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Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls.

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Android 4.4.4 KitKat

I installed the Google Hangouts app to give me wifi calling (in and
out).  This lets me save on cellular talk and text minutes by using wifi
to connect out via my Google Voice account.  Okay but there is an
unwanted side effect: doubled ringing on inbound calls.

My Google Voice account is configured to ring my cell phones, home
phone, and work phones.  This will use landlines or cellular services to
connect to those phones.  Hangouts uses wifi for inbound and outbound
calls (through my Google Voice account).  The result is I get 2 rings on
inbound calls to my cell phones: one from my Google Voice account via
cellular service and another via wifi using Hangouts.  It also means
Hangouts will first pop up to notify me of an inbound phone call (since
wifi connects faster) followed by the Phone app oblitering the Hangouts
app when it pops up when the cellular based inbound call arrives (about
2-3 rings later since cellular is slower to connect).

I could leave configured but disabled my cell phone in my Google Voice
account.  That means no cellular-based calls to my cell phone, only wifi
via Hangouts.  No thanks.  Usable wifi hotspots have less coverage than
cellular towers (in the areas that I visit).  So I need my Google Voice
account to continue using cellular service to ring my cell phone.  Using
only Hangouts to get inbound calls means losing all cellular-based
inbound calls.

My home is in a weak cellular signal strength area.  I may miss some
cellular-based inbound calls because my cell phone does not ring.  At
home, most callers would end up getting redirected to my voicemail.  I'd
rather pick up calls when I choose (which means I have to know there is
an inbound call).  Callers would go to voicemail when I'm not available
to answer or choose not to answer.  Because of weak cellular signal
strength at home, I added the Hangouts app which uses wifi.  I have a
strong private wifi network at home via the wifi cable modem.  This
fixes 2 problems: no announcement of an inbound call (signal too weak)
or a 2-3 ring delay between when home phone rings and when cell phone
finally starts to ring.  The wifi connect is faster to start ringing
than when using cellular service (as experienced by the caller who hears
2-3 rings before the first ring on my cell phone).

Hangouts lets me save on talk+text minutes by using free wifi connects.
Plus, so far, the wifi calls are similar in quality to my ISP's VOIP
home service: better quality with no cutouts that are experienced using
cellular service.  So I want to continue using Hangouts to let me having
faster and more reliable announcement of an inbound calls through my
Google Voice account along with free wifi-based calling.  But there is
the nuisance of multiple rings on inbound calls.

Hangouts via wifi detects the call first through my Google Voice
account.  So it shows up on the screen to announce the inbound call.  If
I don't answer within 2-3 rings (not likely unless I'm already holding t
he cell phone) then the Phone app kicks in when the Google Voice account
uses cellular service to connect to my cell phone.  The Phone app, when
it appears, obliterates the Hangouts screen.  I use different ringtones
for the Phone app's inbound call announce than for the Hangout's
ringtone for inbound calls, so the double-ringing alternates between
those ringtones.

If I disable the account in my Google Voice account then I don't get
cellular-based connects to my cell phone to get inbound calls.  I won't
always be connected to a wifi hotspot.  Cellular connects are more
reliable simply because of greater coverage than wifi hotspots.  So
disabling my cell phone in my Google Voice account is not going to
happen.  I could disable Hangout's "Incoming phone calls" option and
rely only on ringing for inbound calls using cellular service; however,
when I'm in a weak cellular area, like at home, I'll miss many inbound
calls.

I can't really see a good workaround to the double ringing when using
both the Google Voice account (for cellular connect) and Hangouts (for
free wifi connect) that doesn't kill a wanted or necessary function.  I
want cellular-based inbound calls since I'm more likely to be in a
cellular cell than connected to wifi when mobile but cellular only works
when there is a decent cellular signal (which is not the case at my
home).  Hangouts via wifi gives me earlier alert to an inbound call than
does cellular.  Wifi-based inbound calls are better quality (probably
due to the low cellular signal strength at home); however, when the
cellular-based call from my Google Voice finally arrives (2-3 ring later
than when Hangouts pops up), the Phone app obliterates the Hangouts
screen so I'm forced to take the call using cellular instead of wifi.

I'd like to eliminate the double ringing (Hangouts followed 2-3 rings
later by the obliterating Phone app).  If the Hangouts pops up (meaning
there was a wifi connect for the inbound call), I'd like it to stay
visible and have the following cellular connect (from Google Voice
account) either ignored (ignore the Phone app, stay with wifi) or an
option to let me choose between staying with Hangouts with the wifi
connect or switching to the inbound cellular connect to the Phone app.

I've searched on this problem and the solutions are not solutions.  One
has you disable the cell phone you add to your Google Voice account.
That means not getting any cellular service to your cell phone for
inbound calls to your Google Voice account.  Wifi isn't available
everywhere and even less than is cellular coverage.  So I'd be reducing
the reliability of getting inbound calls (i.e., most would end up as
voicemail).  The other is to disable the "Incoming phone calls" option
in Hangouts.  That means no wifi connect for inbound calls and relying
on cellular service to get inbound calls (not reliable at my home due to
low signal strength).  I'd still get free wifi-based outbound calls via
Hangouts, though.

I might have to wait until Google gets around to updating/fixing their
Hangouts app so it completely usurps the Phone app by taking over
announcements for both cellular and wifi inbound calls.  I saw a
response from someone projecting the image they were with the Google dev
team for Hangouts in some forum (forget where now) saying they were
going to do this but that was dated over a year ago.  Looks like users
will have to find a solution or endure the side effects until Google
decides to usurp the Phone app so Hangouts can handle both cellular and
wifi inbound calls.

If there really is no good workaround to eliminating the double ringing
(Hangouts first followed by cellular connect from Google Voice), might
there be a way to keep the Phone app from obliterating the Hangouts
screen?  That way, even when the cellular call arrives a little later, I
can still elect to pickup the inbound call via wifi using Hangouts.

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Thread

Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-08 02:13 -0500
  Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-08 04:51 -0500
    Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-08 05:08 -0500
      Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-08-08 08:51 -0700
        Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-08 12:16 -0500
          Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-08-08 14:16 -0700
            Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-08-08 17:33 -0400
            Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-09 01:12 -0500
  Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls. VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-23 02:56 -0500

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