Although Google Voice works great with phones from other providers, it would be nice if we took it a step further with the integration. No plans today, but we like the way you're thinking. :)
Coming from Sprint to Ting, this has been the ONLY let down. Its a really important feature that probably gets overlooked by most users switching to Ting from carriers other than Sprint, but that's just because they don't know what their missing. I hope Ting puts this on their to do list soon!
I wonder if Sprint paid to have exclusivity on this? They are the only ones who do it. I would think the other providers would jump on it because ultimately it probably saves them money on Voicemail hosting (storage and support issues)
I can't speak to ALL of the details, but there is some auto-provisioning tie-ins that happen behind the scenes. We love Google Voice and the innovation it brought to an other boring space, but before we can look at doing a tight integration with Google, I think we'd need to get a little bigger first.
Sprint allows you to virtually "port" your number to google voice. You can send texts from the gv website. You can block numbers and route calls with it. As far as I know, Sprint is the only one that actually offers this integration. Not sure why other providers don't.
John, I understand that the topic is about Google voice integration. But like Ben said, if it is going to happen, it won't be for a while. I just wanted to make the point to you and others that are new to Android, that you can still use GV on your phone.
I agree that this topic could be misleading. When I first saw the topic, I was concerned for a minute that GV wouldn't work with Ting for some reason.
One of the main features of GV is the find-me, follow-me feature, and that will work with any carrier. Dito, the voicemail transcription to text-message feature.
I don't have a sprint phone, so I can't speak to the Android level provisioning integrations, but they do sound nice
However, noone should misinterpret this thread ... you can use your GV with Ting, in the same way you could use it with AT+T, TMobile, Verizon or whomever else.
I guess it is not misleading if you used or were familiar with Sprint's tight integration with google voice. It made sense to me, and I would really love this. I used the web interface to send text messages without it coming from a different number. I used it to screen/block calls. You could also record calls (with the required alert indication for legal reasons) and they would be saved in google voice. All of your call, sms and vm history was saved in GV whether you initiated text or call from their interface or the phone.
I marked this as 'Not Planned', not because we have no plans to offer it, but because we're far enough out that it would be misleading to list it as 'Planned'. As we make some headway and get some of the other projects out of the way, we'll revisit this.
Thanks for the update Ben. Honestly, for what I use Google Voice for, Ting could reproduce in the dashboard to block numbers or send SMS from the web. GV integration is nice, but it's not a deal breaker for me.
ah nvm voicemail seems to automagically work :P. setup fails but.. it works, so that's cool. still have to go to google's mobile website to initiate calls, tho.
Chris, If you are having trouble making calls with Google Voice make sure you have downloaded on your android phone both programs Google voice and GrooVe IP from Google Play (Android Market) Installed on your phone. Both are free apps. Set your phone in the wifi sleep policy under advanced settings to Never. If your phone still drops when in sleep mode down load a little free program called "Advanced WIFI lock Free" from Google Play. Enable it under settings but under settings, set the check on "Auto Wifi disable" (WIFI will disable if it is out of range). The way it is working on my Galaxy S2 is when i go into contacts to make a call it ask me with Google Voice or without Google voice? Texting is the same way, It auto ask me every time if I want to use the messaging service or Google Voice. My bill should be about 15.00 to 18.00 this month compared to 130.00 with Sprint. Once it is set up just leave it alone and it works.
Well, I have to add my own two cents here. Google Voice works beautifully on my Samsung Galaxy IIs. Yes, you have to have Groove IP (the best four bucks you'll ever spend) and Google voice installed. Here's the odd part: you have to log into your Google mail account and make a call to your cell with it. If you don't already have the app, make sure to install it in Gmail. Once you call your phone, for reasons I don't understand, your GrooveIP and Voice will work like a charm.
Today I set up a separate Voice number, and I can send and receive texts in addition to making and receiving calls. Everything goes over wifi. This is one amazing bit of technology, and 3 cheers to Ting for making cell phones reasonable!
I ordered my Samsung M370 today as a donor phone for my Spring Evo 4G.
I am very much looking forward to getting it in two to three weeks.
In the mean time, I am evaluating my options for Google Voice.
I currently am using the Sprint/GV integration and really like it.
My Sprint number is my GV number.
I know Ting does NOT have the tight integration with GV like Sprint does.
I am ok with that.
At this point, I am just trying to figure out the option with the best results:
Option#1: Port my Sprint number to GV
PROS:
- I get to keep my old phone number. My family and friends call my same old Sprint number.
- All text messages sent and received from the Android GV app will appear as my Sprint number.
- I can Send and receive text messages from the GV website and they will appear to come from my Sprint Number.
- All calls made from Gmail will show my caller ID as my Sprint number.
- All calls initiated from the GV website will show my caller ID as my Sprint number.
CONS:
- When I call someone from my Evo 4G, the call recipient will see my Ting Phone number.
- Need to inform everyone to add my new TING Phone number to their contacts.
- Need to inform everyone NOT to send text messages to my TING number.
Option#2: Port my Sprint number to Ting
PROS:
- Calls made from my Evo 4G will show my old Sprint on Called ID.
