After May, will Google Voice #s be unusable on Windows Phone?

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Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
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Google Voice will still work for forwarding calls and texts to a phone's Voice and SMS service. Always been that way before the VOIP stuff came along.

You can still add another VOIP service's number as a number for calling out too. Which is what many did before G-Voice was added to Google Talk.

For Windows Phone if there if no Google Voice app you can use the mobile Google Voice site to have calls displayed as your G-voice number: https://www.google.com/voice/m <-- I used this trick on an old phone I had.

You can even forward SMS messages to E-mail or use the mobile site linked above.

Otherwise as far we all know after May 15th when XMPP is shutdown only Hangouts can be used for VOIP calling directly unless you link a VOIP number of another service to G-Voice like I explained above.

So until Google decides to offer official 3rd party support as with XMPP is was always a hack. Or until Hangouts comes to Windows phone you can use the above tips. Maybe Google releases a G-Voice VOIP box for Home Landline phones if they don't offer 3rd party support for like the Obi box?

G-Voice will still be functional after May 15th and isn't going anywhere.

Soon the Google Voice app will be merged (might still be offered as a separate app too?) as all the functions will be merged into Hangouts which should be great.

Cyanogenmod has a tweak to use G-Voice's online SMS service as the default with any SMS app. However unknown if it will still work after the 15th.

Maybe Hangouts will have an option to be set as the default dialer or sms service for other SMS apps? I know Hangouts will merge the G-Voice SMS in it.
 
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Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
Crow550 said:
Google Voice will still work for forwarding calls and texts to a phone's Voice and SMS service. Always been that way before the VOIP stuff came along.

You can still add another VOIP service's number as a number for calling out too. Which is what many did before G-Voice was added to Google Talk.

For Windows Phone if there if no Google Voice app you can use the mobile Google Voice site to have calls displayed as your G-voice number: https://www.google.com/voice/m <-- I used this trick on an old phone I had.

You can even forward SMS messages to E-mail or use the mobile site linked above.

Otherwise as far we all know after May 15th when XMPP is shutdown only Hangouts can be used for VOIP calling directly unless you link a VOIP number of another service to G-Voice like I explained above.

So until Google decides to offer official 3rd party support as with XMPP is was always a hack. Or until Hangouts comes to Windows phone you can use the above tips. Maybe Google releases a G-Voice VOIP box for Home Landline phones if they don't offer 3rd party support for like the Obi box?

G-Voice will still be functional after May 15th and isn't going anywhere.

Soon the Google Voice app will be merged (might still be offered as a separate app too?) as all the functions will be merged into Hangouts which should be great.

Cyanogenmod has a tweak to use G-Voice's online SMS service as the default with any SMS app. However unknown if it will still work after the 15th.

Maybe Hangouts will have an option to be set as the default dialer or sms service for other SMS apps? I know Hangouts will merge the G-Voice SMS in it.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm not worried about it from the Android side of things. For Android this is going to be good, us Google Voice users can finally officially merge into Hangouts and have just one single app that does it all.

My only concern is making outgoing calls on Windows Phone. You say you can use the mobile website to do it?
 
C

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
2,381
5
81
Red Storm said:
Yeah I'm not worried about it from the Android side of things. For Android this is going to be good, us Google Voice users can finally officially merge into Hangouts and have just one single app that does it all.

My only concern is making outgoing calls on Windows Phone. You say you can use the mobile website to do it?
Click to expand...

Yup I did it all the time when I was on StraightTalk and gifted a Samsung R355C I think it was? Years ago....

On the Mobile site you just dial or go in your contacts and it rings your phone displaying your G-Voice number as the caller ID. ;)
 
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ponyo

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
Red Storm said:
Yeah I'm not worried about it from the Android side of things. For Android this is going to be good, us Google Voice users can finally officially merge into Hangouts and have just one single app that does it all.

My only concern is making outgoing calls on Windows Phone. You say you can use the mobile website to do it?
Click to expand...

You don't even need to use the website. You can make Google Voice calls by simply calling your number and manually dialing out. That's how I used to make Google Voice calls when I had my old flip phone and before I had a smartphone.
 
cronos

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
Crow550 said:
XMPP is was always a hack.
Click to expand...

I think this is what a lot of people don't get and thought Google is just being evil by making their beloved apps stop working.

Google Voice XMPP has always been a hack. Google had plans for the future of GV and of course they wouldn't go out of their way adapting their plans to what turns out to be a popular hack.

A little off topic, I still don't know how to make a phone call from GV through the browser without switching back to 'old chat' (which probably won't work anymore soon?). I think I'm missing something obvious.
 
Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
ponyo said:
You don't even need to use the website. You can make Google Voice calls by simply calling your number and manually dialing out. That's how I used to make Google Voice calls when I had my old flip phone and before I had a smartphone.
Click to expand...

That's hardly ideal though, but I did forget about this. If there was an app that took care of that for you on Windows Phone they might make some money after the 15th...
 
C

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
2,381
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cronos said:
Which phone did you choose as the 'phone to call with'?
Click to expand...

Yeah selecting Google Chat will not work. Unless you have a Google Chat device near by which after the 15th the Google Chat option will either disappear or be disabled and you can manually remove it. As for the time being Google Hangouts will be the only built in VOIP option unless you add a phone number from another VOIP service. (There are free VOIP services that give free numbers if you look.)

You have to link it to a phone number. (Or VOIP number from another service you linked.)
 
