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Google Voice goes US only

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Google Voice goes US only

#21

Post by zamadatix »

prepend wrote: post #4

What’s the replacement service for google voice? I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info. I also like getting texts through a web/app interface. Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn…

A couple of years after Google Voice split out from Hangouts and, while there were plenty of VOIP options, they all sucked for use as a personal number (even Google Voice kind of did to be honest). The latencies for ringing, not being accepted at ever more places, the weird connection quality and delay issues, one way audio issues, and so on were just so rampant compared to a "traditional" (now also really just data, but more integrated into the transport system) number. Also so many places started to block the use of VOIP numbers it was becoming hard to use the number anyways. If they hadn't already there was no guarantee it'd still be a valid option 3 months later. Maybe there is some whizz bang new VOIP service that actually kicks ass in all of these marks and someone will recommend it but even if they did I'd have more expectation it's a false positive report than a real positive.

If privacy/secrecy via obfuscation is your #1 criteria and not a nice to have then I'd just go with an enterprise cloud VOIP solution like RingCentral because they'll have real support and it's their core (and very successful) business, not another something that'll disappear in 2 years anyways.

If privacy/secrecy via obfuscation was just a nice to have and you really liked it for having the web interface then RingCentral (and I'm sure others) have a PWA and you can still go that route or you can try a sync tool like Beeper. I went the latter route as it gave a significantly better call/texting delay and quality experience to give up the obfuscation but the other cost is your phone has to be connected to the internet for the messages to relay through Beeper.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#22

Post by crazygringo »

What do you mean by "randomly"?

Like it asks you to re-validate it every week or month or something?

I haven't encountered this at all. Honestly it sounds like a bug (try deleting and reinstalling the app for starters), or it's flagging your specific number as high risk for some reason.

I share your frustration but there really needs to be more evidence that it's either a widespread problem or an intentional policy change. (Because it's also hard to see why it would be intentional, and also it would have been implemented on the site as well if so.)

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#23

Post by 1oooqooq »

bunnyfoofoo wrote: post #5

When you say validate, would giving another US persons phone number work? I use this while living abroad for my US banking. It’s only solution I’ve found.

Absolutely not if that "other person" also have a google account.

This will associate the phone number permanently to your google account as well. And remove from the other account (and you cannot switch phones between accounts in the same 3month period... don't want know how I know this)

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#24

Post by 1oooqooq »

londons_explore wrote: post #17
1oooqooq wrote: post #2

I guess they really want the world to use whatsapp

whatsapp is just... better... Mobile networks have dropped the ball for years on functionality. (it's 2023 and most mobile networks still won't let me make a call or send texts from my laptop!). And across most of the world, mobile networks still charge $10/minute or more for group video calls... Forget about the fact video calls are impossible between some networks and others too. The UK's largest network, EE, says…

you are not wrong. But not right either. Google voice and a phone are clients to a network you must use.

You can complain all you want about the network, but "requiring some nonsense to use the client in a way that is not related to the network" is not excusable for the client software, no matter how bad the network is.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#26

Post by prepend »

ugjka wrote: post #9
wildrhythms wrote: post #3

Personally I'm shocked this service still exists at all, I imagine abuse is a huge problem.

Must be something Googlers themselves use?

This is what I imagine. People try to kill it, but there’s thousands of googlers using it and it’s harder to make it internal only than just to keep it running.

So every time someone tries to kill the project some fancy pants google person kills the idea because it personally inconveniences them.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#27

Post by jeffbee »

I've never used Google Voice, but I do use Google Fi, and they offer unlimited calls and sms in what looks like every country on the planet. What's the advantage of Voice for the traveling caller?

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#28

Post by devoutsalsa »

I've been using Google Voice while living outside the USA for 4+ years. I've never been able to make calls to the USA when using a foreign SIM. On my phone, I've only been using it for SMS, and I make the occasional call from the website.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#29

Post by 1oooqooq »

zamadatix wrote: post #21
prepend wrote: post #4

What’s the replacement service for google voice? I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info. I also like getting texts through a web/app interface. Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn…

A couple of years after Google Voice split out from Hangouts and, while there were plenty of VOIP options, they all sucked for use as a personal number (even Google Voice kind of did to be honest). The latencies for ringing, not being accepted at ever more places, the weird connection quality and delay issues, one way audio issues, and so on were just so rampant compared to a "traditional" (now also really just data,…

google didn't split from hangouts. It got merged into hangouts (and both apps existed) because some PM bonus was tied to hangout active users or something. Same reason you automatically logged into a gmail-plugin-hangouts client when you opened gmail by default.

They just undid that shenanigans after the PM got his bonus. Maybe by then their bonus was tied to simplifying the tech stack :)

edit:

> If privacy/secrecy via obfuscation is your #1 criteria

lol, no. the only usecase for gvoice and the likes is to have a fixed phone number without a montly bill that you can use to make international phone calls for business. or to receive calls when abroad.

Nobody who cares about privacy etc (or any quality of network protocol for that matter) would care about gsm and sms. at all. it's mostly for cheap convenience.

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#30

Post by t1E9mE7JTRjf »

dougmwne wrote: post #11

Been on Google Voice as my primary number for about 7 years. Mostly smooth sailing. I spend a few months a year out of the US and it makes it seamless. I also switched between cell carriers as I find deals or need different service and have never bothered with the number porting. Guess it’s time to think about a new place to get a US number that works internationally for 2-factor sms. Any suggestions?

silent link. Cheap & easy Esim, so you can still use your existing sim - or as you travel, local sims.
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