Port number to Google voice or straight talk?

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Port to Straight Talk. Forget Google Voice. Keep it as a SEPARATE number so you can give a separate number away. Not sure why all the hype behind integration by porting your # to GV.

 

[JoeMcJoe]

how much cheaper? If its only a few bucks then i could care less.

How much more could you care less?

I'm sure you mean... Couldn't care less.

Straight talk offers conditional call forwarding so that you can use the google voicemail with it too. Very handy.

 

[hans007]

I ported to Google voice at one point. I didn't have working SMS . SMS not MMS for 3 weeks. They have no customer service and just this terrible user forum. Ported out to tmobile and SMS working in 2 days.

If it works I'm sure its fine but honestly unless its a Google project that they care about like search they are terrible at supporting things.

 

[cronos]

Port to Straight Talk. Forget Google Voice. Keep it as a SEPARATE number so you can give a separate number away. Not sure why all the hype behind integration by porting your # to GV.

For the suckers of 2-year contract or people who are loyal and are expecting to stick to one particular carrier (in this case Straight Talk), you are right, porting their number to GV is not such a big advantage.

For people like me who jump from one MVNO to another (and back) frequently depending on where the deal is, porting my number every time I switched carrier is a hassle. There's a reason why I don't give out my 'real' phone number, one: I don't have it memorized, two: because it may change next month (or not, I have no idea).

 

[Midwayman]

For people like me who jump from one MVNO to another (and back) frequently depending on where the deal is, porting my number every time I switched carrier is a hassle. There's a reason why I don't give out my 'real' phone number, one: I don't have it memorized, two: because it may change next month (or not, I have no idea).

Exactly. And if I want to use a voip number overseas, or local sim card I just redirect all me calls to it. Gives me complete control over the porting rather than the carrier.

 

[lothar]

Port to Straight Talk. Forget Google Voice. Keep it as a SEPARATE number so you can give a separate number away. Not sure why all the hype behind integration by porting your # to GV.

Umm...You can port your main number to Google Voice AND still have a separate number from your carrier(Straight Talk or whatever) to give away. What are you on about?

Because I don't have to worry about backing texts and voicemails if I was to change phones, ROMs, or move from Android to iOS or vice versa...Everything is in my account already, so there is no need for me to backup anything.

Not to mention the fact that you don't have to deal with the hassle of Straight Talk loosing your number during port.
I've heard many horrid stories regarding Straight Talk losing numbers during port(I'm not sure but someone might have created a thread here about it, and there are many on HowardForums as well), and their "meh" customer service.

I've never personally experienced bad customer service from Straight Talk probably because I've never needed to contact them for anything yet.
However, I sure as hell wouldn't want to take the risk of them losing my major number and would prefer to port to Google Voice instead.

 

[karloe]

Hi,
I tried out Google Voice and it looks like receiving calls works perfect (the call to GV# is forwarded to my main number).

however, If I call someone, the receiver sees my real number instead of GV#.
Same with texting (Receiver sees my real number unless I reply to the text which someone sent to my GV# and it got forwarded to my real number).

I don't think it's very convenient, so how everyone is dealing with it?
Do you use google voice app? Then it requires internet connection to make calls right? What about platforms which don't have official GV app like Windows Phone (and the unofficial ones are likely to be shut down by google soon) - is there any workaround for them?

Thanks!

 

[s44]

Do you use google voice app? Then it requires internet connection to make calls right?

Wrong.

In Android, it's really simple. Just go into the Voice app settings, tick "Use Google Voice to make all calls", and you're done. There's no VOIP, just handoff to the Voice system so that you end up showing your GV #. I believe it just involves phoning a Google number instead of the actual destination, with a seamless connection behind the scenes within the Google system.

EDIT:
Here is the iOS method

 

[cronos]

I am dealing with it by using an Android phone and Google Voice app, which makes everything seamless.

For phones without a GV app, there is a solution that is even more inconvenient, call your own GV number first, and then from there call out to your destination. You can also initiate the call from the web on Google Voice site (there used to be a mobile version of the site). You will get a call on your phone, and when you pick it up it will connect you with your destination (they will see it as coming from your GV number).

 

[Red Storm]

Yeah, the key is to use it with an Android phone, so easy to set it and forget it. I love GV, I've gone through so many different phones and carriers, but my contacts are none the wiser thanks to GV.