Recent quirks with Google Voice

[mo832]

I would like to get some feedback from others on the following issues. I wonder if/ how many others have experienced the same thing, and if anyone has any insight?

For the last couple of days (and really no issue before that), when I use GV to forward to localphone incoming (via ipkall DID), I have gotten calls dropped unexpectedly. A few times it happened around 12 mins in, but frequently it has been happening at exactly the 30 minutes mark. I have discovered that SOMEONE, probably GV, cuts off the calls at 3hrs/180mins, which is a little annoying but reasonable. However, 30 minutes, with no warning is ridiculous.

So last night, I was on a call that cut off at least THREE separate times, at 30:00 and change, and on the last time, when I tried to dial the number back via the GV web callback button, I got a red error box saying "we encountered an error". I waited a minute, and tried a few more times, but could not get it to dial out again. Finally (and luckily), I sent an SMS text to the person (lucky bc they were on a mobile and could receive SMS) saying my network wouldn't let me dial out, so could they call me back. They did, but that was really weird and inconvenient.

So we have 2 new issues that I haven't had before:

1. GV calls dropping after 30mins
2. GV callback button stops working on the website??

Any comments or info is appreciated.

[mo832]

Nobody else has noticed GV calls dropping at 30 minutes? Even a few of them?

[MikeHObi]

Nobody else has noticed GV calls dropping at 30 minutes? Even a few of them?

Most of my calls, in fact nearly all are not as long as 30 minutes.  There have been a wide number of people on the google support area reporting 30 minute incoming calls being disconnected.  There hasn't been any indication of a fix.

[mo832]

Today I had 3 calls in a row drop after only 2 minutes! That's TWO minutes. If 30 minutes is annoying, 2 minutes is practically useless. In fact worse than useless, almost detrimental.

Does anyone know what is going on, and do you think anyone in operations is aware of this?

[MikeHObi]

Today I had 3 calls in a row drop after only 2 minutes! That's TWO minutes. If 30 minutes is annoying, 2 minutes is practically useless. In fact worse than useless, almost detrimental.

Does anyone know what is going on, and do you think anyone in operations is aware of this?

The problem is dropped calls can be due to a few problems and they may not be related.  That kind of call drop ratio seems like a problem elsewhere and even could be who you called if the 3 calls were all to the same person trying to re-establish the call.  It can be very transient.

[kgjulie]

I have been having GV call drops like crazy today -- all at 1 or 2 minutes.  I had a 29 minute conference call this morning, then a 14 minute call approximately half an hour later.  Since then, every call (8-9 total) has been cut off -- a few I could still hear the other party but they could not hear me and hung up.

I unplugged everything and plugged it back in and it did not help.

My cell phone is also acting weird (unrelated to GV), and I can't rely on it for backup. I am in the middle of buying a house (closing is Friday) and moving, dealing with tons of calls and even faxes -- it's not a good time for my phone to crap out!!

Please GV, have mercy on me!! 

[MikeHObi]

I have been having GV call drops like crazy today -- all at 1 or 2 minutes.  I had a 29 minute conference call this morning, then a 14 minute call approximately half an hour later.  Since then, every call (8-9 total) has been cut off -- a few I could still hear the other party but they could not hear me and hung up.

Just to clarify, saying "I could still hear the other party but they could not hear me" means that the call was not cut or dropped.  A call being cut or dropped indicates that your call is no longer connected to anyone else.  That you can hear the other party indicates your call is still connected though something is not working with the call.   Saying the call was dropped gives people a wrong impression of what actually is happening.


Have you been going into the google voice dashboard, finding your call in the list and flagging it as a problem call?  When that happens do you check voip performance for your internet at that time? i.e. could your internet performance be fluctuating?

[mo832]

Just to be clear, in my case the calls ARE actually dropped. And they are always dropped at a round number, usually 30 minutes. Maybe 20% of those dropped calls are at 2 minutes. But it is always a fixed number. Never 2:38, or 7:12 or 19:15, more like 30:04, 30:02, 30:05, 2:02, etc.

Sure, it may be multiple sources, but it is definitely a discrete action that is cutting off the calls. Sometimes it may be the same person, but not always. And when it is always 2 minutes, that goes beyond equipment issues. When the other person has no similar issues with anyone else, I tend to believe it is not the other party's issue. When it is repeated 30 minute calls, there is something causing it.

The only similar issue I am AWARE of as being a hard rule, is the GV 3 hour per call limit, which happens every time, and it is already known. Whatever system makes that happen, I would bet is making this happen by mistake. But if Google isn't working on it, it won't change.

[Codesmith]

I have no clue if this is related but when I started spoofing a GV number as my outgoing caller ID number I ran into lots of problems calling GV numbers.

The problems seems to go away when I quit spoofing.

[Johnny]

I have GV forward calls to my cell phone and as of an hour or so ago, it hasn't been forwarding calls to my cell phone for some reason.

The calls are showing up in my GV account, but my cell isn't getting these calls.

I double checked to make sure everything was still set up properly and it is.  I've had calls forwarded to my cell phone for years with no problems.

I also have noticed dropped calls in the past few weeks, and I can't remember that happening much at all the last few years.

Looks like something is definitely happening with GV, and it might not be good.

[giqcass]

I have GV forward calls to my cell phone and as of an hour or so ago, it hasn't been forwarding calls to my cell phone for some reason.

The calls are showing up in my GV account, but my cell isn't getting these calls.

One GV setting you should check is in Groups and Circles. The Groups and Circles have their own forwarding settings. 

Another common error is when you have multiple forwarding destinations.  If you have cancelled any of the numbers you are forwarded to or if the network is down for any of those numbers the call will immediately go to an error message before it can ring your valid phones.  A good way to test is by calling each forwarding number to make sure it's in service.

[Johnny]

I have GV forward calls to my cell phone and as of an hour or so ago, it hasn't been forwarding calls to my cell phone for some reason.

The calls are showing up in my GV account, but my cell isn't getting these calls.

One GV setting you should check is in Groups and Circles. The Groups and Circles have their own forwarding settings. 

Another common error is when you have multiple forwarding destinations.  If you have cancelled any of the numbers you are forwarded to or if the network is down for any of those numbers the call will immediately go to an error message before it can ring your valid phones.  A good way to test is by calling each forwarding number to make sure it's in service.

All good points, thank you.

I haven't changed any settings for a long time so why calls just stopped going to my cell phone is a mystery to me.  My cell is the only forwarding number in the account other than Google Chat.  Both are checked.

One thing I did notice though, and I'm not sure how long it has been this way, but it says "Google Chat" on the  "phones" tab, and in "Groups and Circles", it says "Google Talk", as far as forwarding goes.

I don't know if that means anything or not?

Thanks again.....

[Johnny]

OK.  Little update here.

I deleted my cell phone from my GV account and set it up a different way.

I set it up as a "work" number instead of a "mobile" number and also set up another GV account with my cell number this same way.  I know it worked like that in the past.

I of course had to "verify" these numbers by having Google call the numbers and me inputting the codes.

After doing this and testing it, everything worked great. Cell phone rang when either of these GV numbers were called.


Lo and behold, a few hours later, neither number would ring my phone when called from another number.

I hadn't changed anything in those few hours, so what could be causing this malfunction?

Maybe an app that's on my phone?

I'll post on the GV forum to see if anyone has any ideas over there.

Thanks...

[SteveInWA]

https://productforums.google.com/d/topic/voice/EKygO2C5Nao/discussion