Phone: Motorola Atrix 4g
Carrier: AT&T
OS: Android 2.2 (soon to be 2.3!)
Problem: Can't use all Google Voice Features with Cell Number
I recently purchased the Motorola Atrix and so far I am very impressed with this phone. My friend has an Android phone with Sprint and he told me about Google Voice and how great it was for his phone. I short I WANT that with my phone. I understand the basic concept of how GV works and how Sprint has a "special" relationship with this service, but I still would like to try and make it work with my phone in a similar way.
Notes:
I do not have a separate GV Number.
I have installed the GV app and the voicemail functions work but SMS and call forwarding do not work.
My Questions:
1) If I port my cell number over to GV will everything work correctly (like Sprint...including SMS and Call Forwarding features)
2) If I do port my number over...how are my outgoing and incoming calls (that go to my cell phone) billed on ATT. Because calls get routed through Google do they still appear as Mobile to Mobile Calls? Are they all Land line calls from GV? Does the forwarding of the correct "Caller ID" information solve all of these problems?
3) Ideally I would like to avoid porting my number to Google, and work with settings on my phone or with ATT technicians to make my phone work like it would on the Sprint System. Basically I want to use all of the GV benefits without getting a separate GV number and without porting my Cell number to GV. Is this Possible? Has anyone done it?
Thanks to anyone who read this and has any information for me.
Cheers,
BW
Related
Hi,
Since with Android you have a choice for your calls to go thru Google Voice (totally - only international or not at all) I was wondering how it works with AT&T.
If you call another AT&T cell phone it doesn't count in your minutes plan but what if you go trhu Google Voice? Is that consider like a landline to a cell phone? Or AT&T "sees" that you are using a AT&T cell and count the time has cell to cell ?
I hope I was clear in my explanation
I honestly don't know.
This has been discussed before on AT&T's forums.
The question on those forums were posed as: " If I use Google Voice and add that phone number to my "A-List" could I technically get unlimited calls to anyone?"
I'm pretty sure the answer was no. And therefore, I don't think AT&T sees the Google Voice number as anything but a forwarded call.
So if the calls are forwarded, you pay according to where it is forwarded.
Example: All of these go THROUGH Google Voice:
I call another AT&T cell from my AT&T cell. Same network = FREE M2M
I call a landline from my AT&T cell, no M2M, pay for call
This is also equal for when someone dials your Google Voice number.
It does leave questions on how international call are worked out. But I think that is on Google's end, not AT&T's
mymansionisabox said:
I honestly don't know.
This has been discussed before on AT&T's forums.
The question on those forums were posed as: " If I use Google Voice and add that phone number to my "A-List" could I technically get unlimited calls to anyone?"
I'm pretty sure the answer was no. And therefore, I don't think AT&T sees the Google Voice number as anything but a forwarded call.
So if the calls are forwarded, you pay according to where it is forwarded.
Example: All of these go THROUGH Google Voice:
I call another AT&T cell from my AT&T cell. Same network = FREE M2M
I call a landline from my AT&T cell, no M2M, pay for call
This is also equal for when someone dials your Google Voice number.
It does leave questions on how international call are worked out. But I think that is on Google's end, not AT&T's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure that is correct, because when you place a google voice call, gv is actually calling you and then calling the other party and joining the calls. So for international you have a incoming local call and you get to pay GV low rates. I have a PBX at home that uses free incoming minutes and therefore with GV free unlimited calling.
Since we have android the callback is in the background, unless you have the update that allows you to call a GV number with a access code assigned to each contact so you don't have to wait for the callback and have a much faster connection.
just checked my usage... bad news...
making calls through GV counts against your minutes... each of my GV calls is going to a GV number and then going to the party i called (even though they're on AT&T as well)...
so, if you're calling an AT&T subscriber, just use your normal dialer... if you're calling any other carrier subscribers (or landlines) use either, depending on what number you want shown on potential caller ID's
just place the call through the GV web app then.
The way to get the free unlimited calls is to go into GV settings and have all calls from GV display on your phone as the GV number. You then give out the GV number as your main number, all incoming calls hit your phone and the number they came from is GV.
Also, when you make out outbound calls, you use GV to set up the call - it rings your cell and comes from your GV number, then connects to whoever you call.
If the GV number is one in your circle, or faves, or whatever ATT calls it, then all are free - but of course you lose caller id on incoming calls.
I have a Sprint data card that I use Skype with. A one and a half hour call through Skype only uses 25MB. Sprint is not able to "see" that I am using VoIP because Skype encrypts the data. This way I make somewhat free calls and its real cheap considering the data from my alloted 5gb. I am anxiously waiting for Skype to start working on ATT Smartphones. I did wonder how GV would work but I'd prefer Skype and use my Skypeout number.
alphadog00 said:
The way to get the free unlimited calls is to go into GV settings and have all calls from GV display on your phone as the GV number. You then give out the GV number as your main number, all incoming calls hit your phone and the number they came from is GV.
