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Google Voicemail not working as the active voicemail. How can I fix?

Started by ilovepancakes95, August 14, 2018, 09:12:24 AM

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ilovepancakes95

I don't think Google Voicemail is working right with my device. Basically, I want people to call my Google Voice number, and it rings my obihai phone, but when I don't answer or reject the call, I want the caller to be picked up by my Google Voicemail, NOT the built in voicemail. That way when they leave a voicemail, I get it on my cell through GV app, with transcription, etc... all in one place since I have my cell phone itself setup to use GV voicemail now.

How can I fix this?

drgeoff


ilovepancakes95

Maybe it isn't "built-in", I'm not sure, this is my first device. But after I don't answer a call on the Obi device, the call just ends, a voicemail never picks up. So I assumed there was a built in voicemail that I just didn't setup yet and that is why it drops. But either way, Google voicemail does not answer for ignored or rejected calls.

Also, when I have the obihai device checked as a forwarding option in Google Voice's website, my cell phone, which is also checked as call forwarding option doesn't ring anymore when someone calls Google Voice number. Does this have to do with it maybe? Shouldn't my cell and any other phones I have linked to GV ring in addition to my now added obihai device?

drgeoff

Quote from: ilovepancakes95 on August 14, 2018, 09:19:12 AM
Maybe it isn't "built-in", I'm not sure, this is my first device. But after I don't answer a call on the Obi device, the call just ends, a voicemail never picks up. So I assumed there was a built in voicemail that I just didn't setup yet and that is why it drops. But either way, Google voicemail does not answer for ignored or rejected calls.

Also, when I have the obihai device checked as a forwarding option in Google Voice's website, my cell phone, which is also checked as call forwarding option doesn't ring anymore when someone calls Google Voice number. Does this have to do with it maybe? Shouldn't my cell and any other phones I have linked to GV ring in addition to my now added obihai device?
No OBi device has voicemail.

Yes the other linked devices should ring.  If they do not it is purely a GV problem and no fiddling with the OBi's configuration will make them.  Check your settings at voice.google.com that you have ticks against the other forward destinations.

ilovepancakes95

OK, cool, so then how is Google Voicemail with ObiHAI supposed to work? It just should automatically use it when I don't answer? Weird it doesn't, it just rings and then instead of voicemail picking up the call drops, like there is no voicemail.

And, I definitely have ticks on my other linked phones for calling, but as soon as I uncheck the OBI device on that google voice website, then all my other phones ring again when someone calls the GV number.

ilovepancakes95

I was able to make a little bit of progress.... Now when someone calls my GV number, the Obi device rings, if I don't answer, the user calling hears the Google Voicemail Menu saying to "enter pin and press pound to access". Why would it play that for them instead of the greeting and recording start? I already have the direct voicemail access setting set to NO for my Obi device on GV website.

SteveInWA

Who is "the user" in this case?  Is it YOU?  By default, if you call your inbound Google Voice phone number from your linked/forwarding mobile phone number, it will do exactly what you described, so you can listen to your voicemail messages.  If anyone else calls the Google Voice number, that won't happen.  Instead, it should ring your OBi-attached telephone, and any other linked/forwarding phone numbers you've added.

ilovepancakes95

The user is me, but I am calling from another landline that is completely not associated with GV at all, so it is as if someone else is calling. I also did try it from a friend's phone just in case. Same problem. I did double check and I have the setting checked that says "No" to direct voicemail access, but the obi phone still puts callers through right to VM menu instead of starting a recording. I would say it is a problem on Google's end but I don't have this issue with any of the other phones linked to my google account. I tested that by unchecking the obi phone and leaving all my other linked phones on, voicemail works right. If I uncheck all the other phones and just leave the obi device checked, it doesn't work right and puts callers into the VM menu.

SteveInWA

I have no idea how this could be happening if the OBi is correctly set up.  Something's fishy.  I assume you have an OBi 200 or 202, or an OBi IP phone right?  If so follow the steps below, fully, and in this exact order:

Delete your OBi device completely of of the OBiTALK web portal. Wait a while for OBiTALK to remotely reconfigure the device.  Then, unplug it from power and Ethernet.  Plug the power cable back in, not the Ethernet cable.  Dial ***8 then 1 on the attached phone to restore the device to factory default.  Power it off again.  Plug in the Ethernet and then the power cable and let it boot up.

Now, on your desktop web browser, sign into the correct Gmail account that holds your Google Voice number, and go here:  https://myaccount.google.com/security#connectedapps.

Click the "MANAGE APPS" link on that page.  On the next page, delete ALL references to OBiTALK and Google Voice.

Now, follow the standard **5xxxx procedure to re-add your OBi device to your OBiTALK dashboard.  After that, configure Google Voice on the OBi again, making darn sure that, when it pops up a dialog box showing you the Gmail address it is asking for permission to use, that it is the same, correct Gmail address that holds your Google Voice phone number.

