1. Andrax's Avatar
    Google Voice is NOT a data connection when you make or receive calls. The only exception to this is if you have a SIP client for say Gizmo5 installed on your phone and have GV programmed to ring THAT number, not your cell.

    If the PHONE rings and you answer or you dial out you are using minutes on your plan. Also, if a caller on your home network (AT&T if your on AT&T, Verizon if your on Verizon etc) calls your GV number and it's forwarded to your cell phone, they will be charged minutes because they are dialing an out of network call.

    The way to setup GV to make use of almost unlimited minutes is if you have Fav5, Pick3, Friends & Family and add GV as one of your exempt numbers. Then you must have all callers ring you on your GV number and initiate all your outbound calls through GV. You can do this several ways. You can get a dialer app like GVDialer, or any calling card app (Berrydialer, EasyDialer, CardKaller) and configure GV as a calling card. This will allow you to dial out via GV directly from your phone address book. To also make this work for "unlimited" calling above, you need to setup GV to always display your Google Voice number on your caller ID, not the inbound caller's CID.
    07-23-09 08:17 AM
  2. greystealth's Avatar
    I still don't buy it. Receiving calls is fine I can kinda understand how that would run up minutes since its a forward BUT making calls, I don't see it. Just for fun I was able ONLY shut of my mobile network and leave my voice with my tour. I opened up GV tried to make a call using GV and got an error "Google Voice needs a data connection to place calls, Call failed".


    That tells me that it actually does route the call through data.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by greystealth; 07-23-09 at 08:39 AM.
    07-23-09 08:34 AM
  3. Andrax's Avatar
    It's all good. I'm not here to convince you, just tell you how it is.

    You can absolutely initiate calls over the air on data by going to the GV site and using the CALL button. But once your phone rings and becomes connected you are using minutes. The workaround for this is to add your GV number to your friends and family list. If you do this however, be sure that you are either A) not using the Google developed GV app for your BB OR
    B) if you are make sure you add the 303 (or whatever the area code is) that your bb dials to connect to GV and watch for it to change.

    There are also different applications you can use to dial out (personally i think the Google app for GV on Blackberry is weak). I prefer the dialer apps that treat GV as a Calling Card as this streamlines the process without the bloat.
    07-23-09 09:07 AM
  4. greystealth's Avatar
    Thanks for your input. I'm still skeptical and will continue dig further but thanks again.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    07-23-09 09:13 AM
  5. Tre Lawrence's Avatar
    Google Voice is NOT a data connection when you make or receive calls. The only exception to this is if you have a SIP client for say Gizmo5 installed on your phone and have GV programmed to ring THAT number, not your cell.

    If the PHONE rings and you answer or you dial out you are using minutes on your plan. Also, if a caller on your home network (AT&T if your on AT&T, Verizon if your on Verizon etc) calls your GV number and it's forwarded to your cell phone, they will be charged minutes because they are dialing an out of network call.

    The way to setup GV to make use of almost unlimited minutes is if you have Fav5, Pick3, Friends & Family and add GV as one of your exempt numbers. Then you must have all callers ring you on your GV number and initiate all your outbound calls through GV. You can do this several ways. You can get a dialer app like GVDialer, or any calling card app (Berrydialer, EasyDialer, CardKaller) and configure GV as a calling card. This will allow you to dial out via GV directly from your phone address book. To also make this work for "unlimited" calling above, you need to setup GV to always display your Google Voice number on your caller ID, not the inbound caller's CID.
    Correct, as far as I know. Nice explanation.

    Outgoing and incoming calls will eat up one's minutes unless you set up GV (or whatever client you use) correctly.
    07-23-09 11:15 AM
  6. Jeff5886's Avatar
    Whe is this supposed to be released to the public
    07-23-09 11:28 AM
  7. camalus's Avatar
    OK... let me clear the air on some of this. I have been using google voice for about 5 months now and have been involved in testing since they bought grand central a while back.

    Google Voice calls are in no way what so ever at all even a little used over a data connection. You use minutes to make calls.. and to receive calls.

    Making calls out : You select who to call, your phone rings, then it dials your contact. (if you are both verizon customers, you will both be charged minutes since you are calling google, then google is calling both of you). Not free.