Also, when you make out outbound calls, you use GV to set up the call - it rings your cell and comes from your GV number, then connects to whoever you call.
If the GV number is one in your circle, or faves, or whatever ATT calls it, then all are free - but of course you lose caller id on incoming calls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, this also give you the option to press "4" during the call and record the call at GV!
kyphur said:
Exactly, this also give you the option to press "4" during the call and record the call at GV!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the press 4 trick.. i had no idea.
alphadog00 said:
The way to get the free unlimited calls is to go into GV settings and have all calls from GV display on your phone as the GV number. You then give out the GV number as your main number, all incoming calls hit your phone and the number they came from is GV.
Also, when you make out outbound calls, you use GV to set up the call - it rings your cell and comes from your GV number, then connects to whoever you call.
If the GV number is one in your circle, or faves, or whatever ATT calls it, then all are free - but of course you lose caller id on incoming calls.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that is the best way to do it if you want to do a regular voice call. I didn't know ATT had the fav option!
Also what I do is use freepbx at home in a VM with a GV setup so I can make free VOIP calls to anyone in the US. I have voip phone at home and voip software on my phone. I still use GV for voicemail.
In this case i use SIPDROID.
AT&T added a fav option for higher dollar plans. I am not sure what they call it, but they did it keep up with VZW and TMo
at&t's version is called A-List. IIRC, you need to be on a $60 monthly or higher plan. You get to list 10 numbers on your account (not per line) and all in/out calls to those 10 numbers are treated as m2m...
The google voice app has never worked on my phone, always giving me some message about it being for US only.
But today i tried it from my phone and it actually allowed me to set up an account. It stopped at the screen where i was setting up my voicemail pin and said "We have a problem. Your phone number could not be verified. Please try again.". So far i havent been able to get past that screen.
I was able to make google voice calls on my laptop today so it seems like they are allowing use in Canada finally. Does anyone know if its possible to use google voice on mobilicity or wind?
I am curious because mobilicity has a new plan with unlimited calls texts and data for 25 a month, but no voicemail. If i can use google voice as my voicemail then obviously that wont be a problem.
don't know if you checked this out already, but read the post below...I think it should explain what you're looking for....
http://community.windmobile.ca/windmobile/topics/using_google_voice_on_your_phone?from_gsfn=true
Thanks, its too bad that the workarounds discussed in that post still dont offer a solution for voicemail, but that will probably be useful information for future reference.
I did find a solution to this problem without using google voice if anyone is interested. I may as well share it.
To those who are interested in this plan but wont sign up without voicemail:
- You can get a free phone number and a customizable answering machine from http://www.freephoneline.ca/ (if you cant get a toronto number you can use thornhill, richmond hill, etc to avoid forwarding to a long distance number)
- Then set your phone to forward your unanswered, busy, and unavailable incoming calls to your freephoneline number.
- Then set your voicemail access number to the corresponding number on this list http://www.freephoneline.ca/vmAccessNumbers
- Also make sure to set your freephoneline to only ring once before going to voicemail, you can do this by logging into your account on their website and going to your settings
- You now have $25 BTS + Voicemail! When people call your regular phone number and you dont answer, it will forward them to your voicemail on your freephoneline number, and you can check your voicemail from your cell phone the same way you always would.
I believe they also provide the option to automatically transcribe your voicemails and email them to you in text form.
EDIT: Apparantly call forwarding is $5 more, if thats true this wouldnt work. Another option would be using Dell Voice on the android market.
Its an app gives you a canadian number with the area code of your choice and can be used to make and receive calls anywhere in canada and US for free, and customizable voicemail. It uses your carrier data to do this, but since this plan has unlimited data that shouldnt be a problem. The only problem is you would have to get used to making and receiving all your calls through an app, and using your dell voice number as your primary number.
Might be worth the extra $5 to get call features and add the freephoneline voicemail via the method above, the $5 call features addon on the mobilicity website includes Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and 3-Way Calling, (plus voicemail via fpl). Thats basically $30 for the $29 plan i currently have with wind except that it doesnt expire in a year and go up to $45 =/
I have my personal phone, Samsung Focus, and my work phone, iPhone 3GS, and I'd honestly like to only have to carry 1 with me, the Focus.
What I need:
Receive phone calls [Done]
Receive text messages
Receive Email [Done]
How can I have my iPhone forward text messages? Or is there a service similar to AT&T Messages I can use on my Focus to get my text messages on my iPhone?
well than try to change the number from the iphone to the focus and call it a day. I am not aware of any service that you are talking about than can forward messages from one phone to another.
I think that I might do is put the iPhone SIM Card into an old Android phone and use an SMS Relay app to forward the text messages.
You could check for a GSM shortcode that will handle SMS forwarding. I know there's one for call forwardign (you're probably already using it).
Alternatively, even if there's not an app for SMS forwarding in Apple's store, you may be able to find one on Cydia (requires jailbreaking though, which might not be OK on a "work phone").
Can you use google voice and install something like govoice on your samsung?
