Google Voice

[Imager]

Does anyone have any google voice invites, or are they strictly doing it via them, and not like how they did it before with gmail before that became open to the public?

 

[pm]

I've been using Google Voice since it was GrandCentral, and to the best of my knowledge, they aren't doing invites for it. If they are, they've either never offered one to me or I have no clue how to get to the invite page.

I just logged in again to double-check that there's no invite button that I've somehow never seen before and I'm still not seeing it.

My mother signed up about a month ago and they accepted her in less than a week.

 

[Imager]

Originally posted by: pm
I've been using Google Voice since it was GrandCentral, and to the best of my knowledge, they aren't doing invites for it. If they are, they've either never offered one to me or I have no clue how to get to the invite page.

I just logged in again to double-check that there's no invite button that I've somehow never seen before and I'm still not seeing it.

My mother signed up about a month ago and they accepted her in less than a week.

Hmmm...thanks! I did a search and it was a site to send them an email requesting...that was over 2 weeks ago

you know the link your mom used?

there is where I went:

https://www.google.com/account...m4SPuOz8kM3zeVX3Rlmj-A

Google Voice is currently available by invite only. Get an Invite

 

[pm]

Yeah, that's how she did it too. I would give it a bit more time.

There's some tips for alternatives to waiting here:
http://www.google.com/support/...57ee0881e1fa13f0&hl=en

---------------- TIPS for Getting an account now --------------------------------------------------------


1) Buy (and sometimes) overpay for an account from someone on eBay
2) See if you can find one for sale on craigslist
3) Ask cwalker123 politely for one via twitter (donating to smiletrain might help)
4) Search around on Google for contests where you can win one

It mentions this too:

*** currently, no one that has a GV account has the ability to invite others but I would think that should change soon.

Apparently, it hasn't changed.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: Imager

Originally posted by: pm
I've been using Google Voice since it was GrandCentral, and to the best of my knowledge, they aren't doing invites for it. If they are, they've either never offered one to me or I have no clue how to get to the invite page.

I just logged in again to double-check that there's no invite button that I've somehow never seen before and I'm still not seeing it.

My mother signed up about a month ago and they accepted her in less than a week.

Hmmm...thanks! I did a search and it was a site to send them an email requesting...that was over 2 weeks ago

you know the link your mom used?

there is where I went:

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?passive=true&service=grandcentral&ltmpl=bluebar&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fvoice%2Faccount%2Fsignin%2F%3Fprev%3D%252F&gsessionid=m4SPuOz8kM3zeVX3Rlmj-A">https://www.google.com/acco......uOz8kM3zeVX3Rlmj-A</a>

Google Voice is currently available by invite only. Get an Invite

Took me about a month after signing up to get an invite. Patience will pay off eventually.

 

[her209]

This is exactly why I refuse to sign up for any Google Services, including Gmail.

 

[Imager]

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: Imager

Originally posted by: pm
I've been using Google Voice since it was GrandCentral, and to the best of my knowledge, they aren't doing invites for it. If they are, they've either never offered one to me or I have no clue how to get to the invite page.

I just logged in again to double-check that there's no invite button that I've somehow never seen before and I'm still not seeing it.

My mother signed up about a month ago and they accepted her in less than a week.

Hmmm...thanks! I did a search and it was a site to send them an email requesting...that was over 2 weeks ago

you know the link your mom used?

there is where I went:

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://www.google.com/account...m4SPuOz8kM3zeVX3Rlmj-A"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?passive=true&service=grandcentral&ltmpl=bluebar&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fvoice%2Faccount%2Fsignin%2F%3Fprev%3D%252F&gsessionid=m4SPuOz8kM3zeVX3Rlmj-A">https://www.google.com/a.........kM3zeVX3Rlmj-A</a></a>

Google Voice is currently available by invite only. Get an Invite

Took me about a month after signing up to get an invite. Patience will pay off eventually.

Agreed! Most people I talked to heard back within a week, so i was just curious...and anxious I guess

 

[Imager]

Originally posted by: her209
This is exactly why I refuse to sign up for any Google Services, including Gmail.

to each their own...