- Text messages made from the native Android Messaging app will show my Sprint number.
CONS:
- All Calls/Texts made from the GV website show my GV number (which is neither my Sprint nor my Ting number).
- All Text msgs made from the GV Android app on the Evo 4G will show my GV number (which is neither my Sprint nor my Ting number).
Bottom line,
-Requirement = If I want to keep my old number and keep the highest level of GV integration.
-Best option = Option #1.
Am I missing anyting?
One other question...
For Option#1, is there a way to mask the caller ID so that it shows my Sprint number which was ported to GV... instead of the TING number assigned to my cell? That would be ideal!
Wait what?!? I have to hack around, and install GrooveIP, in order to get GV to work on a ting phone?
I'm on Verizon now, and all I did was install GV. Then, as I set it, it asks me every time, if I want to call with my GV #. Texting, of course, is just done through the GV app.
Are you saying, in order to make calls from my GV number, I have to perform the above hack?
...wait, I just looked up groove ip. This is just for using data to make calls, like when on wifi... to save minutes. Got it. Wasn't made too clear in the previous post. (Or I'm just too damn tired)
Troy, Google Voice works fine on Ting, just like any other provider.
Sprint offers full integration with Ting, you can virtually port your number from Sprint to Ting and all your SMS and calls will be in google voice. It's not necessary just to use google voice, but it makes it a lot more useful.
As I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, Google Voice and GrooveiP work perfectly for me. One thing I should mention, though, is that the Google Voice page, where it says "check for Google Voice integration" says, when I click it, "Sorry, your number cannot be used at this time" or some such garbage. Well, Google is not omniscient. Ignore what they say and just go ahead.
Comments
Hi Allen,
Although Google Voice works great with phones from other providers, it would be nice if we took it a step further with the integration. No plans today, but we like the way you're thinking. :)
-Ben
Ben,
Coming from Sprint to Ting, this has been the ONLY let down. Its a really important feature that probably gets overlooked by most users switching to Ting from carriers other than Sprint, but that's just because they don't know what their missing. I hope Ting puts this on their to do list soon!
It's pretty lame that there isn't any integration. This is one of the huge benefits of having an Android phone.
I wonder if Sprint paid to have exclusivity on this? They are the only ones who do it. I would think the other providers would jump on it because ultimately it probably saves them money on Voicemail hosting (storage and support issues)
I can't speak to ALL of the details, but there is some auto-provisioning tie-ins that happen behind the scenes. We love Google Voice and the innovation it brought to an other boring space, but before we can look at doing a tight integration with Google, I think we'd need to get a little bigger first.
-Ben
What features of Google Voice are unavailable on Ting? Can you use Google Voice for voicemail purposes?
Sprint allows you to virtually "port" your number to google voice. You can send texts from the gv website. You can block numbers and route calls with it. As far as I know, Sprint is the only one that actually offers this integration. Not sure why other providers don't.
Note, you can still use GV...it is just a separate telephone number.
I never joined my Sprint # with Google: I wanted 2 different numbers....
Frank, you are right. But I wouldn't call tat integration, and that's what this topic is about.
John, I understand that the topic is about Google voice integration. But like Ben said, if it is going to happen, it won't be for a while. I just wanted to make the point to you and others that are new to Android, that you can still use GV on your phone.
If you don't mind doing some hacking, there is a good thread at https://help.ting.com/entries/20947922-reducing-my-bill-via-free-texting-and-calls-over-wifi on how to "integrate" GV onto you phone more "deeply".
I agree that this topic could be misleading. When I first saw the topic, I was concerned for a minute that GV wouldn't work with Ting for some reason.
One of the main features of GV is the find-me, follow-me feature, and that will work with any carrier. Dito, the voicemail transcription to text-message feature.
I don't have a sprint phone, so I can't speak to the Android level provisioning integrations, but they do sound nice
However, noone should misinterpret this thread ... you can use your GV with Ting, in the same way you could use it with AT+T, TMobile, Verizon or whomever else.
I guess it is not misleading if you used or were familiar with Sprint's tight integration with google voice. It made sense to me, and I would really love this. I used the web interface to send text messages without it coming from a different number. I used it to screen/block calls. You could also record calls (with the required alert indication for legal reasons) and they would be saved in google voice. All of your call, sms and vm history was saved in GV whether you initiated text or call from their interface or the phone.
Hi folks,
I marked this as 'Not Planned', not because we have no plans to offer it, but because we're far enough out that it would be misleading to list it as 'Planned'. As we make some headway and get some of the other projects out of the way, we'll revisit this.
Thanks,
-Ben
Thanks for the update Ben. Honestly, for what I use Google Voice for, Ting could reproduce in the dashboard to block numbers or send SMS from the web. GV integration is nice, but it's not a deal breaker for me.
I'm also a a Google Voice user, and would like to see better integration. Thanks
I put in a vote in for GV integration also.
GV integration will be great. Hope we get it soon.
