Google voicemail on Tmobile's $30 Monthly 4G plan

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vince2398

Senior Member
Mar 28, 2010
528
54
Has anyone been successfully able to get Google Voicemail to work on the GN for this plan? I configured the settings but the caller does not get the voicemail greeting, just keeps ringing. I have also disabled the carrier voicemail. Any steps to get this to work is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

aznxk3vi17

Senior Member
Jun 28, 2011
356
56
Charlottesville
I don't have a Nexus yet, but did you properly register your phone on Voice? Specifically through the settings page? Typically, Voice gives you a number to dial on your phone to "activate" it.
 

Luxferro

Senior Member
Nov 19, 2009
1,511
436
Long Island, NY
I have this plan, and use google voice exclusively. It will work, if you set up voicemail in the google voice settings from desktop pc. You have to activate voicemail for that phone.

You can't do it through the app, cause it normally does call forwarding (just skip that setting during app setup). but call forwarding is disabled on pre-paid plans. so that is why you disable carrier voicemail. so when someone calls it will ring and ring, till google voice assumes no one is answering and sends the call to voicemail.
 

sfasu77

Senior Member
Nov 19, 2008
85
8
Fort Worth, TX
I have this plan, and use google voice exclusively. It will work, if you set up voicemail in the google voice settings from desktop pc. You have to activate voicemail for that phone.

You can't do it through the app, cause it normally does call forwarding (just skip that setting during app setup). but call forwarding is disabled on pre-paid plans. so that is why you disable carrier voicemail. so when someone calls it will ring and ring, till google voice assumes no one is answering and sends the call to voicemail.

I'm on prepaid as well... and i'm assuming you mean Google Voicemail? If so i'll have to try this out.
 

vince2398

Senior Member
Mar 28, 2010
528
54
I have this plan, and use google voice exclusively. It will work, if you set up voicemail in the google voice settings from desktop pc. You have to activate voicemail for that phone.

You can't do it through the app, cause it normally does call forwarding (just skip that setting during app setup). but call forwarding is disabled on pre-paid plans. so that is why you disable carrier voicemail. so when someone calls it will ring and ring, till google voice assumes no one is answering and sends the call to voicemail.
Thanks, I have done what you described but it never goes to voicemail, just keeps ringing. Maybe I missed a step. Anything else I can try?
 

Luxferro

Senior Member
Nov 19, 2009
1,511
436
Long Island, NY
You sure you have google voicemail actived for that number in your google voice settings? If so, it should just work.

Attached is a pic showing the settings I am talking about.
 

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vince2398

Senior Member
Mar 28, 2010
528
54
You sure you have google voicemail actived for that number in your google voice settings? If so, it should just work.

Attached is a pic showing the settings I am talking about.
Yeah, its activated like your screenshot but I did not enter those code on the phone because it errors out on the phone. What do I need to do on the phone other than signing into the GV account? Thanks
 

hongcho

Member
Sep 18, 2008
16
0
San Jose, CA
T-Mobile's prepaid plan does not support unconditional call forwarding, which is required to use Google Voice as the voice mail box on a non-Google Voice number.

However, just using a separate Google Voice number and its voice mail box works fine.

I have the same plan ($30 Monthly4G) I love it (no fees and taxes) except for this lack of unconditional call forwarding.

Hong.
 

Luxferro

Senior Member
Nov 19, 2009
1,511
436
Long Island, NY
T-Mobile's prepaid plan does not support unconditional call forwarding, which is required to use Google Voice as the voice mail box on a non-Google Voice number.

However, just using a separate Google Voice number and its voice mail box works fine.

I have the same plan ($30 Monthly4G) I love it (no fees and taxes) except for this lack of unconditional call forwarding.

Hong.

I don't think it is required to use google voices voicemail.

While the google voice app on the phone won't be able to setup voicemail (cause of lack of conditional call forwarding), you can activate it through google voice desktop version. As long as your carrier voicemail is disabled (I called them to disable it, and have them turn off web-guard), then when someone calls your google voice number, it will forward to your phone, but if no one answers the phone, after x seconds your google voice voice mail should pick up the call and your phone should show a missed call, and a google voice notification (for the voicemail).