    Receiving calls : Someone calls your google line (costs them minutes), depending on your settings in google, it forwards the call to either your cell, home, work or any combination including having all three ring at once. This uses minutes on your cell since a non network number is calling you. Not free.

    Text Messages : If you are doing this from your BB, you have to use the application. Unfortunitly, you have no way of being notified of anyone replying to you unless you refresh the screen constantly. Sure, it can send you a text message to notify of a new text message in your google voice inbox, but guess what, you are still using text messages to be notified.

    In conclusion. Voice calls are not free. In any way. Unless you both have friends and family or something like that. It uses normal call minutes.

    Text messages may be free through google voice, but its annoying as well having to constantly refresh it to see if you have a new message.

    Until google makes a way to have an email sent to you notifying of a new message, you may as well just pay for texting.

    Hope that clears the air. No VoIP. No nothing free for calls.
    07-23-09 11:29 AM
  8. greystealth's Avatar
    Thanks for your detailed explanation of your experience but I still don't understand. Why would my blackberry not allow me to make a call using Google Voice while my internet was off? Text message would not work either.

    Why do they advertise free calling within the US. Is it just a gimmick? I would think not.

    I don't know, someone really needs to have a technical breakdown of how it really works and why they advertise it as such.
    07-23-09 01:33 PM
  9. AlwaysLostSometimes's Avatar
    I love Google Voice. Been using it for quite some time now.
    07-23-09 01:35 PM
  10. Tre Lawrence's Avatar
    Thanks for your detailed explanation of your experience but I still don't understand. Why would my blackberry not allow me to make a call using Google Voice while my internet was off? Text message would not work either.

    Why do they advertise free calling within the US. Is it just a gimmick? I would think not.

    I don't know, someone really needs to have a technical breakdown of how it really works and why they advertise it as such.
    Technically, it is free; you are not paying them for the service of making regular calls in the 48. The service of connecting calls is free. In other words, for a regular domestic call, Google is not getting any money from you; your provider potentially is.

    When you use a Faves/Friends&Family plan, you are making it free to you though.
    07-23-09 01:40 PM
  11. nobodyhome's Avatar
    Google Voice is NOT a data connection when you make or receive calls. The only exception to this is if you have a SIP client for say Gizmo5 installed on your phone and have GV programmed to ring THAT number, not your cell.
    How would one go about doing this? is this possible?
    07-23-09 02:09 PM
  12. Andrax's Avatar
    Why do they advertise free calling within the US. Is it just a gimmick? I would think not.

    I don't know, someone really needs to have a technical breakdown of how it really works and why they advertise it as such.
    It is a FREE service from google. They dont charge you a fee to use the service of voice mail transcription, simulring, call recording, voice mail to email etc. This makes their claims valid that it's free.

    What Google Voice DOESNT do is excempt you from third party charges. If your cell provider charges you $1 to receive a text message and you get a text from Google Voice, you're going to get charged that dollar by your provider, not from Google.

    Want to know more about what it can do? Google Voice
    07-23-09 02:30 PM
  13. LouisCameron's Avatar
    I love Google Voice and think that it's pretty amazing... and they one up Youmail by including the transcript for free. There is however one thing that I would LOVE to see them improve and that would be the notification of a new message on my Blackberry Tour, or all BB's for that matter.

    Currently I forward all my missed calls to my GV number (set to "DND") and use it as a "visual voicemail" service. But I also have the app located in the 4th row on my Tour, so it's kind of a pain to go in and look to see after I have a missed call, if the called left a message... indicated by the yellow star on the Google Voice app tile. Yes I understand that I can get an email or SMS when I have a new message, but also... kind of an annoying step when the process can be streamlined by having google include a notification in the header like so:


    Come on google, make it happen!
    07-24-09 09:12 AM
  14. camalus's Avatar
    I totaly agree. A simple notification on the screen like above would make google voice a VERY useful tool.

    Gonna log in and send a couple emails around... google tends to listen to feedback quite well, so who knows!
    07-24-09 09:22 AM
  15. LouisCameron's Avatar
    I totaly agree. A simple notification on the screen like above would make google voice a VERY useful tool.

    Gonna log in and send a couple emails around... google tends to listen to feedback quite well, so who knows!
    I did the same. And sent an @reply to Google Voice on twitter... hopefully they'll see it and make it happen.
    07-24-09 09:42 AM
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