+1 on this. I know it will be a while, but I'm hoping.
has anyone been able to get google voice voicemail working?
or initiating calls with your google voice number?
ah nvm voicemail seems to automagically work :P. setup fails but.. it works, so that's cool. still have to go to google's mobile website to initiate calls, tho.
Chris, If you are having trouble making calls with Google Voice make sure you have downloaded on your android phone both programs Google voice and GrooVe IP from Google Play (Android Market) Installed on your phone. Both are free apps. Set your phone in the wifi sleep policy under advanced settings to Never. If your phone still drops when in sleep mode down load a little free program called "Advanced WIFI lock Free" from Google Play. Enable it under settings but under settings, set the check on "Auto Wifi disable" (WIFI will disable if it is out of range). The way it is working on my Galaxy S2 is when i go into contacts to make a call it ask me with Google Voice or without Google voice? Texting is the same way, It auto ask me every time if I want to use the messaging service or Google Voice. My bill should be about 15.00 to 18.00 this month compared to 130.00 with Sprint. Once it is set up just leave it alone and it works.
Well, I have to add my own two cents here. Google Voice works beautifully on my Samsung Galaxy IIs. Yes, you have to have Groove IP (the best four bucks you'll ever spend) and Google voice installed. Here's the odd part: you have to log into your Google mail account and make a call to your cell with it. If you don't already have the app, make sure to install it in Gmail. Once you call your phone, for reasons I don't understand, your GrooveIP and Voice will work like a charm.
Today I set up a separate Voice number, and I can send and receive texts in addition to making and receiving calls. Everything goes over wifi. This is one amazing bit of technology, and 3 cheers to Ting for making cell phones reasonable!
I ordered my Samsung M370 today as a donor phone for my Spring Evo 4G.
I am very much looking forward to getting it in two to three weeks.
In the mean time, I am evaluating my options for Google Voice.
I currently am using the Sprint/GV integration and really like it.
My Sprint number is my GV number.
I know Ting does NOT have the tight integration with GV like Sprint does.
I am ok with that.
At this point, I am just trying to figure out the option with the best results:
Option#1: Port my Sprint number to GV
PROS:
- I get to keep my old phone number. My family and friends call my same old Sprint number.
- All text messages sent and received from the Android GV app will appear as my Sprint number.
- I can Send and receive text messages from the GV website and they will appear to come from my Sprint Number.
- All calls made from Gmail will show my caller ID as my Sprint number.
- All calls initiated from the GV website will show my caller ID as my Sprint number.
CONS:
- When I call someone from my Evo 4G, the call recipient will see my Ting Phone number.
- Need to inform everyone to add my new TING Phone number to their contacts.
- Need to inform everyone NOT to send text messages to my TING number.
Option#2: Port my Sprint number to Ting
PROS:
- Calls made from my Evo 4G will show my old Sprint on Called ID.
- Text messages made from the native Android Messaging app will show my Sprint number.
CONS:
- All Calls/Texts made from the GV website show my GV number (which is neither my Sprint nor my Ting number).
- All Text msgs made from the GV Android app on the Evo 4G will show my GV number (which is neither my Sprint nor my Ting number).
Bottom line,
-Requirement = If I want to keep my old number and keep the highest level of GV integration.
-Best option = Option #1.
Am I missing anyting?
One other question...
For Option#1, is there a way to mask the caller ID so that it shows my Sprint number which was ported to GV... instead of the TING number assigned to my cell? That would be ideal!
Thanks!
CORRECTION TO: Option#2: Port my Sprint number to Ting
PROS:
- Calls made from my Evo 4G will show my old Sprint on Called ID.
LINE UPDATED - Text messages made from the native Android Messaging app will show my Sprint GV number. (this is now a CON instead of a PRO)
Wait what?!? I have to hack around, and install GrooveIP, in order to get GV to work on a ting phone?
I'm on Verizon now, and all I did was install GV. Then, as I set it, it asks me every time, if I want to call with my GV #. Texting, of course, is just done through the GV app.
Are you saying, in order to make calls from my GV number, I have to perform the above hack?
...wait, I just looked up groove ip. This is just for using data to make calls, like when on wifi... to save minutes. Got it. Wasn't made too clear in the previous post. (Or I'm just too damn tired)
Troy, Google Voice works fine on Ting, just like any other provider.
Sprint offers full integration with Ting, you can virtually port your number from Sprint to Ting and all your SMS and calls will be in google voice. It's not necessary just to use google voice, but it makes it a lot more useful.
Troy,
You mentioned in your post above that "Sprint offers full integration with Ting".
Ben Lucier in the second post says "no plans. . . for full integration".
So I am a little confused. Questions:
1) Did you port your Sprint Number to Ting.com?
2) If so, we you given the option to " Enable Google Voice on your Sprint phone " on the Google Voice website for your Ting phone number?
Thanks!
As I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, Google Voice and GrooveiP work perfectly for me. One thing I should mention, though, is that the Google Voice page, where it says "check for Google Voice integration" says, when I click it, "Sorry, your number cannot be used at this time" or some such garbage. Well, Google is not omniscient. Ignore what they say and just go ahead.
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