Google Voice Issue

[Guest]

I use Google Voice on an iPhone as my "hobby phone", and it seems to work OK. I'm the only one who could ever see any mention of Google on the phone bill, so it keeps business and pleasure separated. As an added precaution, I delete the app from my phone when I don't plan on hobbying for a while, then reinstall it when I want to use it. I'm sure I'm not unique in this. I thought it was a great system until I was home one day with family around, and a text popped up reading, "Hi, it's (blank). I'm available. Would you like to meet up?" I hid the phone quickly, but when I checked the number later, the text had come from a provider I had contacted before with Google Voice. How did this happen?! The app was deleted from my phone! I'm no techie, but I suspect that even though the app was deleted, it's truly just hidden from view, and still lurking in the background since it's on my Apple account. The other detail was that in Google Voice settings, I forgot to unlink the app from my phone for calls and texts before deleting it. Somehow texts to the Google number can still come through if this detail is forgotten, EVEN WITH THE APP DELETED. Maybe just a fluke? I don't know.

[BadBoy]

And this, Grasshopper, is why you need a real burner phone.  Just imagine if you had put your phone down, walked into another room, and the message popped up and a family member saw it.  I'm sitting here laughing about how most of the gals have pretty self-explanatory stage names ("Hi, its Sexy Diamond, I'm available...") 

If I knew how, I would link to 2Big's post to my burner phone review showing Walter trying to explain (it didn't work for him either).  Didn't work for Tiger Woods either.

Edited May 10, 2018 by BadBoy

[NoCoGeezer]

1 hour ago, Toolson said:

but I suspect that even though the app was deleted, it's truly just hidden from view, and still lurking in the background since it's on my Apple account. The other detail was that in Google Voice settings, I forgot to unlink the app from my phone for calls and texts before deleting it. Somehow texts to the Google number can still come through if this detail is forgotten, EVEN WITH THE APP DELETED. Maybe just a fluke? I don't know.

Don't think a fluke, as that is how Google Voice is supposed  to work. In short, your Google number will contact any other numbers you have plugged in. For example, I can setup GV to ring my work number, my home number, and my cell phone, and then pickup the call, on which ever device I wish (am closest to). The GV website has LOTS of options to configure the behavior (eg. call from Bob will ring work number or cell, but not home; person not in contacts will have to announce their name before rings through). Think that your not unlinking the cell caused this (have not tested this) as the real GV is on Google's servers, not your phone.

Deleting an app, other than stock Apple apps, should pull the plug on everything associated with the app.

What I do with GV (my "home" number) is to keep it on the phone, just set the number to do-not-disturb. I have a couple of burner apps (Burner, TextFree) that I use for play. What I do with those is disable all Notifications when not planning on playing. Turn on when contacting. Turn off after leaving. Calls, texts will still come in, just not get any annoying popups, chimes. Additionally, I bury these apps off my main home screen, so no Notification bubble popup next to the app on the screen I use the most.

[slee402]

I think Google voice leverages your real number in someway. I would recommend text now then set your notifications so they don't show details on the lock screen. 

[JoDoe27]

It’s not app specific and that’s where the issue/misunderstanding lies. When you setup the account you have to use a google account, and then you essentially enabled call forwarding. That’s an account level feature not related to the app. 

Deleting the app does not remove all ties associated with your google account if you have enable or allow that account to access your phone in any way. 

[Zelda Runner]

3 hours ago, Toolson said:

I use Google Voice on an iPhone as my "hobby phone", and it seems to work OK. I'm the only one who could ever see any mention of Google on the phone bill, so it keeps business and pleasure separated. As an added precaution, I delete the app from my phone when I don't plan on hobbying for a while, then reinstall it when I want to use it. I'm sure I'm not unique in this. I thought it was a great system until I was home one day with family around, and a text popped up reading, "Hi, it's (blank). I'm available. Would you like to meet up?" I hid the phone quickly, but when I checked the number later, the text had come from a provider I had contacted before with Google Voice. How did this happen?! The app was deleted from my phone! I'm no techie, but I suspect that even though the app was deleted, it's truly just hidden from view, and still lurking in the background since it's on my Apple account. The other detail was that in Google Voice settings, I forgot to unlink the app from my phone for calls and texts before deleting it. Somehow texts to the Google number can still come through if this detail is forgotten, EVEN WITH THE APP DELETED. Maybe just a fluke? I don't know.

Delete and stop using Google Voice. It isn't private and that's from experience. Get a separate phone, pay for it in cash. It's easy, cheap and safe. In today's world, staying private is everything. 

[SultryKitten]

16 hours ago, Toolson said:

I use Google Voice on an iPhone as my "hobby phone", and it seems to work OK. I'm the only one who could ever see any mention of Google on the phone bill, so it keeps business and pleasure separated. As an added precaution, I delete the app from my phone when I don't plan on hobbying for a while, then reinstall it when I want to use it. I'm sure I'm not unique in this. I thought it was a great system until I was home one day with family around, and a text popped up reading, "Hi, it's (blank). I'm available. Would you like to meet up?" I hid the phone quickly, but when I checked the number later, the text had come from a provider I had contacted before with Google Voice. How did this happen?! The app was deleted from my phone! I'm no techie, but I suspect that even though the app was deleted, it's truly just hidden from view, and still lurking in the background since it's on my Apple account. The other detail was that in Google Voice settings, I forgot to unlink the app from my phone for calls and texts before deleting it. Somehow texts to the Google number can still come through if this detail is forgotten, EVEN WITH THE APP DELETED. Maybe just a fluke? I don't know.

