Question Voicemail App

[jdroid8]

[per (see signature) Samsung Phone]

Too often, I find myself faced with 20+ phone messages that I must ponderously wade my way through each one in order of entry…in order to find out if any of them are worth listening to.

Is there a free (Google Play) app I can download that allows me to at least see 1) the name (if one of my Contacts) and/or, 2) the phone number and/or, 3) any other useful information about a phone message stored on my phone?

 

[VidJunky]

Oh that's easy. Get Google Voice. Not only does it allow you to see the name or number of the caller but it let's you read most of your messages. Yes, we're talking about VM. Voice turns most voice messages into readable text messages.

Voice replaces your current voicemail system, offers you a second phone number, let's you send messages and make calls from this second number and turns most VM into visual VM. And yes it does it for your regular number and the second number they offer you. It used to do so much more but these are the options that are left and it works pretty well. I almost forgot it also offers call screening to the GV number, so the caller either says their name or GV says the number calling and you have the option to answer or send to VM without answering. Being a Google product, it incorporates all of the contacts you have saved/backed up with Google and all of your other Google accounts. And it is free.

Did I mention it's fun to read the transcript when it messes up the dictation?

I would show how it looks but most of the image would be redacted so this wrong number is all I'll show. I also forgot to mention that, yes, you can still listen to the message. Which for the fun times when it gets the transcription wrong is helpful.

 

[mustang7757]

[per (see signature) Samsung Phone]

Too often, I find myself faced with 20+ phone messages that I must ponderously wade my way through each one in order of entry…in order to find out if any of them are worth listening to.

Is there a free (Google Play) app I can download that allows me to at least see 1) the name (if one of my Contacts) and/or, 2) the phone number and/or, 3) any other useful information about a phone message stored on my phone?

Is this Us or international version?
Are you using the dialer to retrieve voicemail?, might want try your carrier visual voicemail app which you can see visually the number /name/ play the message

 

[mustang7757]

I see your signature mentions 2 devices and this Samsung in question is the A13, your profile banner could use a resizing lol

 

[jdroid8]

Oh that's easy. Get Google Voice. Not only does it allow you to see the name or number of the caller but it let's you read most of your messages. Yes, we're talking about VM. Voice turns most voice messages into readable text messages.

Voice replaces your current voicemail system, offers you a second phone number, let's you send messages and make calls from this second number and turns most VM into visual VM. And yes it does it for your regular number and the second number they offer you. It used to do so much more but these are the options that are left and it works pretty well. I almost forgot it also offers call screening to the GV number, so the caller either says their name or GV says the number calling and you have the option to answer or send to VM without answering. Being a Google product, it incorporates all of the contacts you have saved/backed up with Google and all of your other Google accounts. And it is free.

Did I mention it's fun to read the transcript when it messes up the dictation?

I would show how it looks but most of the image would be redacted so this wrong number is all I'll show. I also forgot to mention that, yes, you can still listen to the message. Which for the fun times when it gets the transcription wrong is helpful.

I installed Google voice. When I bring it up it seems to recognize my phone number and immediately asks me to choose a new number. When I look into using my own number it provides pages and pages of instructions how to "port my number" ... Port my number to what!? It seems to imply that in doing the porting I'm going to be changing my provider or carrier!?

ALL I WANT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A PHONE ANSWERING MACHINE!!

What is Google Voice?? What does it have to do with my carrier? Suppose I change my Carrier (which is always a question when no cell towers are available in the area) Will I have to unport my Google Voice first?

If I instead choose to pick a new number, what Google apparently thinks makes more sense, what am I doing? Will my current number continue to work? Will I have to call everyone I've called in my life telling them my number has changed?

 

[jdroid8]

I see your signature mentions 2 devices and this Samsung in question is the A13, your profile banner could use a resizing lol

I don't understand.

Yes, the Samsung this thread is about is an A13.
I'm sorry if my Signature is the wrong size. I agree that it would make more sense if this information could be put directly below the portion of the screen that lists the user name.

 

[jdroid8]

Is this Us or international version?
Are you using the dialer to retrieve voicemail?, might want try your carrier visual voicemail app which you can see visually the number /name/ play the message

When I get calls on the Samsung phone, the calls are listed under Phone/Recents. The list contains a 1) phone icon (press to call that number back); 2) Name (if a contact) or number (if not); 3) date/time. Nowhere is there indicated if the call left a voicemail or a text message.

If I go back to the 'desktop' I can press the Text message icon (a voice bubble) and see text messages that have been left for me.

Nowhere have I found anything that lists voicemail messages. I can (eventually) get to my keypad, put in my secret number, and patiently listen through every message...

Does every carrier (US Cellular) have a "visual voicemail"?

 

[SyCoREAPER]

When I get calls on the Samsung phone, the calls are listed under Phone/Recents. The list contains a 1) phone icon (press to call that number back); 2) Name (if a contact) or number (if not); 3) date/time. Nowhere is there indicated if the call left a voicemail or a text message.

If I go back to the 'desktop' I can press the Text message icon (a voice bubble) and see text messages that have been left for me.

Nowhere have I found anything that lists voicemail messages. I can (eventually) get to my keypad, put in my secret number, and patiently listen through every message...

Does every carrier (US Cellular) have a "visual voicemail"?

