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Guest110920 · 05-30-2017, 08:44 AM

I'm changing my hobby phone option and have to decide whether to get a new number or port the old one over. My current number is trusted by a fair number of providers and I'd prefer not to lose that. However I have started getting some unwanted calls on it and there are some people I'd just as soon didn't have it (if you're wondering if it's you, most likely not since you're on Eccie and those people aren't).

Wanted to get some opinions about which way to go. Does it bother you when a client changes numbers? If you're a provider (especially one who has my number), how would you prefer to be notified if a client changes numbers? P411 or Eccie PM? Text notification from the old number first? I could always refer to something only we would know to prove it's me. Or am I making too much of it?

Omerta · 05-30-2017, 09:22 AM

How about a two-stage approach? Port your existing hobby number to Google Voice, then get a new cell with a super-private number?

Ginger Doll · 05-30-2017, 09:27 AM

I would get a totally new number. Disassociate from the one you're having troubles with.

Just send a pm with your new number, group message to your most used references.

BK · 05-30-2017, 09:36 AM

I second using google voice. You can block numbers with it so no need to change numbers.

Ginger Doll · 05-30-2017, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BK

I second using google voice. You can block numbers with it so no need to change numbers.

You can block numbers with GV?

Spanky, why don't you just block the numbers but you don't want to deal with and keep your number?

Omerta · 05-30-2017, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginger Doll

You can block numbers with GV?

GV finally decided to update the service a few months ago. You can block numbers selectively and sending/receiving photos is improved (in other words, working reliably.)

I use GV when car and gun shopping.

Guest110920 · 05-30-2017, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginger Doll

You can block numbers with GV?

Spanky, why don't you just block the numbers but you don't want to deal with and keep your number?

Yes, it's actually GV I would port to. Especially now that I've learned you can send and receive pictures with it if you have Google Hangouts installed. My hobby phone is just annoying because the reception is bad in my house so seeking an option that works everywhere and GV seems like it will do nicely. Also my current phone is a prepaid with limited texts so it sucks to refill it frequently. And I hate those godawful Android emoji.

Guest110920 · 05-31-2017, 06:23 AM

I was about to pull the trigger on porting my old number to Google Voice but then I saw the following snippet from this article:

https://www.howtogeek.com/92075/how-...-google-voice/

Secondly, when you port a number to Google Voice, you can’t use the Google Voice app to send text messages–it requires a data connection over Wi-Fi or LTE/3G. You can, however, have Google Voice forward texts to your new number. When you reply to them using your regular messaging app, they will appear to come from your Google Voice number, which is pretty cool.

Can anyone comment on this? Sending text messages from the GV app (IOS version) is exactly what I want to be able to do, so if I can't do that using my old number, porting my old number isn't useful to me. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the statement above.

Omerta · 05-31-2017, 07:40 AM

Spanky, that's odd. I text back and forth from my GV app on iOS without a problem, using the number I ported to GV.

Thinking out loud, it might be bad English... I'm looking at this phrase: "it requires a data connection over Wi-Fi or LTE/3G". GV is an IP-based app, whereas SMS can be sent over the older 2G voice channels. Maybe this is just bad technical writing?

Guest110920 · 05-31-2017, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omerta

Spanky, that's odd. I text back and forth from my GV app on iOS without a problem, using the number I ported to GV.

Thinking out loud, it might be bad English... I'm looking at this phrase: "it requires a data connection over Wi-Fi or LTE/3G". GV is an IP-based app, whereas SMS can be sent over the older 2G voice channels. Maybe this is just bad technical writing?

Thanks Omerta, that is good to know. I plan to use the GV app for hobby communication exclusively, without using IOS integrated messaging or contacts at all, so being able to do everything in the GV app is very important. From your experience it sounds like that is possible with a ported number and it probably was just bad technical writing.

Regarding contacts: is there a trick to getting them added to GV? I have looked around and don't see an Add Contact option anywhere. I added some to contacts.google.com but they still don't seem to appear in GV (or Hangouts). Is it necessary to call or text someone to add them as a contact in GV?

Guest110920 · 05-31-2017, 08:13 AM

Seems like it might not be possible on IOS. According to this, GV can only use your IOS contacts, not Google's. Using IOS contacts is what I specifically want to avoid. Bummer.

https://support.google.com/voice/for...XJF_GTI/?hl=en

Omerta · 05-31-2017, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpankyJ

Seems like it might not be possible on IOS. According to this, GV can only use your IOS contacts, not Google's. Using IOS contacts is what I specifically want to avoid. Bummer.

Yep, same for me.