Google Voice Question, texting via data more specifically..

[ilivetowin#IM]

Ok I have Google Voice web app, I have a GV #, I have an unjailbroken Iphone 3GS with IOS 4.

I am considering a switch to my grandparents contract from having my own as it will save me money, problem is they do not have unlimited texting and it would cost me 30 bucks to add it when I go to their plan, I would rather just add 25 dollar data and use that to send all my texts.

I am wondering if I can do this all over GV or if there is another way you recommend, I want to be sure I am not using SMS as I would be charged for these and I know they would add up considering I do heavy texting...

I tried a google voice text from the web app, it sent, then it came up with a weird number and the person responded, but then it looked like a regular SMS conversation out of the web broswer, was that using SMS or DATA?

Thanks for any help guys and gals, much appreciated!

 

[iquinn]

Here is the way that I understand it, when you send a tet through the app it is using data, but received texts are counted as SMS. I'm not one hundred percent sure that this is right though.

 

[mpaquette]

I'm pretty sure that on my BlackBerry and Android devices, SMS to and from your Google Voice number count as data, not SMS. Can you have at&t put a block on SMS so you don't accidentally rack up a huge bill?

 

[Mike4391]

On Google Voice, change your settings so your messages are not forwarded to your phone, you won't receive text messages. BUT, then you won't know when you have new messages unless you're checking your web app every 5 seconds because you don't get any sort of notification.

 

[jglowe74]

Just to throw my 2-cents in here...

as Mike4391 said, go into your GV settings (on web, not iphone app) and make sure to turn SMS forwarding OFF. not the one for email, but the one in Settings that reads "Send a text (SMS) message to: Cell Phone". make sure it's UNchecked. you DO want to ensure the box is checked for "SMS Forwarding: Forward SMS messages to my email". then SMS messages will appear in your (assuming you are using Gmail) email inbox and you can reply via email and keep the conversation going. you cannot (at least i haven't found a way yet) create a SMS from email. only reply. you must use GV app to 1st send the SMS.

also, these SMS appear threaded the same way as emails too! nice for organizing conversations. plus, these don't count on your bill since it's data through email. if you DO see a popup message for SMS, it's most likely because you haven't disabled the "forwarding SMS to your phone" feature in GV. those are costing you $$$!

i definitely like this feature because the GV app doesn't have popup notifications or badges to alert you of new messages. only downside is (and it's minor) you don't get a separate alert/tone for SMS since it's coming through your email now. only sound will be the new email.

if you don't turn forwarding OFF for sending SMS to your phone, you can bet it will appear on your bill, even though the user send SMS to your GV phone #! trust me, i learned this the hard way a month or 2 before figuring it all out.

for more info on tweaking these settings, check out this link on Google Voice site. i'm glad i finally figured it all out because it's much cheaper! i only pay for 200 SMS a month. thanks Google Voice!!

PS-sending SMS through GV website = data. sending SMS through GVMobile app = data. only time you get charged for SMS with AT&T is if you use the native SMS app to reply/send SMS messages.

 

[TampaDude]

What? There are people out there who don't have unlimited texting?

 

[jasonrn2000]

Why not use one of the many free texting apps instead of GV? I use Textfree because it issues a real phone number you can give out - no MMS with it though. All using data.

What? There are people out there who don't have unlimited texting?

When your broke, every $ counts.

 

[jglowe74]

Why not use one of the many free texting apps instead of GV? I use Textfree because it issues a real phone number you can give out - no MMS with it though. All using data.

jason, i don't use these "free" texting apps for just that reason. another number. having to create ANOTHER number for people to remember and add to their contact listing just isn't in the cards (especially for some of MY contacts...eesh). with Google Voice, i give out the same number that i use for my phone. 1 number to remember = easy.

since you mentioned it, GV does not allow MMS either. it's a bummer, but i rarely send pics this way. usually email them. unless it's to someone like my mom or wife (texting is still somewhat "new tech" to them).

having GV is really nice & convenient for other reasons (which i'll keep out of this thread). but keep in mind of apps like AIM. you can send free SMS through your AIM account (even using apps like IM+ or Beejive). another nice feature of that particular IM service!

