Is hangouts/google voice finally ready for the big time?

[Nvidiaguy07]

A while ago I thought about porting my number to google voice, and then signing up for straight talk or something like it. The only problem was that it wasn't really ready at that time, and had some problems.

-MMS just flat out didnt work. If someone sent you a mms message, you didnt know it was even sent.

-The interface sucked, and was pretty much the same for like 3-4 years.

Well with the integration with hangouts, and the MMS support, I think its finally suitable to use as a main number.

Going to try to use it a bit more as my main number, but I think ill be porting in the next few weeks.

Anyone else use it? Whats your experience been like?

 

[Midwayman]

Works great now. The MMS intergration in September was the lynchpin. There are still a couple gotchas. Anything that wants to send/read SMS other than google hangouts is going to want to access the native SMS number. However if you don't use a lot of apps with that function, and only really access SMS/MMS through the messaging client it works great. Bonus is it synchs across iOS/androind/PC. One client to rule them all and in the darkness bind them.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Works great now. The MMS intergration in September was the lynchpin. There are still a couple gotchas. Anything that wants to send/read SMS other than google hangouts is going to want to access the native SMS number. However if you don't use a lot of apps with that function, and only really access SMS/MMS through the messaging client it works great. Bonus is it synchs across iOS/androind/PC. One client to rule them all and in the darkness bind them.

Doesnt Cyanogenmod have a built in app that makes it work even better with android?

And to be clear, you mean when you try to share something through text or something like that, that it will default to the cell number instead of the gvoice number?

Also, how many different people can be in a group mms convo with hangouts/voice? I know in just stock android, some people would get cut out when having a group text with ios people (i think the limit is 10 ppl)

 

[Midwayman]

Doesnt Cyanogenmod have a built in app that makes it work even better with android?

And to be clear, you mean when you try to share something through text or something like that, that it will default to the cell number instead of the gvoice number?

Also, how many different people can be in a group mms convo with hangouts/voice? I know in just stock android, some people would get cut out when having a group text with ios people (i think the limit is 10 ppl)

Lets say you use something like tasker to send a SMS to your wife when you leave work (disconnect from work wifi +- 30 min from your normal leave time) saying "I'll be home soon". Tasker, or other apps like it will use the native SMS service and number, not the GV sms service and number. Not sure about cynaogenmod fixing the issue. Might be something out there, I didn't find anything last time I explored the subject, but its been a little while. Saw some stuff on GB based roms that could change your default SMS service, but I don't think they worked on post ICS stuff with the massive changes.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Lets say you use something like tasker to send a SMS to your wife when you leave work (disconnect from work wifi +- 30 min from your normal leave time) saying "I'll be home soon". Tasker, or other apps like it will use the native SMS service and number, not the GV sms service and number. Not sure about cynaogenmod fixing the issue. Might be something out there, I didn't find anything last time I explored the subject, but its been a little while. Saw some stuff on GB based roms that could change your default SMS service, but I don't think they worked on post ICS stuff with the massive changes.

Question for you. Do you use hangouts for SMS? When hangouts was updated, it gave you the option to recieve all sms in hangouts instead of the messaging app.

Maybe that in combinaiton with using Tib to freeze the stock messaging app might do the trick.

Either way Ill be trying this soon. Thanks!

 

[RockinZ28]

It works great for outgoing stuff, and usage in general.

Incoming is just hit or miss for me. Sometimes it rings, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it notifies me of a missed call/VM, sometimes not. Sometimes it notifies me of a text, sometimes not. And this is across phone, tablet and pc.

I don't regularly open and check messages etc. in Hangouts, so I've seen texts/voicemails from days past in my inbox I didn't even know about. It saves me quite a bit of money though. Having no text plan and only 700 min keeps my bill down, and unlimited data basically gives me unlimited texts/minutes.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

It works great for outgoing stuff, and usage in general.

Incoming is just hit or miss for me. Sometimes it rings, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it notifies me of a missed call/VM, sometimes not. Sometimes it notifies me of a text, sometimes not. And this is across phone, tablet and pc.

I don't regularly open and check messages etc. in Hangouts, so I've seen texts/voicemails from days past in my inbox I didn't even know about. It saves me quite a bit of money though. Having no text plan and only 700 min keeps my bill down, and unlimited data basically gives me unlimited texts/minutes.

I noticed this recently. It used to be I wouldnt get sms in google voice sometimes, but then it kind of went away (and I kinda stopped using it for texts). But recently its been pure shit when it comes to voicemails.

School was cancelled the other day, so I got a call at about 7pm. I let it go to vm, and expected a new message to be there but there was none. refreshed hangouts, went to the voice app, even signed into google voice on PC and nothing was there. Then at 5:30am I get a notification of a voicemail from the previous day at 7pm. Fucking sucks.

