Google Voice

Fans of Google Voice have waited a long time for this app. The free Google Voice app allows you to check your voicemail, send and receive text messages, and you get notifications of incoming messages. I like it because it is now the best alternative to AT&T’s text messaging plans. If you already have a Google Voice account, then this is a must-have app. If you don’t, then why not get one?

Comments: One Response to “Google Voice”

    John M. Hammer
    13 years ago

    Gary-

    I find the "official" Google Voice app to lack a lot of features. Compared to GV Mobile + I was very disappointed, even though GV Mobile + doesn't have Push notifications yet (but will soon).

    The biggest problem with Google's app is the inability to place outgoing calls using the callback feature. Without that feature, none of the VOIP apps on my iPhone can be used for placing calls. Since I spend at least some time most days in areas where no cell signal can reach but we have excellent wifi, if I had to rely on Google's own app I'd be unable to place calls while in those locations.

    By the way, combining GV Mobile + (or GV Connect or Black Swan VoiceCentral, which are very similar) with Whistle Phone (or TextFree or TextNow or Line2 or any of a number of other VOIP apps/services) with Google Voice and an iPhone creates a very powerful and low-continuing-cost communication device for voice and texts. I use the minimum AT&T voice plan with the 2gb/month data plan but no texting plan, which together with taxes and fees and whatnot is about $70/month. Google Voice service is free, Whistle Phone service is free, the GV Mobile + app was $3 and the Whistle Phone app was free. I get essentially unlimited voice and text, I've never even come close to my monthly data limit (if I ever went over, AT&T would charge me only another $10, so woop-de-doo), and I pay for incoming texts only from people who have stubbornly refused to change my entry in their address books from my cell number to my GV number (which happens less and less frequently every month).

    Great tip about multiple iTunes windows in the last newsletter!

    -John H

Comments Closed.