 

[bikedogrun]

Go into your GV settings (on web, not iphone app) and make sure to turn SMS forwarding OFF. not the one for email, but the one in Settings that reads "Send a text (SMS) message to: Cell Phone". make sure it's UNchecked. you DO want to ensure the box is checked for "SMS Forwarding: Forward SMS messages to my email". then SMS messages will appear in your (assuming you are using Gmail) email inbox and you can reply via email and keep the conversation going. you cannot (at least i haven't found a way yet) create a SMS from email. only reply. you must use GV app to 1st send the SMS.

also, these SMS appear threaded the same way as emails too! nice for organizing conversations. plus, these don't count on your bill since it's data through email. if you DO see a popup message for SMS, it's most likely because you haven't disabled the "forwarding SMS to your phone" feature in GV. those are costing you $$$!

i definitely like this feature because the GV app doesn't have popup notifications or badges to alert you of new messages. only downside is (and it's minor) you don't get a separate alert/tone for SMS since it's coming through your email now. only sound will be the new email.

if you don't turn forwarding OFF for sending SMS to your phone, you can bet it will appear on your bill, even though the user send SMS to your GV phone #! trust me, i learned this the hard way a month or 2 before figuring it all out.

Yes... jglowe's method does indeed work.

No charges for SMS this way. You start a thread/conversation in GV Mobile on your iPhone, your friend receives it as an SMS on his/her phone and all of their replies show-up in your email inbox. When you reply from your email it will still go back to them and show on their phone as a text.

No charges for you and your recipients never really know the difference. The only (possible) downside is that you must use your GV all the time; both for sending texts and making calls else you can confuse your friends if they get calls from you with your cellphone's number but SMS/texts with your GV number.

I'm in that schizophrenic place myself in that using GV for calls does slow me down (and too many folks already know my phone number for many years now) so I'm trying to train everyone that "just for texts" you will see this other number and please, PLEASE use it.

/BD

 

[jasonrn2000]

@jglowe74

I have been trialing the basic 200 texts/month package and using textfree with those I text most, such as my wife, who don't mind adding another number to address book. I save my text plan for the rest. I wish ATT unlimited text plan wasn't so much more, extra 20$ / month.

 

[Bill McNeal]

I use GV for all of my texting. I have no text plan with AT&T just the $30 for unlim data. Here's how I do it.

Last year I just told everyone I got a new phone number and started giving out my GV to everyone and told them they could reach me on that. I kept my text plan for about a month and a half afterwards just to get everyone on the same page, whenever someone would text the old number I'd reply at the new one and remind them.

In order for me to get the texts on my iphone I use VoiceGrowl. These 2 services together will get you push notifications of your texts, there is no lag at all, in fact I think it may be quicker than texting over ATT's SMS network at times. I have my GV setup on it's own gmail adress, which I have setup on my iphone along with my normal gmail adress, and labled google voice, Once I get the notification I go to the mail.app and just reply the other person will get your response in seconds. I like this over textfree etc. because if someone calls that number it will ring on through to your cell phone as well. it's a bit of a process to get setup, but once you set it up, there isn't anything more to do on it. My wife, a complete non techie, also uses this on her iphone 3g and has no complaints.

Hope that helps.

 

[Brickman]

I use GV for all of my texting. I have no text plan with AT&T just the $30 for unlim data. Here's how I do it.

Last year I just told everyone I got a new phone number and started giving out my GV to everyone and told them they could reach me on that. I kept my text plan for about a month and a half afterwards just to get everyone on the same page, whenever someone would text the old number I'd reply at the new one and remind them.

