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data plan + no texting

JTsyo

JTsyo

Lifer
For the AT&T plans, texting is another $20. I was wondering if it's possible to use something like Google voice and redirect the texts to the data plan. People would not know to use the Google number so the message would be to the actual phone number but you can get a copy to google. You would need to deny all text to the actual phone, is that possible? Can you tell them that you want no incoming texts?

It's a real dick move by the phone companies to have a separate texting plan than a data plan, like it's something special.
 
At&t can disable texting to your phone if you call and ask them to.

I would create a new Google Voice number, tell all of your contacts that you got a new phone number and then from then on route all of your calls and texts through that number. I use Google Voice for all of my texting and telling them you have a new number is the only thing most people seem to be able to understand, telling them you have a separate number for texting confuses a lot of people.
 
Yes, you can do everything you have described. I'm doing it right now with Verizon and I'm not paying for a texting plan.

The only problem is, if you want to keep using your current number, you'll have to port it to Google Voice. There is a $20 one-time fee to do this, and porting it will cancel whatever line that number was once associated with. So make sure you're out of contract or you'll be charged an ETF. Otherwise, you can get a new Google Voice number (you can pick your number, so you can have it spell something out if you want) and just make that your new number that you give to everyone.

Anyway, once you have a Google Voice number, you will have to set up forwarding. Go to the Google Voice website on a computer, click the settings button, and go to the Phone tab. Then add your phone using your phone's actual number and check the box to have calls forwarded to it. There are other configuration options as well; one very important one is to go to the "Calls" tab and turn off call screening, which is on by default. Otherwise when someone calls you they will be commanded by a robotic voice to press 1 to be connected, and probably most people will just hang up.

Okay, so at this point Google Voice is configured to direct calls and texts sent to your phone number to your Google Voice number. Then you will have to set up the Google Voice app on your phone. Install it and go through the setup. Tell it to use Google Voice as your voicemail provider and to use Google Voice for all calls. That way your Google Voice number will be displayed for all outgoing calls.

You can also call up your carrier and ask that they block all texting to and from your phone. Text messages sent to your Google Voice number will still show up in your Google Voice app. I'm doing this right now with Verizon - no texting plan, about three weeks into the billing cycle I have used zero text messages.
 
Only downside with using nothing but GV is that they still do not support MMS unless you're on Sprint or it was sent from someone on Sprint, then you get an email containing the MMS.

I really like GV for texting because it's so easy to archive everything, but it's still really buggy. There's a significant delay from sending a text and the person receiving it, and it doesn't always work, some messages just never get delivered.

I want to switch off it now that I have unlimited text on T-mobile, but I don't want to give up the archiving feature.
 
I have absolutely no delays or missing messages at all and have had GV since it was Grand Central.
 
The only problem I've had with Google Voice is occasionally it messes up and fails to send a text. Then what happens is it retries, but it never works. If I try sending a new text, it might send both at once, sort of like when you buy a candy bar from a vending machine and it gets stuck, and when you buy a second one both pop out.

The solution seems to be to force close the GV app. Upon reopening it, it sends instantly. That's only happened to me a couple times anyway, other than that no problems at all.
 
Puddle Jumper said:
At&t can disable texting to your phone if you call and ask them to.

I would create a new Google Voice number, tell all of your contacts that you got a new phone number and then from then on route all of your calls and texts through that number. I use Google Voice for all of my texting and telling them you have a new number is the only thing most people seem to be able to understand, telling them you have a separate number for texting confuses a lot of people.
Click to expand...
Yes it does. It's really sad people are that easily confused.
 
Shit I just ported one of my lines to Google Voice and had a terrible thought.

When it says it cancels your mobile phone service plan, that just means it will cancel only the line you're porting right? Not your entire family plan?????
 
RockinZ28 said:
Shit I just ported one of my lines to Google Voice and had a terrible thought.

When it says it cancels your mobile phone service plan, that just means it will cancel only the line you're porting right? Not your entire family plan?????
Click to expand...

Exactly, don't worry. It only cancels that one line.
 
The other thing, if you change your mind you have 24 hours to cancel the port. When you go through with it, it tells you it "may take up to 24 hours" to port your number, but in practice it happens exactly 24 hours after you put in the request.
 
AstroManLuca said:
The other thing, if you change your mind you have 24 hours to cancel the port. When you go through with it, it tells you it "may take up to 24 hours" to port your number, but in practice it happens exactly 24 hours after you put in the request.
Click to expand...

Cool, but I'm sure. Already went and got my Tbolt activated on my unused line for the wife with a $30 2GB plan. Porting her old number to GV since contract is over. Cancels out $10 text + $10 line + $10 data so it's the same price, but she gets a smartphone.
 
Considering the Virgin mobile deal for $35/mth with only 300 min talk. But it has unlimited data so GV should be fine. 2 questions though.

How much data per min does it take to talk on GV? you hit a speed limit after 2.5G

When porting you number over, do you have to wait until the contract is over? Currently my wife is on my parents family plan. When can I port that number over without penalty? If my parents cancel that line when they renew, would the number be unavailable? Would we be able to port the number the same month as the contract runs out and just pay for line anyway?
 
GV is not VOIP. You'll need to use GrooveIP or something similar to talk over data. Otherwise you will use your cell minutes.
 
JTsyo said:
Considering the Virgin mobile deal for $35/mth with only 300 min talk. But it has unlimited data so GV should be fine. 2 questions though.

How much data per min does it take to talk on GV? you hit a speed limit after 2.5G

When porting you number over, do you have to wait until the contract is over? Currently my wife is on my parents family plan. When can I port that number over without penalty? If my parents cancel that line when they renew, would the number be unavailable? Would we be able to port the number the same month as the contract runs out and just pay for line anyway?
Click to expand...

If you look at the GrooveIP app that abaez suggests, it says 1.2mb/min.

You'll have to wait until the contract on the line you want to port expires and goes month to month. Do not cancel the line with your mobile provider or you'll probably lose the number. Soon as the contract expires you can initiate the port with GV, and it will cancel that line off your mobile service account.

That was my experience anyway. Initiated the port with GV on 7/10, and on 7/11 the number was ported to GV and that line was completely gone off my Verizon account. Seems to be working well so far.
 
I give it 2 years before Google has a full VoIP solution for phones and we can 100% ignore minutes. I predict it'll happen around the same time Voice over LTE is rolled out because it'll be very easy to argue to the FTC that VoIP data from Verizon and Google are absolutely the same and should be treated as such (and carriers are dumb pipes).
 
basslover1 said:
It calls the phone linked in your GV account, then it dials the number you clicked on and you're connected with your phone.
Click to expand...

Do you mean if you hit the call button on the GV website from your phone?

What if you navigate to the GV site on your computer and try to make a call from there? Is that a VOIP service like Skype?
 
dagamer34 said:
I give it 2 years before Google has a full VoIP solution for phones and we can 100% ignore minutes. I predict it'll happen around the same time Voice over LTE is rolled out because it'll be very easy to argue to the FTC that VoIP data from Verizon and Google are absolutely the same and should be treated as such (and carriers are dumb pipes).
Click to expand...

Which would be fine. But the fact is that VoLTE will have a higher QOS class than a google offering, which will be best effort. Unless Google attaches to the IMS core itself.
 
AstroManLuca said:
Do you mean if you hit the call button on the GV website from your phone?

What if you navigate to the GV site on your computer and try to make a call from there? Is that a VOIP service like Skype?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that either way if you start a call from the web or your phone inside the app it still uses your cellular minutes.
 
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