 

[cronos]

Just sign up. I had my account from way back when they were still Grand Central, but I signed-up anyway and got an invitation in less than two weeks (gave it to a friend).

 

[Imager]

Originally posted by: cronos
Just sign up. I had my account from way back when they were still Grand Central, but I signed-up anyway and got an invitation in less than two weeks (gave it to a friend).

Yeah I did, I'm just still waiting...

 

[Krazy4Real]

I just signed up for an invite. Why not.

 

[pm]

I agree. Why not.

Google Voice is handy.

• If you need a number for something like a classified ad, you can give out the google voice number and have it go straight through to voicemail and then it transcribes the voicemails and emails them to you.
  
  If you are evaluating a new cell phone and thus have two cells for a while, tell everyone you changed your number to the Google voice number and then have Google voice call both cell phones.
  
  If you set up Prowl with the iPhone and give all your friends your Google Voice number, you can get free inbound SMS's that show up as if they were SMS's (I'm doing this now and it works great).
  
  If you give everyone your Google Voice number, you can have all SMS's go to email instead of to the phone and then have email alerts show up when you have new email and then have free incoming SMS's.
  
  If you have a cell phone with web browsing capability or a Google Voice app, then you can send outgoing SMS's for free through the Google Voice website.
  
  If you travel to some place out of cell phone range and you give everyone your Google Voice number, you can have Google Voice redirect calls to the landline where you are. Both my parent's house and my parent's cabin in the mountains have this issue and I just have Google Voice ring through to the house.

 

[Imager]

Originally posted by: pm
I agree. Why not.

Google Voice is handy.

• If you need a number for something like a classified ad, you can give out the google voice number and have it go straight through to voicemail and then it transcribes the voicemails and emails them to you.
  
  If you are evaluating a new cell phone and thus have two cells for a while, tell everyone you changed your number to the Google voice number and then have Google voice call both cell phones.
  
  If you set up Prowl with the iPhone and give all your friends your Google Voice number, you can get free inbound SMS's that show up as if they were SMS's (I'm doing this now and it works great).
  
  If you give everyone your Google Voice number, you can have all SMS's go to email instead of to the phone and then have email alerts show up when you have new email and then have free incoming SMS's.
  
  If you have a cell phone with web browsing capability or a Google Voice app, then you can send outgoing SMS's for free through the Google Voice website.
  
  If you travel to some place out of cell phone range and you give everyone your Google Voice number, you can have Google Voice redirect calls to the landline where you are. Both my parent's house and my parent's cabin in the mountains have this issue and I just have Google Voice ring through to the house.

I couldn't agree more...more reasons to have then not to haha

Originally posted by: Krazy4Real
I just signed up for an invite. Why not.

Let me know when/if you get a response. I'm curious if you get one before me :-/

 

[Binky]

If you're willing and able to do some phone system setup work (and possibly run a 24/7 home server), google voice can also get you a free home phone! Mine's been up and running for about two months.

Check here: http://nerdvittles.com/?p=635

or search slickdeals for "piaf"

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: her209
This is exactly why I refuse to sign up for any Google Services, including Gmail.

This doesn't make any sense. You refuse to use any free and totally reliable services because it sometimes takes some time to get accepted?

 

[QueHuong]

Woohoo, I just got mine today. It took a while, probably 4 months. It's very nice so far...but it makes me angry just thinking how it would be so much better if I could use it as an app on my iPhone. I tried using the webapp, but it's rather annoying.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: QueHuong
Woohoo, I just got mine today. It took a while, probably 4 months. It's very nice so far...but it makes me angry just thinking how it would be so much better if I could use it as an app on my iPhone. I tried using the webapp, but it's rather annoying.

If you jailbreak, you can use the app.

 

[jersiq]

Originally posted by: gorcorps

Originally posted by: her209
This is exactly why I refuse to sign up for any Google Services, including Gmail.

This doesn't make any sense. You refuse to use any free and totally reliable services because it sometimes takes some time to get accepted?

USA Today on Google blocking call completion

AT&T says Google Voice curbs costs by refusing to connect calls to places where some local carriers give phone numbers to adult chat lines and conference-calling services to draw long distance calls. They share hefty connection fees AT&T must pay.
...

Google says it's exempt because it isn't a traditional phone carrier.