You have to go into the Google account through voice and make it not go through your phone (you set up your personal phone in those setting when you got the number) for it to not text or call through even if you took the app off.

Xoxo,

Samantha Sheppard

[daaacz]

Samantha is right. The only way to be sure it won't forward to your phone is to disable it in your GV settings. It's easiest to do it through a browser on a computer, not a phone. I'm not 100% sure if it works the same on the iPhone, but when I installed GV on my Android, it sort of dug its little Google fingers into everything on my phone. I had to do a factory reset to completely remove it.

I still use Google Voice, but I go through their web app in an incognito tab in my phone's (Chrome) browser. It's a little bit flaky to use, but that way I know leaves no trace of itself on my phone. I just have to remember to enable forwarding to my cell when I need it and to disable it when I don't. Just in case I forget to disable it, I created a contact for the GV incoming number that says something like "Cruise line spam" so it's never obvious to anyone but me.

Good luck.

[JoDoe27]

1 hour ago, daaacz said:

Samantha is right. The only way to be sure it won't forward to your phone is to disable it in your GV settings. It's easiest to do it through a browser on a computer, not a phone. I'm not 100% sure if it works the same on the iPhone, but when I installed GV on my Android, it sort of dug its little Google fingers into everything on my phone. I had to do a factory reset to completely remove it.

I still use Google Voice, but I go through their web app in an incognito tab in my phone's (Chrome) browser. It's a little bit flaky to use, but that way I know leaves no trace of itself on my phone. I just have to remember to enable forwarding to my cell when I need it and to disable it when I don't. Just in case I forget to disable it, I created a contact for the GV incoming number that says something like "Cruise line spam" so it's never obvious to anyone but me.

Good luck.

It’s not that bad on iOS. I think you’re just in the google/android ecosystem so lots of integration I don’t have to worry about. 

Seriously on iOS in the app settings there’s an option to link a phone number and another to enable/disable call fowarding to linked numbers. You can add as many as you want or take them all away. It really isn’t complicated. 

[BadBoy]

GOOGLE VOICE - The few times that a gal no-showed on me the excuse was that she had Google Voice and didn't get my call, it was delayed hours, etc.  Might be excuses, but they were reliable ladies so I do think that Google Voice is crap, especially in light of all of the above.  Get a real phone.

[Guest]

Thanks for all the input. I've found the answer to the issue at https://voice.google.com/settings

[Guest]

22 hours ago, JoDoe27 said:

It’s not app specific and that’s where the issue/misunderstanding lies. When you setup the account you have to use a google account, and then you essentially enabled call forwarding. That’s an account level feature not related to the app. 

Deleting the app does not remove all ties associated with your google account if you have enable or allow that account to access your phone in any way. 

Exactly what I figured out, and fixed. Thanks.

[Guest]

On ‎5‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 4:36 PM, BadBoy said:

Didn't work for Tiger Woods either.

:-)

[Bora Bora]

On 5/10/2018 at 4:36 PM, BadBoy said:

And this, Grasshopper, is why you need a real burner phone. 

Exactly!!

[MikeInCOSprings]

FWIW, I use Google Voice and this is what I do:

1) Mainly use the desktop version on a VM on my home computer.  This works for texting, and if I need to make a call I can do that too.

2) For most remote use situations, I use the RDP app on my phone to RDP into my computer and use it that way.  It's kludgey, but works.

3) Occasionally when #2 doesn't cut it, I will use the Google Voice web page (NOT the app) in an incognito tab on my phone's browser

The only use case this doesn't support well is calling from my phone, but most providers don't want to talk on the phone anyway. 

This scheme is a little cumbersome, but allows me to completely compartmentalize things, and I don't have to associate my phone number w/ Google Voice.

 

[Bora Bora]

9 hours ago, MikeInCOSprings said:

FWIW, I use Google Voice and this is what I do:

1) Mainly use the desktop version on a VM on my home computer.  This works for texting, and if I need to make a call I can do that too.

2) For most remote use situations, I use the RDP app on my phone to RDP into my computer and use it that way.  It's kludgey, but works.

3) Occasionally when #2 doesn't cut it, I will use the Google Voice web page (NOT the app) in an incognito tab on my phone's browser

The only use case this doesn't support well is calling from my phone, but most providers don't want to talk on the phone anyway. 

This scheme is a little cumbersome, but allows me to completely compartmentalize things, and I don't have to associate my phone number w/ Google Voice.

 

I got the FWIW but VM? and RDP app? RDP into your computer? 

 

[NoCoGeezer]

VM = virtual machine

RDP = remote desktop protocol

So, poster might be running a Mac or Linux and then runs a copy of Windows on top of that, and does his Google Voice stuff through the Windows environment by signing in remotely (the phone's remote client app).

[Bora Bora]

14 hours ago, NoCoGeezer said:

VM = virtual machine

RDP = remote desktop protocol

So, poster might be running a Mac or Linux and then runs a copy of Windows on top of that, and does his Google Voice stuff through the Windows environment by signing in remotely (the phone's remote client app).

Thanks! sounds complicated, though.