anyone using google voice with their cell phone?
 

if so, how do you like it? How are you using it? Does texting work well?

what are the down sides?

I am switching carriers, and rather than port my number from old to new, I thought I would port to google instead. Thoughts?

Tia

I have been using Google Voice (GV) extensively for a quite a while. I use it primarily for work. I actually use it for all of my communications for and with work. They think that it is my only cell phone number. The beauty is that if I do not want to be disturbed, I set GV to "do not disturb" and it sends all of my GV calls directly to voice mail.

I have my GV voice mail set to send me an email when a message is left. That comes in very handy if I am in a meeting and can't listen to a VM. I can just check email and read the transcribed message.

My real cell phone number is only given out to family and friends. That way they can get in touch with me whenever they need to. I have an Android-based phone on which I have an app called Voice Plus installed. I have this set to call friends and family with my real cell number and everyone else with my GV number.

Forgot to answer your question about texting. Texting works, but it has one big limitation. It can only receive MMS from users on the Sprint network.

But SMS works ok? Do the people I would send SMS to get my GV number or my cell number? How does that work?

If you text someone using the Google Voice app on your phone they will get your GV number. You can also use your web browser logged into GV to send and receive text messages as well. That comes in handy when I am in my office.

Paul is spot on. I don't use it much on my phone, but have used it quite a bit from web devices when my phone was down, or out of reach for various reasons. I have the do not disturb setting on mostly, and set it to text me the transcription of the voicemail. Those are rather comical at times.

Hmm... seems a little clunky. Is it easy to use?

Yes.

So it seems that people that use it are fairly happy with it? Yes?

Yes, I'm happy with it. Damn good for the price.... :D

Well worth the test drive...
 

GV works well for me...

Call screening, call hunt - it rings other #'s and other features make it worthwhile to test drive...
I even use it in an OBI ata as a substitute/backup land line that works well with my alarm system
works with fax transmissions to and from...just need to slow down the baud rate to lowest settings
SMS is OK, MMS is another story (good and bad)...
going on an overseas trip? works well with wifi...
using an android phone? nice complement with ics
using google wallet? verdict is not yet in...still on the fence

Best part is ...GRATIS

So....it gives you another phone # and what else?

Sometimes, I don't want companies or people to pluck my phone number off caller ID......I used GV or Skype to call them...Also use for long conference call meetings where I don't want to use 3 hours worth of cell minutes (I don't have a landline).

That part I get.....you can recieve calls on your cell with the GV#.....but how do you call and text out?

Like Skype, on the computer only?

Call and text out through the GV app.... Not a problem...

i just upgraded to one of these new fancy phones, only because the phone was free and i wanted a better camera. but heck yea!
man i hate texting with a passion, but with that voice thing, i can just speek and it types it out. awesome!
i don t like to text but i will send one when it is just a message. it drives me nuts to see somone have a conversation with texting, not to mention how rude it is to be talking to someone and they turn their attention to a text message on their phone instead of the person right in front of them.
you got me started arrrrrrrgh!

Always nice to have a rant, totally tangent to the topic at hand...

I use GV for work but almost exclusively just for inbound voice calls. This way I can rather freely give out the # to people. It works well except for the voicemail-to-text transcription, which is hit or miss (and very often a miss).

Yes, but the miss can be comical.....