Nor will it. Samsungs native dialer doesn't do that. The visual voicemail app (from Samsung) is also only, oversimplification, a symlink to your real voicemail. Nova for example doesn't show that I have VMs, only a notification in the drop-down.

It's an annoying quirk but is what it is.

US Cellular does not appear to have a VVM app. So you can use the Samsung one or forward unanswered calls to Google voice and use that as your mailbox.

 

[mustang7757]

I don't understand.

Yes, the Samsung this thread is about is an A13.
I'm sorry if my Signature is the wrong size. I agree that it would make more sense if this information could be put directly below the portion of the screen that lists the user name.

Yeah unfortunately can't put it under username but signature works good

 

[mustang7757]

When I get calls on the Samsung phone, the calls are listed under Phone/Recents. The list contains a 1) phone icon (press to call that number back); 2) Name (if a contact) or number (if not); 3) date/time. Nowhere is there indicated if the call left a voicemail or a text message.

If I go back to the 'desktop' I can press the Text message icon (a voice bubble) and see text messages that have been left for me.

Nowhere have I found anything that lists voicemail messages. I can (eventually) get to my keypad, put in my secret number, and patiently listen through every message...

Does every carrier (US Cellular) have a "visual voicemail"?

I'm not referring to calls , voicemail, it would be easier to sort through them with visual voicemail which can download carrier version

 

[smvim]

Finding a free app or service that will also be effective in filtering your voicemails is a daunting endeavor. Have you looked into U.S. Cellular's spam filtering service? 4 dollars a month isn't bad.

https://www.uscellular.com/support/help/spam-calls

 

[VidJunky]

Google voice is a service as I've described that gives you visual voicemail, a second number that you can call and text from, a few enhanced features like call screening and international calls, all of which is free except the last one.

I've set up Voice more than half a dozen times over the years and have never been asked to port a number. Google Fi might do that as Google Fi is a carrier service provided by Google but Voice should give you a number. Now it does ask that you forward calls through your newly created GV number so that it can intercept calls and send them to voicemail so your number is tied to the service.

Since I'm unable to help you through setup I found this video from YouTube that step by steps it and helps you setup the desktop tool as well.

Good luck and best wishes.

 

[jdroid8]

Google voice is a service as I've described that gives you visual voicemail, a second number that you can call and text from, a few enhanced features like call screening and international calls, all of which is free except the last one.

I've set up Voice more than half a dozen times over the years and have never been asked to port a number. Google Fi might do that as Google Fi is a carrier service provided by Google but Voice should give you a number. Now it does ask that you forward calls through your newly created GV number so that it can intercept calls and send them to voicemail so your number is tied to the service.

Since I'm unable to help you through setup I found this video from YouTube that step by steps it and helps you setup the desktop tool as well.

Good luck and best wishes.

Thank you for your continued help. The YouTube you linked is very clear and helpful!

The Voice interface shown is great! Just the kind of thing I want to encounter if I’m sitting before my PC!! – including a call history; call back option; text messages; voicemail(s) – translated into text!!; spam area…

After watching/listening to the link on YouTube, I noticed/watched other similar videos (e.g.,

). They all cover what to do to enable GVoice, but again, none of them explained:

what GVoice actually is,
or should I say, what the PREMISE of Google Voice is.​

Explained simply:

• I was assigned a phone number by my provider (my “Provider-number”). That is the number through which everyone reaches me.
• Google Voice wants to provide me with another number. In fact, it seems GVoice will allow me to have multiple free numbers (which seems a way to segregate calls from businesses from calls from friends…? But we’ll keep it simple for now…)
  • Is the number I pick for Google Voice (I’ll call it my “GVoice-number”) just a number I need to know because it’s only a way to pick up voicemail left on my Provider-number? Or…
  • Is my GVoice-number a number I need to let everyone know because my Provider-number will no longer be operational because GVoice has taken it over?
  • If I go through the GVoice procedure using my Win11 PC am I limited to using that number only when I’m on the PC? (In other words, if I want everyone to reach me through one number (my Provider-number?; my GVoice number?) and I want to be able to answer any phone call I get on either my cell phone or my Desktop (or another personal desktop) do I need to go through the same setup process on every device?
• Does GVoice require I handle all my phone calls through WiFi or is this something that works when I am somewhere where towers are available?
• And, of course, there’s the question of what happens to GVoice (and my GVoice number) if I change providers.

I hope you don’t think I’m asking too much or being unreasonable.

 

[VidJunky]

The GV number is just an extra number for you that you can use or not use. All calls to your regular number go through that exchange but only for the purposes of providing you VM. I do other things with my number, like use the GV number to enter contests, or use it online in places I'd rather not put out personal information, or give it to people I only just met who might or might not be mentally stable and because GV offers call screening I don't get so many annoying or spam calls. People tend to go away if they have to say their name before the call goes through. No need to tell anyone you have a new number or adjust how you use your current number unless you're going to use it.

I suggest you search for more videos about GV. I'm sure there are dozens. I would caution against watching videos from more than 2 or 3 years ago because they have changed several of the features and older videos will include things they've stopped doing including my favorite feature which was individual messages for callers. Just reminisce a little bit, with that feature you could set a group of people to be directed to one VM message like friends and family where you tell them to leave a message and another group, marketing and annoyances, to buzz off and even restrict the option for them to leave a message. The good ol days.

Find more reviews and tutorials on YouTube, download and play with it, is the best I can offer.