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Riverturn Support • View topic - Making calls using an iPhone

Making calls using an iPhone

Get (or provide!) help using VoiceCentral Black Swan.

Making calls using an iPhone

Postby flyfisherCO » Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:11 pm

Okay..I am lost here. Probably a really simple answer to this question so here goes:

Using an iPhone to place calls saves me minutes how? I have my home office and my iPhone connected into Google Voice. I have your app installed on my iPhone. I understand how to place calls or maybe I don't...lol...

I have my home office as the "default" # to use to "connect" with and all that happens when I use your app to connect from my iPhone is that it rings at my home #, I answer the phone and I am now using my home phone to place the call...what am I missing here? How does that save me minutes on my iPhone? If I am not at home how would I make this call? I know..I know..probably a really simple answer and something I am just not getting right now but please help..Thanks!
flyfisherCO
 
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Re: Making calls using an iPhone

Postby Chris » Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:06 am

Saving money on cell phone calls is just one reason people use Google Voice. Many people use it simply for the call forwarding and call management features without regard to saving minutes at all. The most common reason for using VoiceCentral to place calls via Google Voice over a cell phone is to make sure the called party sees your GV phone number on their caller ID rather than your cell number. It's a great way to keep business calls separate and/or shield your cell phone number in case it changes one day or gets in the hands of yet another stalker.

For those that do want to conserve cell minutes, a lot of users add their own Google Voice number to their AT&T A-List. That works well with "call back dialing" because every outbound call is connected via an inbound call from your own GV number. Using this approach, all GV calls can be free with your cellular plan.

I'm honestly not sure if the same approach can be taken with "direct outbound dialing" because I have not been using it long enough to notice if the dialed number (proxy number) changes over time. Can any of our users answer that question?
Chris
 
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Re: Making calls using an iPhone

Postby jongpie » Thu Jul 01, 2010 11:16 am

I'm not sure if it changes either, but since Google added outbound (can't remember if it was there from the start or not), my outbound number has stayed the same.

My AT&T account isn't eligible for the A-List feature, so I'm not sure which method (outbound vs inbound) works with getting free calls.
jongpie
 
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Re: Making calls using an iPhone

Postby flyfisherCO » Thu Jul 01, 2010 1:58 pm

Thanks for the replies. I am still in a haze..let me tell you what I understand and than hopefully someone can correct my mistakes and/or fill in the blanks..Thanks!

I have Black Swan on my iPhone I have Google Voice. I have connected them. I place a call through Google Voice using Black Swan on my iPhone. It rings on my iPhone and I answer it. The call is now placed on my iPhone. How does that benefit me other than "hiding" my true cell number (useful but..)? I still use minutes from my pay as you go plan (yes I am one of the FEW in the USA that has one on an iPhone...lol) doing it this way...I do not know what the "A-list" is but I suspect it is a feature only available to regular subscribers...

To me I still cannot see how Google Voice will benefit me other than centralizing my phone numbers (Again, nice but no big deal) and providing me with a number that I can use to gain some privacy. Plus, it seems only usable really when I am at home so the calls route through my land line anyway.

Any thoughts on this? Anyone? Thanks!
flyfisherCO
 
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Re: Making calls using an iPhone

Postby Chris » Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:09 pm

First, you're right that the A-List is a feature only available on the "standard" AT&T wireless plans. It allows you to specify a short list of phone numbers that do not count against your anytime minute allocation.

As you said, Google Voice can be used to centralize your phone numbers or "hide" your cell number (which can be for privacy purposes or simply to make sure all called parties see and use your preferred phone number). Many people also prefer its many voicemail features such as online storage of messages, e-mailing of messages, and voicemail transcriptions. It's more of an "e-mail approach to voicemail" but it's certainly not for everyone. If Google Voice is for you, VoiceCentral makes accessing and managing your Google Voice data on your iPhone very easy and intuitive.
Chris
 
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Re: Making calls using an iPhone

Postby Chris » Fri Jul 02, 2010 3:12 pm

Also, you can use VoiceCentral on a GoPhone plan, but the data access will come out of your account balance just as it does when you access e-mail, maps, or any other app that uses the Internet. That's how it worked when I was on a GoPhone plan, anyway.
Chris
 
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Re: Making calls using an iPhone

Postby joey » Tue Jul 06, 2010 1:19 am

Using Google Voice in general wont save you money on your minutes if you have just a cell phone. You say you have an office phone well all the calls that get routed to your office phone and you answer you wont be using your cell minutes. Overall its just helps centralize your calls/text and say one day you got a new phone with new number who cares since you have Google Voice the end users wont know the difference right?
joey
 
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