In order for me to get the texts on my iphone I use VoiceGrowl. These 2 services together will get you push notifications of your texts, there is no lag at all, in fact I think it may be quicker than texting over ATT's SMS network at times. I have my GV setup on it's own gmail adress, which I have setup on my iphone along with my normal gmail adress, and labled google voice, Once I get the notification I go to the mail.app and just reply the other person will get your response in seconds. I like this over textfree etc. because if someone calls that number it will ring on through to your cell phone as well. it's a bit of a process to get setup, but once you set it up, there isn't anything more to do on it. My wife, a complete non techie, also uses this on her iphone 3g and has no complaints.

Hope that helps.

Great Info Bill!! I am going to give this a try. I use GV all the time but mainly for Voice. I have not texted much with it yet. GV has saved me a ton of money!!

 

[jglowe74]

I use GV for all of my texting. I have no text plan with AT&T just the $30 for unlim data. Here's how I do it.

Last year I just told everyone I got a new phone number and started giving out my GV to everyone and told them they could reach me on that. I kept my text plan for about a month and a half afterwards just to get everyone on the same page, whenever someone would text the old number I'd reply at the new one and remind them.

In order for me to get the texts on my iphone I use VoiceGrowl. These 2 services together will get you push notifications of your texts, there is no lag at all, in fact I think it may be quicker than texting over ATT's SMS network at times. I have my GV setup on it's own gmail adress, which I have setup on my iphone along with my normal gmail adress, and labled google voice, Once I get the notification I go to the mail.app and just reply the other person will get your response in seconds. I like this over textfree etc. because if someone calls that number it will ring on through to your cell phone as well. it's a bit of a process to get setup, but once you set it up, there isn't anything more to do on it. My wife, a complete non techie, also uses this on her iphone 3g and has no complaints.

Hope that helps.

inDEED good stuff here! so if i get a Prowl API setup and paste that into my VoiceGrowl settings, i should be able to receive GoogleVoice SMS notifications as a pop-up? i'm trying to figure out if i have to install the Growl app on my PC at all. i'm under the impression that if i use VoiceGrowl i won't have to worry about whether or not my PC is "online". because from what i read the Growl notifications won't work if my PC/Mac is offline. is this correct? and that's why you use VoiceGrowl because the notifications will go thru the web.

am i tracking here?? i feel like i'm soooo close, but just missing that "one little something" because i have SMS forwarded to Gmail, i have the API saved with VoiceGrowl, i have a filter setup in GV using the email address VoiceGrowl gave me. just not getting any pop-up's on my iPhone. what's that missing ingredient??

 

[jglowe74]

bump please

 

[jglowe74]

i tried installing Prowl on my iPhone after creating an account. the notification would appear (via Prowl app) AND my Gmail. so i turned off the Google Voice settings to forward SMS to my email. was trying not to get double notifications. after doing this though, the SMS notifications stopped completely, both for Gmail (obviously) and now Prowl.

what am I missing? why can't i separate Prowl & Gmail SMS notifications? i really liked having the native popup notification for SMS. but if i have to, i guess can live with SMS to my email and i'll just see it on LockInfo. :/

 

[jesterthejedi]

jason, i don't use these "free" texting apps for just that reason. another number. having to create ANOTHER number for people to remember and add to their contact listing just isn't in the cards (especially for some of MY contacts...eesh). with Google Voice, i give out the same number that i use for my phone. 1 number to remember = easy.

since you mentioned it, GV does not allow MMS either. it's a bummer, but i rarely send pics this way. usually email them. unless it's to someone like my mom or wife (texting is still somewhat "new tech" to them).

having GV is really nice & convenient for other reasons (which i'll keep out of this thread). but keep in mind of apps like AIM. you can send free SMS through your AIM account (even using apps like IM+ or Beejive). another nice feature of that particular IM service!

You can forward the GV text to the Text-free service, by using the @textnow.me and then you can reply on there. You still have to initiate them on the GV web-app, but all replies will show up. Textfree is a better app to use because its faster to launch but there is no email gateway.

ps on the blog for enflick(text-now) they have a step by step set up tutorial.