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Re: Hangouts app: duplicate rings on inbound calls.

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The Real Bev wrote:

> I have a different 'hangouts' number from my regular cell number.  No 
> cell data plan.  I don't see the problem here.

So do I.  I have a Google Voice account.  That is my Hangouts phone
number.  It is not the same as the phone number assigned by the cell
phone provider to the physical cell phone.  The Hangouts Dialer can't
use your cell phone's number.  It has to use a Google Voice number.
Without a Google Voice phone number, and without the Hangouts Dialer,
just Hangouts by itself seems to be a knock off of Skype with its "chat
number" (for Skype-to-Skype calls); i.e., an chat client.  To use Skype
with real phone numbers (e.g., land lines and cell phones) requires
buying their Skype-In phone number (and possible Skype-Out minutes).  So
Hangouts by itself looks like a nude Skype and while Hangouts +
HangoutsDialer + GoogleVoice which is all free for US+Canada calls
(unless you one-time pay to port your old number to Google Voice).  

I could be wrong about just the Hangouts app by itself.  Is Hangouts
alone (no Hangouts Dialer and no Google Voice account) capable of making
phone calls or by itself is it just another chat client?  Alone it has
instant messaging, video chat, and SMS but for VOIP you have to add the
Hangouts Dialer and the Hangouts Dialer requires a Google Voice account.
The Hangouts Dialer isn't bundled with the Hangouts app because that
would conflict with the purpose of cell phone providers selling the
smartphones their users to consume cellular services to generate revenue
for those cellular providers.  Hangouts comes pre-bundled in Android.
You have to separately retrieve the Hangouts Dialer.  I'm pretty sure
the Hangouts Dialer (via wifi) only utilizes a Google Voice account for
inbound and outbound calls.

When I go into the Hangout Dialer's settings, you can pick an account
with which to use that dialer.  You can add an account but they are all
Google accounts hence the use of Google Voice.

What I'd like to know is if the call itself is handled via wifi or
cellular.  That Hangouts detects or gets notified via wifi of new calls
to a Google Voice number does not mandate that the call itself is
handled via wifi.  I've read many online articles saying Hangouts uses
wifi for outbound calls but still uses cellular for inbound calls.
New-call detection might be via wifi but maybe the connect to the actual
call is via cellular?  Lots of misinformation out there and Google isn't
being clear on how Hangouts handles inbound calls (wifi only or a
wifi+cellular hybrid).

Also, when a cellular call comes in, there still the problem that the
Phone app (or whatever is the default dialer app) will pick up the
cellular call and obliterate the Hangouts screen.  When a call comes
into my Google Voice number, Hangouts gets informed via wifi but the
cellular call still comes from Google Voice to my smartphone.  I end up
getting 2 "channels" for an inbound call: cellular from Google Voice and
wifi using Hangouts.  For an inbound cellular call and with a wifi
connection, the effect is:

- Hangouts shows up to announce the incoming call using wifi.  The 
  Hangouts ringtone plays.
- If not answered within 2-3 rings, the Hangouts screen is replaced 
  (obliterated) with the Phone app's screen (using cellular).
- Once the Phone app obliterates the Hangouts screen, I have 2 
  ringtones quickly alternating: 1 for Hangouts and 1 for the Phone app.  
  Searching online shows this has been a long-time problem with the 
  Hangouts app.
- If I answer the call AFTER the Phone app has obliterated the Hangouts 
  screen, I'm picking up the cellular version of the call (instead of 
  what might've been a free wifi call).
  
The "cure" that I've seen mentioned is to configure my Google Voice
account to NOT include my smartphone when forwarding calls made to my
Google Voice number.  My cell phone is still defined in my GV account
but the suggested workaround is to deselect that phone.  That means GV
will not forward incoming calls (to my GV number) to my smartphone.
However, that also means that there will be no cellular channel for the
new call to my smartphone.  Hangouts only does wifi (well, at least, for
the new-call detect).  I'm more likely to be in a cellular coverage area
than near enough to a usable wifi hotspot.  I'd be getting more missed
calls (going to voicemail) if the cellular channel to my smartphone was
turned off in my GV account.

I'd like a way where if the Hangouts app appears to announce a new
incoming call then the Phone app does NOT appear.  That is, once
Hangouts latches onto a new call, the Phone app doesn't get it.  That
way, and when there is a wifi connection, I can use Hangouts to use wifi
for the new call without having to dash to my smartphone to pick up the
call within the first 2-3 rings.  My smartphone is not glued to my hand,
it may have the lockscreen enabled, or it may take more than 12 seconds
for me to get to my smartphone (the 6 seconds between each of the up to
3 rings before when the Phone app kicks in, and only 6 seconds between
1st and 2nd ring if the Phone app gets the cellular call even sooner).

When Hangouts appears for a new call, I'd like it to latch onto the new
call and block out any other dialer app from snagging onto the call.
That would keep the Phone app away and let me pick up the call 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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