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C

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
2,381
5
81
ponyo said:
You don't even need to use the website. You can make Google Voice calls by simply calling your number and manually dialing out. That's how I used to make Google Voice calls when I had my old flip phone and before I had a smartphone.
Click to expand...

True if you remember the number you are dialing (many rely on caller ID and don't) or calling a voice message back.

Otherwise the Mobile site let's you choose someone in your Google Contacts.

Another neat trick is you can set any phone as a temp phone (in the settings when you dial your G-Voice number). Good if you are expecting an important call and some reason you don't have you own on you.
 
Red Storm

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
106
Gonad the Barbarian said:
Two days from D-day and not any word on getting Google Voice fixed for even Android devices?
Click to expand...

Android has an official Google Voice app, so there's no worry. iOS has the updated Hangouts that Android will soon have as well. It's Windows Phone that's in trouble, as all the 3rd party apps you have to rely on will no longer work.
 
C

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
2,381
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I think us Android users will get a Hangouts update with full G-Voice support as well as calling to make up for Apple getting calling first.

Well find out soon enough.... Last Update to Hangouts was last Thursday.

Code for G-Voice support is already there: http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...hints-of-google-voice-smsmms-backup-and-more/

Also Hangouts in G-Mail, G+ & Chrome extension got an update too: http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/12/go...gets-new-presence-indicators-improved-search/

Let's either make a general Google Voice thread or one for Android. ;) Since this is about Windows Phone.
 
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cronos

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
Gonad the Barbarian said:
You could text and make calls through your GV number, but it originated from your cell service right? That's entirely pointless now and has been for a good while.
Click to expand...

It's not VoIP, if that's what you're trying to say. And no, it's not pointless to me.
 
AstroManLuca

AstroManLuca

Lifer
Jun 24, 2004
15,628
5
81
Gonad the Barbarian said:
You could text and make calls through your GV number, but it originated from your cell service right? That's entirely pointless now and has been for a good while.
Click to expand...

It's not pointless, it's a forwarding service that lets you use a single number for multiple phones. For instance, we use T-Mobile for our primary service but we also have a "backup" Page Plus phone that we take on road trips for when our T-Mobile phones are out of range. With Google Voice, you can set it up so that if anyone dials your GV number, it will ring multiple phones - in this case, it rings both my wife's T-Mobile phone and the Page Plus phone. It also rings my wife's iPad if she's on wifi.

Now this forwarding is still going to work - it works even on dumbphones, and even on land lines. What will stop working is placing OUTGOING calls using your GV number (unless you have an official GV app). Some people may not care, but others prefer to keep their "real" number secret and only hand out their Google Voice number in order to avoid telemarketers and such. That won't be an option anymore.

I personally don't use GV to forward outgoing calls, but I do use it for SMS service. Still not clear on whether I'll still be able to send and receive SMS through MetroTalk after the 15th, or if I will have to switch to using the GV mobile website (which is pretty shitty).
 
C

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
2,381
5
81
AstroManLuca said:
It's not pointless, it's a forwarding service that lets you use a single number for multiple phones. For instance, we use T-Mobile for our primary service but we also have a "backup" Page Plus phone that we take on road trips for when our T-Mobile phones are out of range. With Google Voice, you can set it up so that if anyone dials your GV number, it will ring multiple phones - in this case, it rings both my wife's T-Mobile phone and the Page Plus phone. It also rings my wife's iPad if she's on wifi.

Now this forwarding is still going to work - it works even on dumbphones, and even on land lines. What will stop working is placing OUTGOING calls using your GV number (unless you have an official GV app). Some people may not care, but others prefer to keep their "real" number secret and only hand out their Google Voice number in order to avoid telemarketers and such. That won't be an option anymore.

I personally don't use GV to forward outgoing calls, but I do use it for SMS service. Still not clear on whether I'll still be able to send and receive SMS through MetroTalk after the 15th, or if I will have to switch to using the GV mobile website (which is pretty shitty).
Click to expand...

Or use the Mobile site like I already said in the previous post.

You can make calls out by the app or the mobile site. Same with SMS over Data/Wifi on either the app or mobile site as well as through E-mail too.

Just data/Wifi calling will be locked in Hangouts. For now?

Unless you use another VOIP service as a forwarding number for Google Voice. Free and cheap ways to do this.

In a lot of ways it may actually be good that G-Voice is integrating with Hangouts as it will hopefully get more updates and support as it should be easier for the engineers to work on since it's all in one product. We all hope at least.

Also hopefully some type of 3rd party support is added and or Hangouts on more platforms.

Right now it's just too early to tell. Things change all the time.... Google more or less does listen to it's Customer base....

Google Voice is still kinda a Swiss Army Knife of tel-communication. ;)

There is so many little features it has that it seems a lot of people don't even know of....
 
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B

boneycat

Member
Dec 29, 2009
97
0
66
Using the mobile GV site doesn't allow me to make calls out so I instead have to use the regular site. I also can't listen to my VM through the browser. Someone said they are using 8.1 and can listen to their voice messages, but it tells me that (I'm using 8) the file is not supported.
 
C

Crow550

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2005
2,381
5
81
boneycat said:
No kidding? Thanks Capt Obvious.
Click to expand...

Eh I just felt like announcing the big day was coming. :p

R.I.P. Google XMPP. Hail to Hangouts integration and hopefully some real type of 3rd party support in the future. Maybe?
 
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