I was thinking maybe it had something to do with linking hangouts, but now I dont really think so. Its really aggrivating not getting messages, espeically when some are important and have to do with work. I sound like a dumbass when I tell people "oh yea my voicemails been acting up". Sounds like such a shitty excuse but its the truth.

Another thing is when listening to Vm's, sometimes I have to press play about 20 times for it to start. Sometimes itll play 1 sec and then reset, and then 1 sec and then reset, and so on. No idea what causes this.

Maybe its still not ready, which is too bad.

 

[KeithP]

Hangouts is a strike against Google Voice IMHO.

Yes, MMS does seem to work. At least it has worked for me on Verizon and now with my current carrier, T-Mobile.

I still sometimes see weird little issues when someone calls using another VOIP service or when adding a VOIP number to GV's calling list. Things like calls that never go into voice mail (they just keep ringing), hearing the caller but they can't hear me, etc. The problems aren't consistent and not bad enough for me to drop the service but annoying none the less.

Recent stories have suggested that Google might become MVNO using Sprint and T-Mobile's network. If this pans out, one way to bridge the two networks (CDMA and GSM) would be to have dual sim phones with one sim using CDMA and the other GSM. Android phones with this capability already exist outside the US.

If Google does go this route, Google Voice would be the logical choice to bridge the two numbers that such a dual sim phone would have. If that is their plan, maybe Google Voice will start getting some needed attention. It is a long shot but you never know.

-KeithP

 

[RockinZ28]

I noticed this recently. It used to be I wouldnt get sms in google voice sometimes, but then it kind of went away (and I kinda stopped using it for texts). But recently its been pure shit when it comes to voicemails.

School was cancelled the other day, so I got a call at about 7pm. I let it go to vm, and expected a new message to be there but there was none. refreshed hangouts, went to the voice app, even signed into google voice on PC and nothing was there. Then at 5:30am I get a notification of a voicemail from the previous day at 7pm. Fucking sucks.

I was thinking maybe it had something to do with linking hangouts, but now I dont really think so. Its really aggrivating not getting messages, espeically when some are important and have to do with work. I sound like a dumbass when I tell people "oh yea my voicemails been acting up". Sounds like such a shitty excuse but its the truth.

Another thing is when listening to Vm's, sometimes I have to press play about 20 times for it to start. Sometimes itll play 1 sec and then reset, and then 1 sec and then reset, and so on. No idea what causes this.

Maybe its still not ready, which is too bad.

Yea, I couldn't trust it in its current state for critical usage. Mainly use it for customer service calls that put you on hold etc., and I have a conference call M-F first thing in the morning that lasts ~15min.

 

[Midwayman]

Question for you. Do you use hangouts for SMS? When hangouts was updated, it gave you the option to recieve all sms in hangouts instead of the messaging app.

Maybe that in combinaiton with using Tib to freeze the stock messaging app might do the trick.

Either way Ill be trying this soon. Thanks!

I use it for SMS. Its been awhile. There are settings in a few places you have to get right to enable everything over your GV number. I remember having to look up the help file on it since it wasn't immediately obvious where the options were. You have to change a setting in GV and in the handouts app.

I haven't been having the issues other people are talking about. Well any more than I did with a native number. Either way I've had texts and voicemails get lost on occasion, but I didn't notice an increased incidence of it.

 

[holden j caufield]

texts always go through on the google voice app, hangouts wifi calling is ok it can be flakey, I've had google voice incoming calls to hangouts go straight to vm. And sometimes outgoing calls take a while to connect and the other end can't always hear me. I prefer calling through the gmail pluggin on my browser, that works perfectly and the mic on the laptop is pretty good.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I really think Google Voice is always going to be a limited thing, and I kinda think that people who wanted to port their number will always be stuck in this limbo state. I honestly feel that your best bet is to use GVoice as a secondary disposable number like for Craigslist or whatever. Kinda like a junk email address. MMS is so carrier dependent, I'm not sure why people kept using GVoice despite MMS issues.

We all understand that mobile messaging is the way to go, and the best way is to abandon SMS altogether. Keeping things like Gvoice around just encourages people to keep using SMS. Get on Hangouts or WhatsApp.

 

[ponyo]

I really think Google Voice is always going to be a limited thing, and I kinda think that people who wanted to port their number will always be stuck in this limbo state. I honestly feel that your best bet is to use GVoice as a secondary disposable number like for Craigslist or whatever. Kinda like a junk email address. MMS is so carrier dependent, I'm not sure why people kept using GVoice despite MMS issues.

We all understand that mobile messaging is the way to go, and the best way is to abandon SMS altogether. Keeping things like Gvoice around just encourages people to keep using SMS. Get on Hangouts or WhatsApp.

SMS is needed because it's universal. It's like email. All you need is person's phone number and you can quickly message them. I'm not going to ask clients if they use Hangouts or WhatsApp. I don't even use those apps myself. The apps are best for social messaging use, not business.

