I have been using Google Voice for a few months now and like it for the most part. I like having a second number to give out to potential phone spammers because I can easily block them. I also like having a local number because my cell phone moved with me from Texas to Colorado and I don't want to change numbers.
The one thing I really wanted from Google Voice was to patch my own phone number through so I could use my favorite features, custom voicemail messages and visual voicemail (of sorts). Now it's here. Google announced its voicemail service Tuesday, October 27, and I was quick to set up my cellphone to use the new features.
They make it so easy.
If you already have a Google Voice phone number all you have to do is go into your settings and click a link next to the phone you want to add voicemail services to. You then call your Google Voice number and it links to your phone.
If you don't already have Google Voice, you need a friend that will either give you or sell you an invitation (Yes, you can find them on Craigslist etc. for as low as $5). Once you get your invite all you have to do is sign in using your Google Account name and password, type in your phone number and link it to Google Voice.
After this you are free to check your voicemail online, or by phone. You can even set Google Voice up to transcribe your voicemails and email or text them to you. While I like the idea of being able to read my voicemails, the transcription process is a little rusty. In fact sometimes the transcription is downright shoddy and misses almost every word. Hopefully they will fix that because it has real potential.
It is easy to set up various voicemail greetings for different groups of people. My default greeting for people not in my address book is more on the formal side of things. My family, on the other hand, gets a more relaxed message so I don't sound all stuffy. I even have funny messages set up for my brothers... which some people might consider rude... but they like it so I'll keep them. You do have to be careful about your settings though. Make sure your boss isn't listening to the greeting that is meant for your significant other.
The final, and possibly best, feature about Google Voice is that it is free! Yup, that's right, free. I have not had to give them any sort of payment ever. In fact, the only way to spend money on Google Voice is to use your Google number to call overseas.
NOTE: Clear your cell carrier's voicemail box before setting up Google voicemail! I had a voicemail icon on my phone because I didn't listen to one of my old voicemails and couldn't get rid of it. Basically, when I tried to dial Verizon's voicemail service after setting up my Google voicemail all I could do was leave myself a message on Google. I was either doomed to have a voicemail icon on my phone for all eternity or undo my Google voicemail so I could call my Verizon voicemail service and clear the message. The moral of the story is don't expect to get back in to your old voicemail very easily once you set up Google Voice voicemail.
In a nutshell, I think Google voicemail is pretty darn cool. I love the flexibility of being able to check my messages on the computer and my phone. I like making the custom greetings for different people almost as much as my family likes hearing them. Considering that it's free, why not give it a try?
No comments:
Post a Comment