In the 10 days or so I've been on Project Fi, I have discovered and reported back to support that automated SMS messages from my broker like stock alerts and confirmations, and from my car concerning charge status and other things(via the auto manf.) aren't reaching me. Regular human initiated texts see to work just fine.
Both of these companies also support notification via email, and those make it through right on time. This is keeping it from being a big deal for me right now. I did see someone reporting an issue with SMS short codes before, and did follow the advice to make sure if your notification provider asks for a carrier, to enter T Mobile. Otherwise things seem to be working fine. I'm looking forward to some international roaming soon. |
Originally Posted by edweird
(Post 25092991)
In the 10 days or so I've been on Project Fi, I have discovered and reported back to support that automated SMS messages from my broker like stock alerts and confirmations, and from my car concerning charge status and other things(via the auto manf.) aren't reaching me. Regular human initiated texts see to work just fine.
Both of these companies also support notification via email, and those make it through right on time. This is keeping it from being a big deal for me right now. I did see someone reporting an issue with SMS short codes before, and did follow the advice to make sure if your notification provider asks for a carrier, to enter T Mobile. Otherwise things seem to be working fine. I'm looking forward to some international roaming soon. Number porting took about 19 hours in my case (StraightTalk on AT&T to Project Fi). Once it was ported I was able to dial out and receive some calls, but for a few hours I couldn't call from my Ooma VOIP line to the cell...got a number out of service message. That seems fixed. I will say that I've had three interactions with support -- one via phone two via chat -- and all were very pleasant, helpful and seemingly US-based. |
My experience with Project Fi has contained many of the issues previously mentioned by other posters.
The functionality that I've come to expect from Google Voice has been destroyed and receiving texts through Messenger is spotty. Ironically, I can still send a text through Voice and it arrives to the recipient instantly in every test case so far. However, it does not show up in the app's history nor does the response show up in Voice when that person replies. I haven't seen any appreciable increase in signal strength/data network speed but then again I don't venture into the sticks very often in order to test this out. I'm hopeful that some functionality will be restored as I prefer not to resort to a 3rd party client for texting but my patience is not infinite. Overall, I'm of a mixed opinion for this service as of now. |
My Saga...
I have had some interesting experiences as well.
After initially porting in my mainstay GV # and realizing what a mistake that was, I ported it back out. Then in porting it back out I was told that I had to transfer it to a different google account if I wanted to keep Fi (as Fi invites are tracked by the email account that requested them - in my case, that was also the gmail address my GV # was associated with) so that was a big headache. Then, they had to ship me a new SIM card/Fi welcome kit. The kit arrived, and I had to go back and forth with support to get them on the same page with me, which was that I wanted a completely new phone number assigned to my Fi service. That took a few more days. Finally, over the weekend, my new number became active. My latest discovery is (according to my experiments) that a Project Fi-assigned phone number is in some ways considered a Google Voice number, as I tried to add my new Fi number to my previously existing (original prior to Fi) GV account, and I get an error saying a GV# cannot be a forwarding number to another GV phone number. This is nothing but an experiment for me. I do not rely on Fi as my primary service, etc. So, I am not really harmed much. So, for those watching at home, here are the takeaways for me thus : 1. If your existing GV # is important to you and you text with it via the web (www.google.com/voice), DO NOT port it in (yet, as I gather they are working on integrating further). 2. If you want the full benefits of Fi (switching between T-Mo & Sprint automagically) I think you are better off getting your Nexus 6 directly from Fi, as I believe there are definitely software differences in the builds of Android 5.1 (and as of this week 5.1.1) and there may even be differences in the hardware. I am not sure on the hardware yet. |
Int'l roaming in Panama and Colombia
I'm wrapping up my first international trip with Project Fi service and it has worked well. I took my phone out of airplane mode after each landing and let it do it's thing.
It seemed to take longer than TMo one of the times but about the same others for finding and connecting to a local carrier. In Panama this has been Digicel in the PTY area. In Colombia it was Telefonica and ComcelOccel in the BAQ area. I got messages from the Project Fi app telling me about the country coverage and a link to rates. As expected 0.28 Mbps up and down speeds with 450ms ping times. No LTE just HSPA type connections. |
I landed at Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto yesterday and got no service. Power cycled, worked through the troubleshooting steps and finally called customer service once I was able to get a wifi signal. Customer service had me punch in some codes that rebooted my phone -- each time I got a pop up about configuring the cellular network. Before I could finish the troubleshooting my connecting flight boarded. Fortunately, I almost immediately got a signal once I arrived in Montreal.