 

[openwheel]

SMS for the win.

People still use WhatsApp? Isn't that so 2010?

 

[Midwayman]

SMS is needed because it's universal. It's like email. All you need is person's phone number and you can quickly message them. I'm not going to ask clients if they use Hangouts or WhatsApp. I don't even use those apps myself. The apps are best for social messaging use, not business.

That's why GV with hangouts is perfect. Its the rosetta stone for translating between SMS and a IP type messaging service.

 

[ponyo]

That's why GV with hangouts is perfect. Its the rosetta stone for translating between SMS and a IP type messaging service.

I keep GV and Hangout separate. Hangout integration is too confusing and I rather not deal with trying to learn it. I want to keep the messages on GV for easy reference if needed. I use iMessage when texting iPhone users and GV for everyone else.

 

[cronos]

SMS for the win.

People still use WhatsApp? Isn't that so 2010?

No, the trendy people use Telegram. But people who use SMS still live in the 90s

 

[darkswordsman17]

No, the trendy people use Telegram. But people who use SMS still live in the 90s

I've never really understood this constant move to new messaging apps that seems to permeate. The fact that we're still looking for a messaging app highlights the fact that they're all just not that good for all inclusive use.

Seems so incredibly stupid that they can't come up with standards for messaging and voice so that we can get away from all this half-baked junk. Or maybe there are they're just that bad at implementing them? This is an area that to me has especially highlighted how woeful mobile platforms really are.

 

[Midwayman]

I've never really understood this constant move to new messaging apps that seems to permeate. The fact that we're still looking for a messaging app highlights the fact that they're all just not that good for all inclusive use.

Seems so incredibly stupid that they can't come up with standards for messaging and voice so that we can get away from all this half-baked junk. Or maybe there are they're just that bad at implementing them? This is an area that to me has especially highlighted how woeful mobile platforms really are.

There are plenty that are 'good enough' but everyone wants theirs to be the standard. Hangouts and imessage are the only two that really stand a chance of winning. iMessage is great since everyone has it and you don't have to worry about managing lists. If they have imessage, it send it via IP, if not, sms. I'd totally install it on my android phone since it just works. Hangouts would have a huge advantage if android would just require OEMs to leave support in for hangouts messages to delivered to whatever messaging app the oem installs. Real key is support has to be there on a OS level, not an app you download.

 

[benjaminprojas]

To answer the OP, here are my thoughts.

I adopted the Google Voice integration early on. While it worked fairly well, the lack of MMS was so difficult I moved my phone number back to my carrier (StraightTalk) to be able to fix that issue.

Google Voice does work with MMS now, and it works well (for the most part), however the issue that I am still waiting to be fixed before moving back is group messaging. Google Voice still does not support group messaging, which relies on MMS. If someone sends a message to a group that includes your number, you will receive it as a direct message from them, and have no idea it was part of a group. Also, if you try to create a hangout with more than one person, using your GV number (in Hangouts) an error message pops up on the screen that says "couldn't create hangout" and you are not able to proceed.

I generally check daily for updates to see if the option is added, but no luck so far.

If group messaging is important to you, you may want to wait a little while longer to switch back.

 

[openwheel]

Asia loves LINE.

 

[npaladin-2000]

There are plenty that are 'good enough' but everyone wants theirs to be the standard. Hangouts and imessage are the only two that really stand a chance of winning. iMessage is great since everyone has it and you don't have to worry about managing lists. If they have imessage, it send it via IP, if not, sms. I'd totally install it on my android phone since it just works. Hangouts would have a huge advantage if android would just require OEMs to leave support in for hangouts messages to delivered to whatever messaging app the oem installs. Real key is support has to be there on a OS level, not an app you download.

1. iMessage is Apple only (not "everyone" has it), and they've shown zero interest in porting it to Android.
2. What you're describing for Hangouts instant messaging doesn't work and could never work, all these text-replacement clients are not compatible with each other nor are they standardized...in fact the whole point is for them NOT to standardize, they're competing with each other.

Frankly, WhatsApp is probably leading, with Facebook messenger close behind. iMessage/Facetime would probably crush them both if Apple ever ported it to Android. Hangouts wants to displace WhatsApp and Facebook messenger but it's not quite simple enough to do so.

 

[Anubis]

the prob with messaging apps is you have to get everyone to use them, and that simply is not going to happen as normal SMS comes by default on every phone

I use whatsapp to talk to 1 person who flat out refuses to use txt messages. and TBH I want to kick his teeth in most times because of it

 

[soccerballtux]

no.

Google never finishes/polishes. They just keep you continually annoyed but not bad enough to jump to apple.

next question?

 

[Dulanic]

I'm finally moving my # over to GV from my cell and will get a new cell #... so I hope so. From everything I've seen it works fine.