I'm not sure why the OP is having problems. Lots of people have it setup this way.

edit: did you disable web guard too? (you need to call and verify your age). if not, maybe your problem is related to that.
 
Last edited:

martonikaj

Senior Member
Nov 20, 2010
7,867
1,670
Seattle, WA
I don't think it is required to use google voices voicemail.

While the google voice app on the phone won't be able to setup voicemail (cause of lack of conditional call forwarding), you can activate it through google voice desktop version. As long as your carrier voicemail is disabled (I called them to disable it, and have them turn off web-guard), then when someone calls your google voice number, it will forward to your phone, but if no one answers the phone, after x seconds your google voice voice mail should pick up the call and your phone should show a missed call, and a google voice notification (for the voicemail).

I'm not sure why the OP is having problems. Lots of people have it setup this way.

What the previous poster was explaining is that you need to use google voice all-in to get this feature. Yes it works as you describe with the GV number, but not with the T-mobile number, as I understand it.
 

Luxferro

Senior Member
Nov 19, 2009
1,511
436
Long Island, NY
What the previous poster was explaining is that you need to use google voice all-in to get this feature. Yes it works as you describe with the GV number, but not with the T-mobile number, as I understand it.

That's pretty much the only way to use google voice without making a big confusing mess for the phone owner and their callers. At least IMO. I thought that is what the OP was trying to do.
 

hongcho

Member
Sep 18, 2008
16
0
San Jose, CA
What the previous poster was explaining is that you need to use google voice all-in to get this feature. Yes it works as you describe with the GV number, but not with the T-mobile number, as I understand it.

Yes, that was what I was attempting to say if I can ever be good at explaining myself. :p http : //support.t-mobile.com/message/53150

I really really wish that T-Mobile support unconditional call forwarding for this monthly prepaid plans. As far as I can see the only real difference between the prepaid and the post-paid plans are exactly that: you pay for the next month or for the previous month.

Hong.
 

vince2398

Senior Member
Mar 28, 2010
528
54
What the previous poster was explaining is that you need to use google voice all-in to get this feature. Yes it works as you describe with the GV number, but not with the T-mobile number, as I understand it.
Sorry for the confusion. Yes I am trying to use GV voicemail on the Tmobile number not the GV number. The GV number works fine but my primary number is the Tmobile number so I need voicemail on that number (preferably GV and not the carriers). Thanks
 

bpm2000

Senior Member
Aug 15, 2008
381
4
Seattle, WA
Oh man I had them disable my voicemail so I could use this feature, should have read this first.

Are there any alternatives? Workarounds? I would really like to keep my tmobile number and still use google voice on this plan.
 

narlynarwhal

Senior Member
Jan 31, 2012
149
8
So I'm a little bit confused about what you guys are saying. Is it possible to set up voicemail through Google voice on T-mobile's monthly4G plans? If so could someone put up a guide or something? I added my phone number to my Google account and got to the point where I could enter the code as a regular phone number (the MMI code) and my phone gives me the error saying call forwarding isn't supported. TIA
 

martonikaj

Senior Member
Nov 20, 2010
7,867
1,670
Seattle, WA
So I'm a little bit confused about what you guys are saying. Is it possible to set up voicemail through Google voice on T-mobile's monthly4G plans? If so could someone put up a guide or something? I added my phone number to my Google account and got to the point where I could enter the code as a regular phone number (the MMI code) and my phone gives me the error saying call forwarding isn't supported. TIA

Check the other $30 prepaid thread for more info.

Basically if you just want to use GV for Voicemail and not calls, you have to call and tell T-Mobile that you'd like to cancel your T-Mobile Voicemail service. Then you'll be able to set up GV for Voicemail at that point.

The issue is that the way GV normally works for Voicemail is your T-Mo # receives it then forwards to GV #. Most prepaid plans don't offer call forwarding so it won't work.

Of course if you're all-in and ported or using GV as your primary number, then you just use that and GV handles Voicemail normally.
 

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    Google voice for voice mail only works 2 ways:
    1) your plan allows call forwarding
    or
    2) you're callers are calling your GV number, and not the cells real number.

    Tmobile $30 prepaid doesn't do call forwarding, so therefor option 2 is your only way. If you don't want to use GV # as your main number, then you can't use google voice to take messages with this plan.