What is Google Voice?
Some users still seem to be confused as to what Google Voice is. Simply put, Google Voice is a telephony service that provides you with a suite of tools to control how all of your calls are handled. It is not a VoIP service so in order to use Google Voice you must configure your current phones to work with it. I use it in conjunction with my mobile phone and VoIP service. When placing a call you have the option of displaying your "real" number or your Google Voice number as your Caller ID. Since Google Voice rings your phones just like a regular phone you will be using mobile minutes just like a regular call.
Tip Roundup
* Call from your GV number (from whatever phone you have in hand)
* Use GV for just its voicemail
* Firefox extension to make calls using GV on any webpage
* Use Google Voice to save your cell minutes
* Check out GV features on this video
* Save money on your SMS/TEXT messaging
* Transferring calls in the middle of a call
* Listening in and call pick up
* Voicemail delivered as text messages or email
* Need multiple phone numbers?
Call from your GV number (from whatever phone you have in hand)
You can make an outgoing call as your GV number (recipient's caller ID would show GV too) from any phone by:
* Dial your GV number
* Press *
* Dial your GV voicemail pin
* Press * for the menu (if it starts playing voicemails)
* Press 2
* Dial the number you wish to call
* Press #
Use GV for just its voicemail
How do you set this up? Login to your account, go to Settings (General tab), and scroll down and check "Enable 'Do Not Disturb'"
Firefox extension to make calls using GV on any webpage
go to:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/11167
and download the Firefox extension that enables Click to Call for phone numbers that appear on websites. Click on the number, GV will call your cell and connect you!
Use Google Voice to save your cell minutes
Some carriers allow you to make unlimited calls to a limited (prespecified) number on any network as part of the plan. For example, Verizon has Friends and Family, Sprint offers Pick 3, T-mobile has MyFaves. Sign up for one of these plans and register your GV number as one of the contacts in the plan. You can then use GV to make unlimited free calls to the US and Canada. You will not lose minutes on those calls! Please note that you will need to call GV and then hit 2 to call out. For incoming calls, you need to set GV to show its number (not the number of the caller) to get free incoming calls, a minor inconvenience. This can save you some serious money.
Check out GV features on this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4Q9MJdT5Ds
Convenient GV calling tip
When someone TEXTS your GV number, GV assigns them a unique 406 area code number. Add that to your contact from them, and you can directly call it from your cell, and it will ring them from your GV number (they will NOT see your cell number). So anyone you want to do this with, have them text you once and save the number in their phone contact ;-)
You can also text them back at that 406 number as well, also very convenient! And the text shows as coming from your GV number not your cell!
Read more about the power of 406 numbers here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/voice/thread?tid=22e341d7f6e3694a&hl=en
Save money on your SMS/TEXT messaging
Go to:
and hit SMS to text for free. Even if you forward texts back to your cell phone, you only get counted for incoming texts when you do this, still SAVING YOU 50%. Or turn off forwarding when you're at your computer and text entirely on GV FOR FREE!
Worried you won't check GV and will miss texts?
Have GV forward the texts to your email and you'll see them and won't miss a beat ;-)
Transferring calls in the middle of a call
Ever been in the middle of an important conference call on your mobile phone and the battery is about to die? With Google Voice you just press the "*" key during a call and all phones configured within your Google Voice account will ring. Pick up the new phone and the call is transferred.
Listening in and call pick up
You can listen to voicemails as they are being recorded by the caller. You have the option of cutting in to the call at anytime by pressing "*".
Voicemail delivered as text messages or email
Ever been in a meeting and get that call you've been waiting for all morning but are unable to call your voicemail? Google Voice will transcribe the voicemail into text and deliver it to you via email or as an SMS text message to your mobile phone. This feature is not 100% perfect but is definitely good enough and worth mentioning.
Mobile version
Currently, Google only has mobile apps available for BlackBerry and Android. All other users can access Google Voice mobile site via your phones browser:
Need multiple phone numbers?
Have more than one business or need phone numbers in multiple area codes? Currently Google only allows you to have one Google Voice number per Google account. However you could setup more than one Google account and have a couple of different Google Voice numbers forwar to the same phone. In the settings page you can choose which number to display on caller ID. Just choose to display your Google Voice number and you will know which number the caller dialed by the number that appears on your caller ID. When you answer you can still have the option of accepting the call or sending the caller to voicemail.
Send a group SMS
Go to http://google.com/voice and click SMS. Type in one or more phone numbers separated by commas to send your SMS to multiple phones, awesome!
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