Using GV for Voicemail on Cell Phone When Using Obi

[kes601]

Ok, long title, but having an issue with Google Voice / Obi.....

Before I setup Obi to work w/my Google Voice account, I could forward my unanswered calls from my cell phone to my GV number and it would go straight to VM.

Now if I forward calls from my cell phone to my GV number for VM it will ring my cell phone 4 or 5 times and then ring GV 4 or 5 times (so the phone connected to the Obi will ring) and then finally go to VM.  Anybody know a trick to leave GV connected to my Obi but also allow my cell phone to go straight to VM?

[drgeoff]

Log in to your acount at google.com/voice, go to the settings page and under 'forwarding phones' untick 'Chat'?

[kes601]

It's already Unchecked. I did another test call and IT IS NOT ringing the phone attached to the Obi. It's just not going to VM right away. I tested with a different GV number and it works as expected.

[Taoman]

Now if I forward calls from my cell phone to my GV number for VM it will ring my cell phone 4 or 5 times and then ring GV 4 or 5 times (so the phone connected to the Obi will ring) and then finally go to VM.  Anybody know a trick to leave GV connected to my Obi but also allow my cell phone to go straight to VM?

In your Google Voice settings, under the advanced settings for your cell phone......what do you have "Forwarding Options" set to?

[kes601]

It's set to go Straight to VM. I've been doing some research and it seems for some people if you don't have the GV number set to also ring your cell phone then it won't work. I'll test that out when I get home. It's not how I want it to work but may help narrow down the issue.

[kes601]

Log in to your acount at google.com/voice, go to the settings page and under 'forwarding phones' untick 'Chat'?

As a follow up to this, I think Google has made some changes to GV.  If I untick "chat" then my Obi doesn't ring, the only way for it to ring is if I enable forwarding to Google Chat.

[SteveInWA]

As a follow up to this, I think Google has made some changes to GV.  If I untick "chat" then my Obi doesn't ring, the only way for it to ring is if I enable forwarding to Google Chat.

That's the way OBi devices have always been used with Google Voice.  OBis look like Google Chat clients to GV.  When the box is checked, GV will send inbound calls to the device.  That's not the issue here.

There are several things that need to be properly configured.  I assume that you have a mobile phone carrier and plan that supports conditional call forwarding (AKA no-answer/busy transfer).  You need to properly set up CCF to have busy or unanswered calls be forwarded back to GV VM.  Look at my attached screenshot, and click the "Activate" and "Deactivate" links to read the instructions that you need to follow, to enter the CCF command on your mobile phone's keypad.

Next, you need to have selected the settings shown with arrows in the screenshot.

From a laptop or desktop computer web browser (not your phone), go here:  https://www.google.com/voice#phones

Select your mobile phone number and click the "Edit" button.  Click the "Show advanced settings" link.  Set it to match the screenshot.

[kes601]

Thanks, I will try that to see if it will work (and yes, I've been doing *71########## to setup conditional forwarding).

The problem with the graphic you attached though is that if I do select the first option to have the mobile phone go straight to VM when it calls the GV phone is that I then lose the ability to call my home phone from my cell phone.  I don't see why that option would affect the phone forwarding straight to VM, that should be set by the final option in the screenshot.

[SteveInWA]

It's important that you just set it up exactly as I described for now, for troubleshooting purposes.  You can change it later, after we figure out what's wrong.

Also, while you are on the advanced settings page, do this, even though it seems pointless:  On "Forwarding options", change the setting to "Ring my other phones before going to voicemail".  Click the "Save" button.  Go back to that same setting again, and change it to "Go straight to voicemail".  Click "Save" again.

You said you are using *71 to configure conditional call forwarding.  Please confirm that you have a Verizon Wireless mobile phone account, and not an account with a MVNO (reseller) like Page Plus or Straight Talk.  Also, what model phone is it?