[QUOTE=JoyDrop;5209465]Google Voice works great. The advice below is solid, set up a completely separate Gmail account and use that for your Google Voice account. I've been using GV for almost 10 years and it's been extremely reliable (and flexible).
You can have all your texts (and attachments!) forwarded to your gmail account for archival purposes. You can also have texts and calls forwarded directly to your main phone number, but that can get tricky if you're not really careful. I recommend using the free GV app for everything, it works great.
While we're on the subject of Google Voice, I want to pass along something I started doing recently. I don't have a SB right now and haven't been seeing anyone lately. My GV account is quiet. For security purposes I want to be able to log completely out of the GV app on my phone to minimize any risk of accidental discovery. But given I stay in touch with former SB's, I want to receive a timely notification if I had a new text message on my GV number. The easiest solution would be to use the email forwarding option to have my text messages sent to my gmail account, then set up a filter to forward them to my primary email address. The problem with that is the emails contain the sender's phone number and text message itself. That's not good for business. I want to receive a generic notification. Here's how I achieved that:
- Create a free account at [URL]Zapier.com[/URL].
- Set up a "zap" to check your gmail account for a new message that matches a search or label you define.
- When the zap is triggered, have it send an email to the address of your choice.
You can define the sender name / subject / message of the email that's sent. So in my case, when a new GV text comes through, Zapier sends me a generic email I wrote that looks like a standard notification from one of my web sites. But when I get it, I know I have a new message waiting for me on my GV number.
The free Zapier account runs every 15 minutes. So I'll always get that notification email within 15 minutes of a new text coming in. That's good enough for me.
A couple of important considerations:
- I only turn these notifications on when I'm not expecting to use the account for a while. That way my GV account is out of sight and out of mind, the app is dormant on my phone and I don't have to remember to log in and check it periodically.
- If a message comes in and I am going to engage in a conversation, I use the GV app or web interface to turn email forwarding off until I go dormant again. Otherwise every text message will trigger an email notification and quickly burn through the limits of the free tier on the Zapier account.
I hope this helps some of you guys.
JD.[/QUOTE]I actually just use the GV web client from my PC, or my cell phone, to log in and check messages. I don't use GV for calling, just texting. I also have a burner phone I keep at the office, its just plugged in charging in my desk. I use it when I'm going to meet a SB. But I still use the GV client and not the burner phone number. Everything is completely off my main phone and Gmail account, they are completely separate.