Repeat your tests.

ilovepancakes95

Yes, OBI1000 series IP phone. Tried these steps, still no good. Was sure to choose the right account, etc... So still, if I uncheck the obi device from my account and call my GV # from a separate landline, my linked cell rings, if I don't answer cell , it let's me leave voicemail as usual. if I check the Obi device to be on again, and call GV number from landline, my cell, and Obi phone ring. If I don't answer, I hear on landline voicemail menu for GV right away, and it does not let me leave recording. And I double checked again I have direct voicemail access checked as "NO" for both Obi phone and cell phone on legacy google voice settings.

SteveInWA

This sounds like you have made some sort of error in the way you set up your OBi device.

I recommend that you start all over from the beginning.  Do only the steps in this set of instructions, do them all, and do them in order.  Do not make any other changes to your device.

https://www.obitalk.com/forum/index.php?topic=13868.msg89076#msg89076

ilovepancakes95

OK, just tried this and was very careful to do everything exactly as you asked. Same issue as before. And noticed something else weird, if I enable Call Screening, everything works perfectly. My cell and Obi device ring, if I don't answer, voicemail says greeting and let's callers leave message. If I disable call screening, callers get voicemail menu prompt. And as usual, if I uncheck Obi device from list of forwarding phones, voicemail works properly.

SteveInWA

I don't know what's going on.  Springs are popping out of my head trying to understand how you've gotten into this situation.

The call screening setting behavior suggests that you are forwarding your OBi phone back to your Google Voice number somehow, but I just can't visualize it.

I'm going to suggest that you create a new Gmail account (a completely separate Gmail username and password).  Then, follow the steps linked below to transfer your Google Voice number over to that account.  Delete the current Google Voice config off of your OBi device, then sign into the other Gmail account, and set up Google Voice again on your device, but use the new account instead.

https://support.google.com/voice/answer/1065667#googlexfer

ilovepancakes95

OK I can try that and report back. Forgive me if I misunderstand how this all is supposed to work, but aren't the forwarding phones supposed to forward unanswered and busy calls back to the GV number? Like when I set up the GV voicemail on my cell, it had me dial *codes and the google voice number in order to tell the cell phone to forward busy and unanswered calls to the GV voicemail.

SteveInWA

Yes and no.

If you link a standard 10-digit forwarding phone number, such as your cell phone number, then you need to program THAT number to use Conditional Call Forwarding, to send busy or unanswered calls back to your inbound Google Voice phone number.  Each mobile carrier has different commands to do this.  The feature is provided by your mobile carrier, not by Google Voice, nor via your OBi.  You must not try to set this on the OBi device.

If you link an OBiTALK device, then no, you do not program that device to use CCF.  If you tried to do that, then it would explain this mess.  Google Voice will properly take care of VoIP device call handling on its own.

ilovepancakes95

Quote from: SteveInWA on August 16, 2018, 08:00:47 PM
Yes and no.

If you link a standard 10-digit forwarding phone number, such as your cell phone number, then you need to program THAT number to use Conditional Call Forwarding, to send busy or unanswered calls back to your inbound Google Voice phone number.  Each mobile carrier has different commands to do this.  The feature is provided by your mobile carrier, not by Google Voice, nor via your OBi.  You must not try to set this on the OBi device.

If you link an OBiTALK device, then no, you do not program that device to use CCF.  If you tried to do that, then it would explain this mess.  Google Voice will properly take care of VoIP device call handling on its own.

OK finally had time to try out your suggestion about new google account. Also, I do not have any sort of call forwarding enabled. So, now if an unrelated user calls my GV number, my obi phone rings, but instead of letting caller being able to leave message and GV playing voicemail prompt.... the caller gets a busy signal. It actually sounds slightly faster than a normal busy signal so I don't know if that is a different type of tone or just a regular busy signal?

SteveInWA

You have some sort of call forwarding loop set up.  I can't tell from your posts where that loop exists, but the likely culprit is a linked forwarding phone number.

ilovepancakes95

Hmm... On my original setup I had my cell phone linked in addition to my obi device, but I wasn't calling the GV number from cell I was calling the GV number from an unrelated landline. Either way, once I tried a new Google Account I don't even have my GV number forwarding to my cell though.... I only have the obi device checked off on the legacy GV settings page so obi is only phone that rings.

SteveInWA

Quote from: ilovepancakes95 on September 10, 2018, 05:02:53 PM
Hmm... On my original setup I had my cell phone linked in addition to my obi device, but I wasn't calling the GV number from cell I was calling the GV number from an unrelated landline. Either way, once I tried a new Google Account I don't even have my GV number forwarding to my cell though.... I only have the obi device checked off on the legacy GV settings page so obi is only phone that rings.

Link a real 10-digit US telephone number to the Google Voice number.  Unplug the OBi.  Test.  What happens, in detail, with calling?

ilovepancakes95

To confirm before linking number and testing that, only unplug obi device or also uncheck it from legacy page?