[proussak]

I've started using gmail chat sms when I'm at my computer to cut down on BB thumb soreness (keyboard also much faster). But when I leave my desk and am in the car, the person on the other end of the chat doesn't always know that and continues sending msgs to the gmail chat address. Is there a google app for the BB that will pick up chat sms msgs? Thanks

[dankarlinski]

Wirelessly posted (White and Nerdy)

I don't think so. U can get the google chat app, beejive, im+ or trillian. Trillian is new and free. So is the googletalk app. Both require a data plan tho

[proussak]

Thanks, but the goal was for the person on the other end (principally my wife) to be able to carry on using sms on her BB and for me to be able to switch as seamlessly as possible between gmail chat sms when I'm at my desk and BB sms when I'm out and about. Her replies don't show up in google talk chat on my BB (is there a separate google chat app that's different from the google talk app?). Data plan isn't a problem, just trying to save my thumb!

[lmcjipo]

Get a Google Voice account and you will be able to send SMS from Google Voice on your PC (saving your thumbs). You can configure it to send the SMS to your phone... however, this will happen with every SMS including when you are in front of your PC so it might get annoying.

[proussak]

How do I configure it to send the SMS to my phone? (And is there any difference between Google Voice chat/sms and gmail chat/sms, which is what I'm using?)

[Trimix]

Actually that's a very good idea that lmcjipo suggested.

With Gmail chat/sms, Google assigns your email address a phone number (hence the 416 area code where Google is based). But that number is only good for sending SMS. Don't think anything else can be done with it. With Google Voice you can a number that people can SMS (but not MMS) and call you. The other benefit of Google Voice is that it's supposed to be "one number for life." So if you ever change your cell phone number or landlines when you move, your friends can still reach you at your Google Voice number.

If you sign up for Google Voice you can go into the settings and have the SMS sent to your phone. It's very easy to do.

[proussak]

I do have a google talk account, but so far as I can see it allows for forwarding of text messages to an email address but not to a mobile number as an SMS - is there a way to do that so far as anyone can tell?

So it would be a solution of sorts, thanks, although I would have to restart the SMS conversation rather than being able to simply reply to what came to my phone. Better than nothing I suppose.

[lmcjipo]

Originally Posted by proussak

I do have a google talk account, but so far as I can see it allows for forwarding of text messages to an email address but not to a mobile number as an SMS - is there a way to do that so far as anyone can tell?

Google Talk and Google Voice are 2 different things.

In my suggestion post above, I am referring to Google Voice (and not Google Talk).

If you have Google Voice and it was just a mistake what you typed above, you go into your settings and edit one of the phones (it must be categorized as a Mobile phone in Google Voice). You will see a "text settings" option which you should be able to toggle on/off to "receive text messages on this phone (mobile phones only)" as long as the category for the phone is "Mobile".

I use Google Voice to send SMS to my US friends (or my Canadian friends when a reply is not needed) when I'm in front of my PC. I also use Google Voice to send SMS from my Blackberry Bold 9700 with Google's Google Voice application. It saves me on texting charges and using Google Voice on my PC when I'm in front of it saves "my thumbs" (as you put it).

[proussak]

Thanks, I did mean Google Voice (note to Google - how about combining GV, Google Talk, and gmail chat/sms into one - I thought that was what GV was all about!) and now I've got GV texts coming to my cell - great!

[Trimix]

Wirelessly posted (L'neuf trois)

Actually you could run everything (GV and Google Talk) from Gmail. With GV, just set it up as a gadget in Gmail. You won't get the full screen capacity of doing things from the regular website, but if you like running everything with just one tab/screen, it'll work.

[proussak]

That's a good idea, thanks, but still doesn't achieve a completely unified gmail/GV/GT which is what I really meant. I imagine that's on Google's To-Do list.

[proussak]

Now discovered that if I set GV to forward SMS to gmail, replies go out as SMS to the originating phone, so I take back my criticism of Google (not sure about Talk though)! And still have to open a GV tab to initiate an SMS chat.

see Google Voice Adds Email Forwarding and Replies to SMS