Text does not forward to my cell phone from good friend, everyone else is fine

[jjtricket]

I am using a obi202 and google voice. Approx 3 weeks ago I noticed that a close friend would text to my google voice number but it has not getting forwarded to my cell.

Details: friends phone is apple iPhone 7 plus with T mobile. Also if he tries to group text to my google voice number and my cell number, neither go thru. No problem if he sends a text directly to my cell number.

Everyone else, friends, family, business, using all carriers including T mobile forward fine.

Any ideas, suggestions, would be appreciated, Thank you

[SteveInWA]

You have a Google Voice issue, not an OBi issue.

The most likely cause is that you inadvertently blocked calls from that phone number.  Have your friend try to call your Google Voice phone number.  What happens?  Does the call get forwarded to your cell phone?  If not, log into your Google Voice account from a laptop/desktop computer's web browser, and look at the History and Spam folders.  If you see the call there, then you need to unblock that number.

https://www.google.com/voice/b/0#history
https://www.google.com/voice/b/0#spam

If you don't see the voice calls there, then it might be the infamous iMessage problem (the text is getting re-routed via Apple iMessage instead of via SMS.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-fix-apples-imessage-bug/

[jjtricket]

Thanks for the info Steve, yes the calls get forwarded with no problems with this one individual using an iphone 7 plus on T mobile.

The only issue is the text is NOT getting forwarded to my cell number.

[SteveInWA]

In that case, it sounds like the iMessage bug. 

However, note that there is currently an open problem with various Google Voice numbers not reliably receiving text messages (from anyone, not limited to one particular number).  In some cases, during an SMS back-and-forth conversation, some replies are received, and some are not received.

Google engineering is aware of it, and they implemented a fix a few days ago.  The fix wasn't completely effective, and they are still investigating.

If you never receive texts from this one person, but you do receive texts from everyone else, then it's the iMessage bug.  If you are having sporadic issues with several other users, then it's the Google Voice problem.

You can follow the problem here:  https://productforums.google.com/d/msg/voice/BxcjF-j2aqo/usWeeZKqDQAJ

[jjtricket]

Great info, thank you.

Correct, it is just one number and of course its a good friend that I text and talk to the most. His business partner is on the same T mobile account and can send a text and its forwarded to my cell along with everyone else so it must be related to the one iPhone.