Data connections are very slow, as promised/threatened. |
Originally Posted by edweird
(Post 25110983)
I'm wrapping up my first international trip with Project Fi service and it has worked well. I took my phone out of airplane mode after each landing and let it do it's thing.
It seemed to take longer than TMo one of the times but about the same others for finding and connecting to a local carrier. In Panama this has been Digicel in the PTY area. In Colombia it was Telefonica and ComcelOccel in the BAQ area. I got messages from the Project Fi app telling me about the country coverage and a link to rates. As expected 0.28 Mbps up and down speeds with 450ms ping times. No LTE just HSPA type connections. |
Originally Posted by robroy90
(Post 25109515)
I have had some interesting experiences as well.
After initially porting in my mainstay GV # and realizing what a mistake that was, I ported it back out. Then in porting it back out I was told that I had to transfer it to a different google account if I wanted to keep Fi (as Fi invites are tracked by the email account that requested them - in my case, that was also the gmail address my GV # was associated with) so that was a big headache. Then, they had to ship me a new SIM card/Fi welcome kit. The kit arrived, and I had to go back and forth with support to get them on the same page with me, which was that I wanted a completely new phone number assigned to my Fi service. That took a few more days. Finally, over the weekend, my new number became active. My latest discovery is (according to my experiments) that a Project Fi-assigned phone number is in some ways considered a Google Voice number, as I tried to add my new Fi number to my previously existing (original prior to Fi) GV account, and I get an error saying a GV# cannot be a forwarding number to another GV phone number. This is nothing but an experiment for me. I do not rely on Fi as my primary service, etc. So, I am not really harmed much. So, for those watching at home, here are the takeaways for me thus : 1. If your existing GV # is important to you and you text with it via the web (www.google.com/voice), DO NOT port it in (yet, as I gather they are working on integrating further). 2. If you want the full benefits of Fi (switching between T-Mo & Sprint automagically) I think you are better off getting your Nexus 6 directly from Fi, as I believe there are definitely software differences in the builds of Android 5.1 (and as of this week 5.1.1) and there may even be differences in the hardware. I am not sure on the hardware yet. ETA: Actually I just read the Google FI FAQ and looks like I should be okay seeing how I do all my texting on other devices via the hangouts app which they support in this case after porting to Fi. The only feature that I'll lose that I currently use is having my GV number ring on multiple phones i.e. my office phone. |
Originally Posted by greendx
(Post 25123952)
The only feature that I'll lose that I currently use is having my GV number ring on multiple phones i.e. my office phone.
I added my home line (which just happens to be VOIP via Anveo) and will post back if I see calls to my Fi number also ringing on it. |
Originally Posted by edweird
(Post 25125978)
There is an option on the web page used to manage your Fi account that lets you setup call forwarding. It allows you to add other telephone numbers and says "Calls to your Project Fi number will also go to numbers you add here."
I added my home line (which just happens to be VOIP via Anveo) and will post back if I see calls to my Fi number also ringing on it. |
I'm hoping the next iphone is compatible. I like the tmo+sprint to have better coverage
|
Originally Posted by greendx
(Post 25127996)
Okay then....just waiting for my invite now :)
|
Anyone else having issues with MMS messages.
I tried to send one through Hangouts, which I've used as my messaging app since before I made the switch to Project Fi, and got a message that MMS wasn't supported by my carrier. Searched and see that Project Fi says Messenger supports MMS but they can't guarantee that it will work with other texting apps. The annoying bit is that I have Hangouts running within Chrome on my laptop, so if a text arrives I can reply from my computer. Unfortunately, these sent messages only appear in the Android Hangouts app, not the Messenger app. I'd really prefer not to use Messenger for MMS messages and Hangouts for everything else. |
I'm sticking with Messenger as my SMS app on my phone until they tell us that Messenger works correctly for MMS. I would rather use Messenger and have everything synched across devices, but will just wait for that to work.
I don't get many MMS, so fixing the SMS messages I don't get from TDAmeritrade, Chase, and Ford are bigger issues for me. Thankfully all of those also send email notifications that are working. |
My Nexus 6 and Google Fi SIM card should arrive tomorrow.
Anyone try using the service over Gogo or other inflight wifi? I do not plan on being "that guy" making calls but would like SMS capability. I know iMessage works over Gogo but would love to be able to contact non-Apple folks in the air. |
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