Posted on 01/26/2024 6:47:16 AM PST by Migraine
My wife's sister is a JUCO medical instructor and this new term the college encourages all faculty/student communications to be done via "Google Voice". She related to us some of the capabilities of the app and it all sounded "kinda OK", and had some positive possibilities. My question to this forum: has anyone on here used Google Voice, and if so, are there any caveats?
I dunno how worthwhile, but it is a simple chat program with video and audio. Not a lot of bells and whistles- but works really well. We use it to connect with family during holidays or birthdays so that we can check out all the neat presents that the kids get - they look forward to showing us the gifts, and we have a good time seeing everyone again. Distances are as much of a hindrance to keepingmup with family anymore now that we have tech like chat rooms and video, and texting and such- in a way we are blessed to have such tech.
Occasionally I have to send group texts. Google Voice lets me send the message to up to seven numbers at a time, which beats having to send the text individually twenty or thirty times. I used it for a phone call once. Nothing memorable one way or another.
Every once in a while, Siri randomly transcribes what I say, and then responds either with "I do not understand the question," or "Here's what I found on the web." On other occasions, I have been talking about something, for example, a rock band. Then I pick up my iPad to look for more information and that rock band appears as a search suggestion when I type the first letter.
Yes, AI is listening to every word we say. And it is tracking every place we go. A security expert told me that if I am traveling out of country, to use my credit card when possible so that if I disappear and can't be tracked, at least law enforcement has a record of where I last used my credit card.
As for the fact that I am constantly tracked, I don't worry too much about it. It isn't like anyone is actually stalking my every movement. I doubt any human ever looks at that stuff, except as aggregate data.
Scammers use Google voice to steal your phone identity on Facebook Marketplace... and probably other places as well.
If anyone ever asks you to verify your identity by sharing a verification code sent to you by text, DON’T!
They send you a verification code through Google voice that is intended by Google to protect your own phone ID to use their voice services.
The scammer can then claim to be the owner of your phone number, using it to open up various other accounts online.
Last time someone asked me to self verify that way, I simply went into google voice (you don’t have to be signed up to do this) and pinged THEIR phone with a verification code... and asked them to give me theirs instead... I didn’t hear back from them.
It is weird, all of a sudden my Watch will answer me in the strangest of ways...
Thanks. That is useful to know.
Thanks. That is definitely a sobering caveat.
I have a few google numbers, I don’t text so I tell people who want to send me photos to use my google number, that way I get them on the computer and can see the photos the way I want to.
The family angle is very encouraging.
Thanks. The bundling of comms is better than the bungling LOL.
Wow. You gave a nice, detailed response. Everything you said is going into my memory bank. Unfortunately, it’s almost bankrupt. Thanks so much.
Thanks for that strong caveat. I think you intended to caution away from responding to verification codes on the googlevoice platform only? B/c I thought the verification texts via my I-Phone were a good security piece.
I thought Google Voice ended a few years ago. Can use if you have it already, but something else has taken its place. (Just what I read. Not sure if true.)
>>> B/c I thought the verification texts via my I-Phone were a good security piece.
Well, they are... thats how they trick people... but what they are asking you to do is to give THEM your password to use google voice in your name.
When google voice sends that verification code to your phone, the text warns the recipient NOT to share it with anyone.
In a seller’s or buyer’s excitement to respond to a usually better than expected deal, that warning is easily missed.
Thanks so much.
Thanks.
Google Voice is a great free service from Google. (There are paid versions for things like multiple numbers and international calling.)
GV is a virtual phone system. When you sign up you get a local phone number assigned to your Google account. You can use it to make and receive phone calls and text messages from within a browser (such as Chrome) or within the GV smart app that you can download from Google’s Play Store.
GV includes voice mail. When you view messages in the browser or GV app you can navigate them visually like email. GV transcribes your messages into text.
You can configure and customize GV. For example, you can have it forward incoming calls to your cell phone. Or, as is often the case, you can use it as your cell phone’s default voicemail.
By installing the GV smart app on your phone, you essentially are adding a free second phone line to your phone. You can set hours on GV, and this allows you to give out the number where you are in control of when you can be reached. For example, if you use your GV number as a business line, you can set hours of operation and route incoming calls to voice mail when they come in outside of your business hours.
Outbound calls from GV will display your GV number as the caller ID to the call recipient.
As someone already mentioned, you can send group texts from within GV. GV conveniently accesses your phone’s contact lists which can sync with Google contacts. But FYI, if you send group texts, every recipient can see ALL of the phone numbers in the group. If anyone replies to the group (which is the default) everyone will get their text message. So, be sure that everyone in your list is ok with their phone number being shared like this.
GV is a VOIP (voice-over-IP) service. This means it relies on an active Internet connection in order to make and receive calls and text. On your phone the GV app uses your phone’s Internet access to function rather than connecting calls through the standard cellular service. You can also make and receive calls when connecting with GV by wifi, etc. If you are offline, GV continues to operate in the cloud, so your calls will be routed accordingly.
I’ve used it while traveling abroad - works great!
I used in the past, and it can be handy. I liked it because I could my PC microphone to speak thru it and hear better via speakers than a phone.
“...and if so, are there any caveats?”
Yes. IT’S EFFIN GOOGLE! What’s the matter with you ppl.
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