I suppose someone who, when wifi is unavailable, would have to turn it off in order to call using the cell plan, if they have one. Also, someone with an unlimited cell phone plan might prefer using cellular calling, while someone who has an unlimited calling plan but poor reception at home and/or work would want to keep wifi calling on when at those places. As long as one has wifi at home, one could likely use a GV app phone with no plan or sim as a free home phone, save for times when the power or internet goes down.
Do you have to reboot your phone for the update to the app to be effective?
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I don't have the update yet, but I'll speculate a few possible reasons:
It seems inadequate to me to have only the choice of "prefer WiFi or data". I might prefer WiFi, but I don't want to have to remember to change settings every time I leave WiFi range, or risk using my small data allowance for voice.
I also wonder if battery life is impacted by selecting WiFi/data preferred.
Just saw a tweet from GV project manager Scott Johnston who said the GV VOIP update is 100% done. My phones now have the update and the option to use VOIP, and yours should have it too.
I don't have it, yet. And Google is down.
Play Store, Google Drive and Gmail aren't working for me across all my devices and a variety of internet connections.
On Google Drive I can see my files but I can't open them.
Downdetector.com verifies that Google is having problems.
Don't know if Google is down in specific areas, or what, but all my Google avenues are working fine. The Voip update is a big one, and may have caused some problems, due to demand, for Google in certain areas. I know of others on other forums who have received the update today.
I received the update, but won't try the new features for a few days.
Voice, GMail & the Play Store are working for me-- haven't checked others. At least it's not universal-- but it's particularly problematic when we become so dependent on a single avenue for multiple tasks.
It's back, for me, but still no update.
Okay, my update just went through. Google Voice even works on my Fire Tablet, now, too.
If you have gv setup not to ring your main cellphone number. Will the update ruin that setting?
How do you know if you have the. Right update VoIP?
Wonder why Hangouts had VoIP wifi for many years but gv app did not
The update did not change my settings, and the "Prefer Wifi or Data" option (the new one) was not checked after the update. (So, not active.)
Look in the GV settings menu for the settings shown in Isamorph's post-- if you have them, you have the update:
https://www.nthcircle.com/forum/misc-telecom/2431-google-voice-voip-calling-is-here-for-all-at-last?start=30#33935
It's been over a week since rollout. What do you all think? The app (using data) rings sooner than cellular, so I am more able to pick up the call before voicemail kicks in. Though, would appreciate they allow me to set wifi, mobile data, and cellular separately. For example, I would prefer to set wifi then cellular and turn off mobile data...
I think the VOIP quality has been excellent, no noticeable lag and like you, I find that it rings faster than cellular. I've tried calls on WiFi and on data and it's very clear both ways.
I use Google Voice on a number of devices (work mobile, personal mobile, fwd to office line etc) and adjust the settings depending on which device I'm using (so that only rings the device I'm actively using). I'm finding that the constant switching in the settings is sometimes lagged, changes are not reflected consistently b/w device's, or doesn't actually take. I've sometimes had to log into Google Voice via a browser on my laptop to ensure the changes take.
Where the settings say "Prefer Wifi and mobile data" it says below: "Make and receive calls over Wi-Fi and mobile data when available. Carrier rates may apply if wifi is unavailable."
If you choose to make and receive calls over wifi and mobile data, then if data is turned off you have in effect chosen to receive and make calls over wifi. Likewise, if you turn off wifi and have mobile data on, you in effect have chosen to make calls using mobile data. The other option is to receive and make all calls using carrier only. So unless I'm mistaken, one can separately choose the calling and receiving modes, if this is what you meant. I'm liking the Google Voice voip app, particularly the ability to use a phone without a sim or cellular plan, or with a wedded to a Truphone sim, with good voice qualities.
If one enables "wifi and mobile data", and then disables data, does Google Voice use WiFi for it's own SMS function and the necessary data connection to place a call to a new number (for which your phone doesn't already have a spoofed GV contact #) ? I'm reliant on both of those functioning....
(Gee, I should be able to test that myself, but I haven't even had a chance to try the update at all.....)
The way to ensure that changes "stick" and all options are even visible is:
through the browser interface for GV- change to "legacy Google Voice" and then make your changes.
There is a quirk where some of your devices and forwarding numbers and settings get corrupted and some options are greyed out unless you do the above.
It gets worse if you use many phones/phone numbers/devices etc. as I do and apparently you do too.
The interface will revert back to the current version on its own(eventually) or you can do it manually- it will work either way.
I had tried a few calls to non contact #s earlier with data disabled via wifi only and it worked, and I just sent a text message to a non contact number, which also worked. So a tentative yes, since there still seem to be some bugs to quash in the GV voip app.
I guess my question is whether the app is smart enough to know to switch to cellular when mobile data is inadequate. My guess yes, but not tested.
Good question. I have yet to see an answer to it. So, in other words, if one has selected prefer calls over wifi and data, and one starts a call with both mobile data and wifi turned on, assuming the app defaults to wifi to initiate the call, then what happens if I take a stroll out of wifi range-- will the app switch automatically over to mobile data to continue the call, and vice versa if I stroll back into wifi range, or will the call be ended. Fairly easy to test, and I would if it were not so cold outside. Maybe tomorrow. There must be an answer out there somewhere.
Edit: I think I misunderstood your question in that you seem to be asking if the GV voip app will auto switch between prefer calling over wifi and "mobile data" to using your carriers cellular data if wifi and mobile data is inadequate, which would seem to defeat the purpose of the initial choice preference. Id like to be wrong, but I doubt there is any automatic switching between the two, similar to what the Fi sims do. It appears, though, that GV voip app requires very little bandwidth in order to successfully make or receive calls.
"Calls using data use approximately 0.2MB of data per minute. The exact amount of data you use depends on your carrier’s network quality and speed."
Just had a look at the G. Play store & see that it says:
Good news for me as I can update my old Fuel & it should work OK wifi only...I hope !!
PS:
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