There are a lot of applications out on the market right now no matter if you use an iPhone or an Android-based phone. Some are very helpful and some are just downright fun. As a new owner of a smartphone I have been combing the app market in search of tools that will help me be more productive and occasionally just help pass the time while I wait in line somewhere.

Enter Google Voice. *Insert angelic choir singing “hallelujah!”

I love this app (the web based version is also very handy, but more on that later). For those of you who don’t know what Google Voice is you can read more about it here.

The app combined with the web-based version allows me to do a variety of things:

1. Have a phone number that I select (from Google’s list) that I can hand out to people without giving out my real phone number. That number in turn can be set to forward to my cell phone, my work phone, my home phone, or all of the above. This comes in handy as a teacher – I give all my students my Google Voice phone number.
2. Send text messages and make phone calls via Google Voice. I mainly use the texting feature because it allows me to store all of my texts on my phone and online. I can log into any computer in the world and pick right back up on my texting without ever even using my phone. This keeps my Google Voice texts separate from my Verizon texts (although I can combine them if I choose). The app even allows me to make calls through Google Voice instead of using my cell minutes.
3. Customize: I can block individual phone numbers. I can set personal greetings for each person who calls. I can tell my Google Voice number not to ring after a certain time (ie. so my students won’t be texting me after midnight). There are a ton of other cool features that I don’t have time to list.
4. Visual Voicemail: I can set it up to even work with my voicemail system that is on my phone through Verizon. When I get a voicemail Google Voice sends me a text and/or an email of the message left. It actually does a decent job transcribing assuming you speak clearly

All in all the app for my phone is great. It allows me to keep in touch with people but limit interactions to when I want them,  and to be more personal in my greetings. It also allows great flexibility in that I can use it on my phone or on a laptop or anywhere there is internet.

How about you? Any great apps you have run across that help you manage your phone calls and text messages? Maybe you’ve tried Google Voice and love or hate it. Let me know.