So if tomorrow they decide to block all npa-nxx starting with 9 to save money, would it still be reliable?

 

[pm]

Originally posted by: jersiq
So if tomorrow they decide to block all npa-nxx starting with 9 to save money, would it still be reliable?

No, if they discontinued service or changed their services in a way that personally affected me, I wouldn't consider them reliable.

However, they haven't done that, so I still consider the Google Voice service more reliable than my phone service from AT&T.

 

[Imager]

I got mine yesterday! So far the features are pretty sweet! I just wish it was a simple way to call and txt directly from my cell phone, but with the google # appearing to the person I called.

 

[pm]

I got mine yesterday! So far the features are pretty sweet! I just wish it was a simple way to call and txt directly from my cell phone, but with the google # appearing to the person I called.

I thought if you called using Google Voice's website, it did this.

It calls the person, and calls your mobile and the person sees the caller ID as coming from the Google Voice number.

 

[HN]

Originally posted by: Imager
I got mine yesterday! So far the features are pretty sweet! I just wish it was a simple way to call and txt directly from my cell phone, but with the google # appearing to the person I called.

Do the following (make sure you have txts that are sent to your gv forwarded to your phone):

1. From google voice page, send an sms to the person's cell.
2. Have the person reply back to that sms; maybe with their name or something so you know who it is because...
3. when they reply back, you should get their text with a '406' number associated with it.
4. Now just update your contact list for that person with the '406' number.

When you call / txt that '406' number, it will show your GV number.

 

[Imager]

Originally posted by: pm

I got mine yesterday! So far the features are pretty sweet! I just wish it was a simple way to call and txt directly from my cell phone, but with the google # appearing to the person I called.

I thought if you called using Google Voice's website, it did this.

It calls the person, and calls your mobile and the person sees the caller ID as coming from the Google Voice number.

Right, but that's from the website only...

Originally posted by: HN

Originally posted by: Imager
I got mine yesterday! So far the features are pretty sweet! I just wish it was a simple way to call and txt directly from my cell phone, but with the google # appearing to the person I called.

Do the following (make sure you have txts that are sent to your gv forwarded to your phone):

1. From google voice page, send an sms to the person's cell.
2. Have the person reply back to that sms; maybe with their name or something so you know who it is because...
3. when they reply back, you should get their text with a '406' number associated with it.
4. Now just update your contact list for that person with the '406' number.

When you call / txt that '406' number, it will show your GV number.

This is what I was kinda talking about. The frustrating part though is to send every contact a msg first that way....

So when sending the text via my mobile to that 406 #, it'll 1) show as my google #, and 2) be a free txt, or will my txt charges still apply?

 

[HN]

Originally posted by: Imager
This is what I was kinda talking about. The frustrating part though is to send every contact a msg first that way....

So when sending the text via my mobile to that 406 #, it'll 1) show as my google #, and 2) be a free txt, or will my txt charges still apply?

1. correct

2. whatever txt plan you have (or lack) with your current phone company will apply. doing things from the gv web interface will be free (sending / receiving txt without them being forwarded to your phone). going from your phone -> gv -> your contact's cell; or your contact's cell -> gv -> forward to your phone will count against your txt plan. (you can disable gv from forwarding messages to your phone in gv preferences).

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: HN

Originally posted by: Imager
This is what I was kinda talking about. The frustrating part though is to send every contact a msg first that way....

So when sending the text via my mobile to that 406 #, it'll 1) show as my google #, and 2) be a free txt, or will my txt charges still apply?

1. correct

2. whatever txt plan you have (or lack) with your current phone company will apply. doing things from the gv web interface will be free (sending / receiving txt without them being forwarded to your phone). going from your phone -> gv -> your contact's cell; or your contact's cell -> gv -> forward to your phone will count against your txt plan. (you can disable gv from forwarding messages to your phone in gv preferences).

Yeah, it would be nice if, in the web interface, GV could just create and show you the 406 mappings right away, so you didn't have to go through the bother of txting them first.

Regardless, until your post, I didn't realize you could call those 406 numbers too. I knew about txting, but didn't consider calling. Now it just seem obvious. I can't believe it didn't dawn on me before.