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Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls.

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VanguardLH wrote:

> 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.

Okay, found a possible solution.

I wanted to get an inbound call to come in via wifi in case I was in a
weak or absent cellular service area, like at my home.  

I wanted to get an inbound call to come in via cellular service in case
I was in a weak or absent wifi hotpot area.  Coverage for wifi hotspots
is not nearly as pervasive as for cellular coverage.

When both cellular and wifi were available, I'd get 2 rings: first for
the wifi connection (VOIP works faster) and after 2-3 rings there was
the same call over the cellular connection.  Same call would generate 2
rings but that was tolerable.  If both services are available, I prefer
to take calls via wifi.

When both services were available, the problem was the cellular
connection opened the Phone app which would obliterate the wifi dialer
(Hangouts Dialer).  One the Phone app connected to the cellular call, I
could get back to the wifi dialer.  The Recent and Home buttons would
not toggle away from the Phone app.  I was stuck taking the cellular
based version of the incoming call.  No choice.

Then I read about how Android 5.1.x Lollipop changed to a floating
banner for incoming calls instead of taking over the entire screen as
before.  For incoming calls, you get a small banner, like:

http://tinyurl.com/hatky5p

Yeah, well my Tracfone-locked Samsung smartphone is at Android 4.4.4
KitKat and Tracfone is never going to supply the upgrade to Lollipop
(and I won't be rooting my smartphone for a year, or more).  I found
some apps that would provide Lollipop-like banners in versions of
Android before Lollipop.  That means a cellular-based incoming call
would only use part of the screen to announce the call with a Lollipop-
like banner leaving the rest of the screen to show the wifi dialer.
That meant I now had a choice since both apps would share the screen:
accept the call via cellular service (using the popup Lollipop-like
banner) or accept the call via wifi (using the wifi dialer).  Yay!

I don't like ad-ridden free Android apps.  There are some ad-free free
Android apps but not many, and unfortunately Google's Play Store does
not mention if a free app is riddled with ads (i.e., ad-sponsored).  I
found several apps that would Lollipop-like banner announcement of
incoming cellular-based calls but the free ones are polluted with ads.
I liked the L-Call app but the free version is ad-sponsored.  However, I
found via a review article that you can get a free and ad-free version.
You won't find it by doing a search on "l-call" at Google's Play Store.
That will find you only the free ad-ridden and payware versions of this
app.  The free and ad-free version is at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.droidmate.callfree

The free version does not let you move the banner around.  This might be
needed if, for example, the buttons to accept or reject an incoming call
in the wifi dialer had been oblitered by the L-Call's banner that shows
on top.  Luckily the banner is at the top of the screen and the accept
and reject buttons along with caller ID are at the bottom of the
Hangouts Dialer app.  No Position option in the free version.  The
"Disable on Home" option (whatever that does) is also disabled in the
free version.  If the ad-free free version works okay for awhile, I'll
consider later whether or not to buy the payware version; however, I
don't yet need to reposition the new-call banner and I don't know what
the other option does.

If only wifi is available, I'll get the call that way.  If only cellular
is available, I'll get the call that way.  If both wifi and cellular are
available, I can choose which way to accept a call - because the damn
Phone app no longer completely obliterates the wifi dialer.  I get to
see enough of both dialers to pick which way to accept the call.

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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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