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Re: Google Voice

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Alek wrote:

> True or false: I can call only other Hangouts users with hangouts.

False.

Hangouts Dialer only uses wifi connects, so you get VOIP service through
Google Voice which lets you dial to any phone number.  I've used the
Hangouts Dialer to get inbound calls via wifi from landlines and cell
phones.  I've also used it to make outbound wifi calls to landlines and
cell phones.

True.

You can use Hangouts (just that app) to connect to other Hangouts users,
just you can do with Skype "calls" to other Skype users.  This is what
Hangouts alone does: it's a chat client.  You need to get the separate
Hangouts Dialer add-on to Hangouts to do the wifi calling through a
Google Voice account.

Using cellular connects to my cell phone:
- I can get cellular-based calls to my smartphone's number (the one the
cellular provider gave me).  Callers dial my cell phone number.
- I can get phone calls (landlines, cell phones, VOIP) through my Google
Voice via cellular connects to my cell phone.  Callers dial my GV number
(which rings all phones added and enabled in my GV account).
- I can make outbound phone calls via cellular service out from my cell
phone (using my cellular service).  The callee sees my cell phone
number.
- I can make outbound phone calls via cellular service through a Google
Voice hub.  You will see the dialer connect to a GV hub so it can modify
the Caller ID data.  The callee sees my GV number in the Caller ID.

All of the above use cellular service to and from my cell phone whether
I use my GV account or not.

Using wifi connects to my cell phone (Hangouts Dialer):
- I can get inbound calls from landlines, cell phones, or VOIP (anyone 
  with a phone number) to my GV number using [free] wifi connects to my 
  cell phone.  The caller uses my GV number.  I use wifi for the 
  incoming call.
- I can make outbound calls to landlines, cell phones, or VOIP (anyone 
  with a phone number) through a GV hub.  I see the dialer connect to a 
  GV hub (different cities in different states depending on where they 
  send you for load balancing).  The callee sees me come from my GV 
  number: the GV hub adds CID data that says the call originated from my 
  GV number.  I use wifi out.  They use whatever they like.

Using just the Hangouts app:
- I can connect to other Hangouts users, just like Skype-to-Skype 
  "calls" (actually chats).  It's a chat client over the Internet.  You 
  can directly get them into a hangout (a chat room) or send them an 
  invite.  These inter-host connects are over the Internet, so you end 
  up using your cellular's data minutes if you don't have a wifi 
  connect.

For the in/out calls via Hangouts Dialer or when using the Hangouts app
alone to do chats, you are doing that over the Internet.  If you have a
wifi connect, that gets used (and is often free).  If you are out of
range of a usable wifi hotspot (not free, private, requires login but
you don't know the credentials, or simply none around) then your
cellular's data minutes get used up to make the Internet connection.

I have little use (well, so far, none) for an IM (instant messenger) or
other chat client (those go over the Internet); however, Google dumps
the Hangouts app in the Android OS.  It's a chat client so the cellular
phone companies don't care that it is there.  They would care if Google
bundled their Hangouts Dialer in Android but that is in direct
competition with the cellular providers.  That dialer uses wifi connects
which are usually free.  You make free VOIP calls over the Internet.
The cellular providers don't get to subtract any minutes from your
account with them.  They rely on their customers using up their minutes,
especially cellular providers that allow minutes to rollover (unused
minutes do not expire).  So you have to separately download the Hangouts
Dialer to get free wifi calls.  The Hangouts app alone is just a chat
client.

Many users think calls through Google Voice are free.  Well, if you
connect to your Google Voice account their the Internet then it is free
(if you omit any cost for you to get Internet access).  The Google Voice
service is free.  Their GV hubs are free.  If you instead use landlines
or cell phone to make calls to a GV number then you are paying for those
communication venues.  If you want to get calls forwarded through a GV
account to your phones that use landlines or cellular service then you
are paying for those communication venues.  Only if you use the Internet
to connect to your GV account are those connects free.

For example, you can use a web browser over the Internet to connect to
your GV account to have them dial the callee over landlines or cellular
service at no cost to you (other than any cost for Internet access).
Calls forwarded through your GV account to your phones will be via
landlines or cellular service (which you pay for) or via wifi *if* you
use a wifi dialer to do the connect to a GV hub.  Using the Internet
into a GV account or out of a GV account is free (or cheap).  Whether
you are using wifi, Ethernet, satellite, dial-up, or whatever to get
Internet access is your choice.  The only part of Google Voice that is
always free is the service itself, not necessarily how you connect to it
going in or coming out.

Hangouts alone is just a chat client.  Connects to other hosts running
Hangouts over the Internet.  I have a Skype account and could also use
that to make free VOIP calls, too.  I don't use either Skype, Hangouts,
or any chat client.  So the Hangouts app alone isn't of much use to me.
However, it is the infrastructure on which the Hangouts Dialer adds to.
You can't use the Hangouts Dialer by itself.  In fact, when you install
the Hangouts Dialer, load it or the Hangouts app shows the same GUI: the
dialer got added to the Hangouts screen.  Hangouts alone just has the
chat panel.  Adding the dialer splits the GUI into 2 panels: one for
chats and another for wifi calling.

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Google Voice Alek <alek.trishan@gmail.com> - 2016-08-08 17:27 -0400
  Re: Google Voice nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-08-08 17:33 -0400
  Re: Google Voice Aardvarks <aardvarks@a.b.c.com> - 2016-08-09 09:43 +0700
    Re: Google Voice The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-08-08 20:39 -0700
  Re: Google Voice VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-08 23:20 -0500
    Re: Google Voice Alek <alek.trishan@gmail.com> - 2016-08-09 02:22 -0400
      Re: Google Voice VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-09 06:08 -0500
  Re: Google Voice M.L. <me@privacy.invalid> - 2016-08-09 18:19 -0500
    Re: Google Voice Alek <alek.trishan@gmail.com> - 2016-08-09 19:47 -0400
      Re: Google Voice VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-10 01:30 -0500

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