would work if I changed phones, or providers
I could have that number ring other phones (cool!)
It has its own voice mail
etc.

What I didn't know was about all the “syncing” stuff. And that it has it's own messaging app.
When I synced my contacts thru Gmail, (from my iphone 4s) I got contacts back that I had deleted years ago, some of them 5-6 years old.

Then there was the problem giving the Google Voice number to people with iphones. I can't remember exactly, but either they didn't get my texts, or I didn't get their replies. Apparently iphones handle contact numbers differently somehow. It's a known issue, but I can't remember how I resolved it. Seems I had to have all people with iphones delete me as a contact, and re-enter with the new number.

I say it's a known issue, just Google “google voice messed up my phone” or “google messed up my …….”

Oh, and it was a real pain when a group of us campers tried to use the GroupMe app. Again, it was the iphone people that couldn't connect.

Now a few days ago, I opened the “Voice” messaging app, and scrolled down and found texts going back to 2012, Yikes! You can understand my frustration. A friend said, “Why did you get that Google number for anyway?”

Here's where you could help:
I just want to use the Google Voice number to give to everyone so I can just give out one number.
I DON'T want two (or to use two) messaging apps. I would rather just use the messaging app that came with the android phone, and not the “Voice” app.
I DON'T want to sync contacts thru Gmail (maybe every two or three years, when I change phones, but not as a general rule. (Frankly, I didn't know about syncing before last August, and was surprised when I got all those old contacts).

What settings can I use to achieve the above goals? Thanks in advance

 

[A Bochur]

i don't like the voice app either. i use the Hangouts messaging and Hangouts dialer apps. they do the same thing as voice but i like it better.

delete voice app. download Hangouts and Hangouts dialer (they then merge into the same app) then go into the app, open the menu>settings>press on your email address> select receive calls, and receive messages.

you can't send or receive texts using the Google voice number while in the Android messaging app, cuz the messaging app uses your regular Sim number.

to stop contacts from syncing go to settings>accounts>Google>{your email address}>turn off sync for contacts.
Then go into your contacts app, and in settings go to "contacts to display" and select "phone contact"

the end result will be that you'll have to use the Hangouts app as the default if you want to call or text using the GV number.

in short i don't think it's possible to have what you asked for, working perfectly