Comments on: Google Voice calls are NOT free!*

By: HarryGiggins

HarryGiggins — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:52:38 +0000

No, I’m not going to donate. You obviously didn’t do your homework first. Nothing is ever free, you know that, or should have.

If it’s ‘free’, you’re likely already paying for it within an expensive voice/data plan that someone else is paying for.

By: Gayelynn

Gayelynn — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:43:04 +0000

I sadly found that out 10 hours ago but just found out WHY I was over by 100 from your post.
Outraged!
They said FREE for ONE YEAR so I thought that meant FREE FOR ONE YEAR.
Can’t get ahead by trusting anyone anymore!

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:22:05 +0000

Disclaimer: I have not tested this but have done quite a bit of research.

There seems to be alot of confusion about what is free what is not. First off thank you Daniel for this thread.

This is what my research leads me to believe: For a user of Google Voice (a call management system) the service is free. The registration is free, and the apps for smartphones/computers are free. Therby Google Voice is FREE.

Now we need to look at the Google Voice process:

1. You have a Google Voice number that can be used as an incoming or outgoing number.

Incoming Process using only Google Voice:

1. An outside person calls your Google Voice number.
2. Google Voice routes the call based on your preferences (IE Home phone number, Cell Number, or some other type of number). Hence, you are charged for the call due to the fact you are receiving a phone call from Google Voice to your phone number (a call trackable/chargable by your phone service provider).

Outgoing Process using computer/App:

1. By opening your App or your computer Google Voice account you have created a data connection between you and Google Voice.
2. Google Voice then dials the number you are calling (aka PC-to-Phone calling). No charges are incurred from your phone service provider as you have not initiated a call through their voice network.

The Free Incoming Process:

1. In order to prevent charging by your service provider you need to avoid their voice network. This is easily done by using your data network connection. An example of this would be programs like TANGO or SKYPE. These are PC-to-PC connections and do not use the voice network of your provider.
2. So in order to receive free calls to your cell phone using your Google Voice number you need to set up your Google Voice number to connect to PC voice connection program (GrooveIP, several SIP programs ect..). With this type of setup an outside callers call your Google Voice number, Google Voice connects call to a PC-to-PC calling program/number/account. Call is connected to the program on your phone/computer and the service provider voice network is circumvented; therby resulting in a free incoming call.

Now this is obviously a simplified version of what can happen and I don’t claim to know the configuration procedures to make Google Voice work with a PC-to-PC program/APP but the theory is sound and there are several guides out there that explain configuration.

I haven’t used PC-to-PC or PC-to-Phone calling in over 6 years and back then voice calling was very digital and choppy. In recent years with improvements of QOS (Quality of Service) in routing and more devices with QOS enabled, due to the wider use of VOIP technology, ip routed calls should sound better. From talking to friends who use it today, I am told that it is as good as a cell phone.

Hopefully this sheds some light on the debate here and both sides can realize that in a sense they are both correct. Google Voice cannot receive free phones calls by itself. There are technologies that allow free calls using data plans. There are ways to interweave the free call technology and Google Voice call mangement system to basically avoid using your cell phone minutes.

Thank you once again to Daniel for the blog and good luck to anyone who decides to try this type of solution. For me its back to research to verify my conclusions before I test my theory.

By: GV User

GV User — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:58:25 +0000

I was disappointed to know that GV uses up mobile minutes as well and its not really *FREE*. However, a friend introduced me to GrooveIP and how it works in conjunction with Google Voice to make calls over 3/4G and does not use any minutes. I am going to give this a try and come back to update my post here

By: Daniel Greene

Daniel Greene — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:36:12 +0000

I’ve never been able to do that; have you? I once tried removing my SIM card to make sure I had no carrier connection, I turned on WiFi, and tried making a GV call. It didn’t work.

By: Brian S. Wehmeier (@briansroar)

Brian S. Wehmeier (@briansroar) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:57:51 +0000

Use GV through the cell phone over wifi and it is like using your computer and not burning minutes from a plan. Otherwise…..well, you burn the minutes…..

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:47:01 +0000

I don’t get it.. where did the moron’s who are flaming this blog get THEIR information? Did the info magically get transmitted to your brain through the ether? Are you clairvoyant? No. You’re not that smart. You had to get the info from somewhere else just like the rest of us. And just because you found the info before those that read this blog doesn’t make you smarter. In fact it makes you a lot dumber because you couldn’t even think this through. Idiots.

By: Daniel Greene

Daniel Greene — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:25:10 +0000

I just read an article, It's time for Google to let Google Voice live up to its promise. I know that the word "promise" can mean "potential," but it can also mean, well, "promise." I'm not saying that Google itself (or themselves) promised Google Voice would be free, but the implication is out there. I mean, Google Voice on your computer is free in the US (and yes, I use it quite a bit), and Google Voice texting is free on your phone in the sense that it doesn't count against your text message limit. It stands to reason one would expect GV calls to be free on mobile phones as well. I didn't mention this in my blog post, but I did call T-Mobile and spend quite a bit of time on the phone with them. They said, "Our president [or someone high up] said we completely support Google and Android," and when I asked if I made calls using my Internet connection they would not block those calls or charge me for them, they said something like, "we won't stop you." Unfortunately, they did not know enough about Google Voice to tell me that it wasn't going to work on my data plan; they were simply responding to my question given my assumption that GV phone calls would be data calls. I've gotten a lot of flack in comments on this blog post, but I also get comments from others who suffered from making the same mistake. And I do believe it is an understandable mistake. My blog post is old news; I wrote it almost two years ago. It's not like my "stupidity," if anyone wants to call it that, is "fresh," so it feels kind of weird to read recent comments about how I should have known better. Still, the "promise" of Google Voice being free on mobile phones is still a wish, and personally, I don't see why I couldn't at least make free Google Voice calls using a Wi-Fi connection. I guess it's still a matter of "God forbid we should get past paying the carriers for making calls with our cell phones."

By: Aleric

Aleric — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:58:32 +0000

My thing is if you really are going for ANY new service you have to check up on any angle you can think of. Like on your cell (which depends on your plan) you are charged for the time you use. Not everyone can think of all the angles that it can bite them in the butt, which is why I like this blog post. But I use Google Voice & right now you can call people from GMail & if its to a number in the US or Canada its free. I have read though that people have called other countries & were charged higher rates than what were said on the site. My cell right now is AT&T & i have the daily plan ($2 for everyday i use it) so for me if i call or txt i use $2, & thats it.
You always have to be aware cause companies are out to get you. I love the blog tho i kinda feel that the title is a little misleading. I clicked cause i was curious as to why you wuld say that, & im glad i did, but like i said, watch any new service. im always watching my cell bill (even if its prepaid you have to be vigilant on it). For me personally, Google Voice has saved me TONS of money. the actual amount? I don’t know, but i have been using the service since I first saw it appear in my GMail & I got a Google Voice number (back in August of 2010, I think). Plus the call blocking & screening has helped me multiple times, tho probably not as much as some ppl.

My cell bill went from every month refill by $25 to refilling my phone $25 every 3 months (on my phone you refill by $25 & you get 3 months to spend it).

In all good post, but not the way I would have tried to inform people. I commend you on your ability to look at it and try to help others.
Stay strong people

By: Subhas Sing

Subhas Sing — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:41:47 +0000

I am also victim of this … I would have noticed few months back…grrrrrrr