The Dirty Little Google Voice Secret.
If you use Google Voice, have an iPhone, or are interested in smart phones, you’re probably aware of the ongoing spat between Apple, AT&T, and Google over network neutrality and Google Voice on the iPhone (c.f. Apple’s take, AT&T’s take, and Google’s take). If you’re like me, you don’t really care who’s to blame for why you can’t use Google Voice on your iPhone: they’re probably all at fault.
You may not be able to use a shiny application for Google Voice on your iPhone, but you can use relatively new or unknown features of AT&T and Google together and against them and wind up saving a nice chunk of change in the process. This is for all phones, not just the iPhone, but if you’re an iPhone user, I’d say it’s not a bad consolation prize. I’m going to talk about two features: Google Voice’s outbound calling and your wireless carrier’s calling circle feature.
Google Voice, Call Proxy
One of the relatively obscure features of Google Voice is its outbound calling functionality. Prima face it’s not obscure, but lots of people think it’s only useful for international calling: Google Voice has cut-throat rates to many countries. But the feature also works domestically, and it’s a great way to mask your phone number so it looks like you’re calling from Google Voice. If you use Google Voice like I do, I don’t give out any number but my Google Voice number, and it’s a boon not to have any other number floating out there by virtue of someone’s caller ID.
To use this feature, you simply call your Google Voice number from a phone linked to your account. When you get the automated voice, dial your PIN and press 2. Then dial the number you wish to call and press pound. Google Voice will connect you directly that’s that. Works pretty much like a calling card.
I hate Chad, too.
If you’ve watched TV in the past 5 years, you’ve probably seen a commercial (or seven) for Alltel where Chad talks about a calling circle, where you can talk to a select group of friends for “free” (read: part of the expensive plan you’re already paying):
Chad’s a dillhole, and Alltel was bought out by Verizon. But nowadays, every major carrier has their own version of a calling circle: Verizon has Friends & Family, T-Mobile has myFaves, and AT&T just came out with A-List. If you talk to a small set of people a lot, these calling circles are a great cost savings.
You got Google Voice in my calling circle!
You can probably see where I’m going with this: add your Google Voice number to your calling circle and call it before calling your destination. Since the call is routed through your Google Voice number, your carrier doesn’t know the end point, so it charges you whatever it charges you to call your Google Voice number, which is nothing.
I used this trick this month to go from 1,500 minutes used in September to 137. The only reason I have 137 minutes used was because I was too lazy to dial my Google Voice number, or someone called my cell phone directly. This means I can drop my really expensive unlimited calling plan and pick up the cheapest, 450 minute plan for a cost savings of $70 a month. Think of all the ponies you can bet on with that found money.
Caveats and Disclaimers
If you use Google Voice the way I’m using it, you’ll likely miss not being able to use your built-in address book (you’ll have to dial numbers the old fashioned way, one number at a time). This is where a Google Voice app that integrated your cell phone’s address book would truly come in handy. But I think it’s a small price to pay to save $70/month on unlimited calling.
The other caveat to keep in the back of your mind is the clause that your carrier may have (AT&T, for example, has it) that they can block a number from your calling circle at any time for any reason. I charge that this is against the spirit of network neutrality and is likely to be against FCC regulations. If they block my Google Voice number, I will take AT&T to the mat about it, and so should you if they pull that on your Google Voice number. AT&T and the other carriers have caved when they are called upon unfair practices, and they have repeatedly shown that to raise a big stink is the only way for them to stop infringing upon consumer rights.
But that’s a different story altogether. For now, enjoy being able to use Google Voice to do something pretty useful: save a chunk of change.
