Visual Voicemail

[arl16]

I've been using YouMail (www.youmail.com), and really like it. To use the visual voicemail aspect, you do need to use the web, but I have it bookmarked (and linked with an icon using Ultimate Launcher), and it takes you right to your own page with your messages, which can then be heard as a .wav file.

Other things I like:

- If you want, you can have it send you a text message or email for missed calls, voicemails, or both
- If you want, you can allow it to try to voice-to-text a transcription in the text message to you. Not super accurate when they talk fast (like most of my friends), but you can usually get the idea of what they're saying.
- You can set personalized messages for ANY contact - freaked my wife out when her message said to hurry home for some good sex tonight - she thought everyone was getting it... funny.
- After your message, you don't have Verizon give 20 seconds worth of instructions on how to leave a voicemail. Are there really those that don't know how? (YouMail basically hijacks your voicemail so it all goes through them)
- By the same token, if you want to call to get your messages instead of using the visual voicemail, it goes right to them very quickly, with no entering passwords - it knows you're calling. (You can call from another phone and use a password if you need to)
- It's easy to set up, and easy to disable if you don't like it.

The only con I've come upon is that the text that is sent is from a 5 digit number - Verizon now seems to think that this could be a text from a spammer or a premium service trying to trick you into paying for something. If you have "Premium messaging" blocked (which I do), you just get a message that a premium message came in. Strangely, this worked when I first set it up, but doesn't now. I sent a message to YouMail support a few days ago - no response.

I think I'm going to set up a dummy GMail account, and use push email to get notified. I don't use the push email for my regular email - I check it when I feel like it.

Anyway, worth giving it a shot - it's free.

How are people liking that Dashwire - looks cool, but don't know how much I'd really use it...