Just a thought.
Work provided me with an iPhone 4S and pays the bill. So, I ported my personal number for my LG Quantum to Google Voice. It made it so that I did not need to tell anyone a new number.
The official Google Voice app is not as good as some of the pay ones. I now use GV Mobile+. Also Talkatone is a google voice app that lets you talk using wifi (if connected such as at home) or data.
GV Mobile+ also supports sending pictures in text messages, unlike the official Google Voice app.
In any case, you will want to port you personal number to Google Voice.
After that, you can also take the SIM out of the iPhone and put it in a different phone. In my case, I cannot, since the iPhone 4S uses a Micro SIM, so I would need a Micro SIM to SIM adaptor.
There are Google Voice apps for Windows Phone as well.
Either way you go, the first step is porting your personal number to Google Voice.
Other advantages:
Can configure it to ring your work cell, office phone, and home phone all at the same time.
Can switch the conversation to any number you have configured by pressing * during the call.
Can easily record the conversation if you desire.
Text messages that are sent and recieved over data, so work will not notice or care.
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Perhaps google voice could help or some auto SMS forwarding app on your 2nd phone
I've had the same number for over a decade on 3 different providers. Several years ago I ported that number to Sprint and ever since the Google Voice and Sprint integration option was available, I've been using it. I really like all of the features such as being able to send texts on the Google Voice website from my "primary" number and when people call my "primary" number it not only rang to my phone but it would also pop up as an incoming call on Gmail, etc. I just switched to T-mobile today and ported my number over to them after cancelling the Sprint/GV integration. I didn't think this all the way through before doing so unfortunately.. Now I have a plan and a phone that I really like but I'm basically stuck with Google Voice Lite which leaves a lot to be desired since I liked ALL of the features of Google Voice I used to have and not just the voicemail forwarding feature....
I'm assuming that it is possible to get all these features back by doing the following:
- add a second line to my T-mobile with a new/different number and put that SIM card in my new phone
- port my old "primary" number that I just brought over to T-mobile to Google Voice for $20
- Set up google voice to forward all calls and text message going to my old "primary" number to my new T-mobile number
The only question I have is whether after doing this, is there a way to make the functionality EXACTLY the same as when I was on Sprint with my Sprint/GV number integrated? I.e. When someone calls me on the number I ported to GV# it rings to my computer if I'm sitting in front of my Gmail as well as my phone... all text messages to my GV# will go to my phone and can be read/replied to on the google voice website the same as it used to, etc. My understanding was that the GV/Sprint integration was just an agreement that the two companies had where Sprint "owned" the number but it could also be used as the GV number through some carrier-specific forwarding agreement that they had. I'd like to know if I do the above-mentioned steps would I get the same result or is there some drawbacks to having a different carrier with a different number and now GV "owns" the number and is just forwarding the data in a similar fashion? The main drawback I foresee would be that if i make a call or send a text message from my phone it would show up as the new T-mobile number instead of the GV# and people wouldn't know who it is until everyone in my contacts list got used to it. I think this could be avoided by using Google Hangouts or something as my primary dialer and text messaging app but then I'd be using up my data for VoIP and MMS messages which would otherwise be free on my T-mobile number. Anyone been in a similar situation and have some info/advice? Thanks
For those of you who have a 3G version of the Gear S2 and don't want to fuss with manually call forwarding anymore, allow me to recommend an option many seem to have forgotten over the last couple of years: Google Voice
I've been using GV for years as the VM on my phone. Now, I have added the Gear S2 3G as another phone on my GV account. This gives two great benefits:
1. Calls automatically forward from phone-to-watch OR watch-to-phone if I don't answer on the originally called device, eliminating the need to enable and disable call forwarding phone-to-watch manually and giving a two-way solution if I leave the watch at home for a change.
2. Gives one unified voicemail box for both my phone and watch numbers. While only a few important people have my watch number for emergency purposes, I don't want people to have to remember multiple numbers to call or worry they are leaving a VM in the "box I rarely check."
To forward the watch's calls, just follow Google Voice's instructions with the manual call forwarding dial codes for your carrier (T-Mobile USA is **004*1<10digitGVnumber>#, for example) and dial them on your watch AFTER you set the number up in your GV account. And, of course, this is only going to work for those who live in a country GV services (US & Canada, I believe). If you are outside the US & Canada, I'm sorry that I have no similar alternative to offer you.
Hello, I have the Gear S2 and I thought my Nexus 6 Had the HD voice and it wont connect via AT&T's NumberSync without giving me the error
"We are sorry. We cannot set up NumberSync because your device does not have HD Voice or the person who can make account changes has blocked NumberSync.If NumberSync is blocked, ask the account holder to log in to myAT&T to unblock it."
I have been thinking of diferent ways to have it work like the NumberSync and it sounds like your way does. I have a phone number associated with the watch on AT&T now what do I do next? I did find THIS YouTube video which uses the Samsung Gear app which worked and was easy but im curious whats the difference?
Thanks,