Can I call a spoken/transcribed phone number in google voice voicemail?

June 28, 2010 10:13 AM

I use google voicemail on my Motorola Droid. When someone leaves a message that includes a phone number that is different from the number they're calling from, google does a good job of transcribing it. As far as I can tell, however, there's no simple way of calling back that spoken, transcribed number. Instead, I have to memorize it, switch over to phone and key it in (and forget a few digits and switch back and forth and crash the car etc). I feel like maybe I'm just missing something simple, but I'm coming up empty searching for an answer. Does anyone know if it's possible?
posted by The Dutchman to Technology (11 answers total)

Well, if you have some sort of note taking app, you could copy the text from the message, then paste it in there, then maybe there it'll be clickable to call? Or you edit it there so it's just the number, copy it again, and paste it in the phone dialing area?
posted by Grither at 10:18 AM on June 28, 2010

Have you tried clicking on the actual number? The OS is pretty good about noticing those in other apps and letting you click on them to call.
posted by valkyryn at 10:21 AM on June 28, 2010

I use Google Voice on my N1, and while this isn't something I encounter often, I see to be able to just click on the number.. might want to try that (like valkyryn said)
posted by nokry56 at 10:29 AM on June 28, 2010

Huh, I thought you could do this just by putting your finger on the phone number as it appears in the transcript, but now I can't make that work within Google Voice.

However, it does work in the Gmail app, so if you have the transcripts copied to Gmail you will be able to touch the number and dial immediately.
posted by fake at 10:30 AM on June 28, 2010

On my pc, I installed an google voice app that recognizes phone numbers written and highlights them so I can click on them to call. I do not have Droid, but I am confident there is an app that will do this.

On my blackberry, I can highlight the number from the text email, but it will dial it with my local cell number not my google coice number. In the GV app itself, I cannot even call. If I click, it simply plays the message.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:31 AM on June 28, 2010

Response by poster: I have tried both clicking and long-pressing -- seems like that's how it should work, but it doesn't on this phone. Interesting that it does work that way on yours.
posted by The Dutchman at 10:31 AM on June 28, 2010

I'm having the same issue, actually. I can't click on the number WITHIN google voice, but I can do it in Gmail and all other apps.
posted by fake at 10:36 AM on June 28, 2010

Interesting that it does work that way on yours.

Just to clarify, it doesn't. I don't use GV, but if I did, that'd be the first thing I'd try.
posted by valkyryn at 11:04 AM on June 28, 2010

This is within an app, right? Have you tried the Google Voice mobile site to see if that works as expected?
posted by tantivy at 11:14 AM on June 28, 2010

I also don't use GV, but I'm surprised it's not autolinked. I use YouMail, which is basically a human-transcribed version of googlevoice ($7/month for the cheapest package), and can click phone numbers willy-nilly.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 12:06 PM on June 28, 2010

You might try the google voice mobile web version, the one the iphone uses since they don't allow an actual app.
posted by gryftir at 3:39 AM on June 29, 2010