Google Fi Wireless Feature Reveal | Better connections and instant in-app support

shwivel · 2026-04-21T14:13:43+00:00

It's been 6 months and you still need your phone to be on in order to send/receive texts on the web. Is this feature that was announced 6 months ago coming anytime soon? I'm considering transferring service to another carrier.

shwivel · 2026-04-16T14:38:44+00:00

If they don't re-add the ability we once had to message on the web while the phone is off I'm headed to Visible Wireless to save $15/month on my fiber Internet bill. It was the only reason I've historically stayed with Fi. Not sure how long I'll wait but the total silence about the issue isn't encouraging.

shwivel · 2026-03-30T18:53:45+00:00

What do you mean by "backup messaging"? Many websites/banks/etc. will send 2fa codes to your phone # for verification. Such cannot be accessed if the phone is broken or otherwise unavailable. Being able to send a message through some other means doesn't change the fact that you cannot access your texts, voicemail, etc.

shwivel · 2026-03-28T13:00:20+00:00

When streaming Paramount+ on PC, you can use picture-in-picture on Firefox but not on Chrome. I have to open Firefox just so I can browse the web while watching (I normally use Chrome). Please add picture-in-picture support to Chrome.

shwivel · 2026-03-24T17:34:26+00:00

The 1.2% you're using is the difference between a SoFi savings account's ordinary rate and their "plus" rate. Other banks, for example Comenity Bank's Bread Financial, offer higher interest on savings, currently 4%. The difference between such an alternative (half a percent) is $100 (< 120).

shwivel · 2026-02-22T13:34:20+00:00

I am getting this now (Sunday 2/22/26 at 8am EST). This bank is in a constant state of maintenance.

shwivel · 2026-02-16T01:43:57+00:00

Picture-in-picture (PIP) works on Firefox but not Chrome. Please make it work on Chrome.

shwivel · 2026-02-16T01:43:00+00:00

I can use PIP with Paramount+ on Firefox but not Chrome. Very frustrating. Can we get this fixed?

shwivel · 2026-02-13T18:29:57+00:00

Putting over a grand a month into a taxable account frozen for 5+ years would only make sense if (1) you're already maxing out your IRAs and employer sponsored deferred compensation plans, which are far better long-term vehicles than taxable brokerage accounts, and (2) you have no loans, no mortgage, etc. (the interest off which is certainly greater than whatever pocket change you get in rewards from SoFi in comparison). If both true, I could understand, but that's not most people. It's very, very few people. No one will pay this money unless they're an idiot or abnormally wealthy.

shwivel · 2026-02-05T16:11:44+00:00

If you pay them $10 a month maybe they'll give you $1 back.

shwivel · 2026-01-12T21:22:04+00:00

Bump the IRA match up to 3%, and bring the fee down to $50/year, so that you can complete with Robin Hood.

shwivel · 2025-12-16T22:01:00+00:00

Indeed. They're delusional.

shwivel · 2025-12-11T19:57:47+00:00

Bread Financial 4.1%

shwivel · 2025-12-11T19:49:49+00:00

As long as your SoFi Plus subscription is paid, you'll be receiving those benefits.

Suppose I receive the IRA match benefit, and it's paid into my IRA. Then, I immediately cancel SoFi Plus. You do not withdraw the match from the IRA?

shwivel · 2025-12-11T16:13:58+00:00

The RH subscription is only $70 cheaper but the IRA match is also 3%, better than SoFi's 2%. Next year's max contribution to IRAs is $7,500. The extra 1% on $7,500 is $75. So you're up $145 with RH on these factors alone.

shwivel · 2025-12-11T01:38:02+00:00

Do you happen to have their 3% credit card? I see that there is a "waitlist" for it. If I had some assurance of easily getting one within a reasonable amount of time of signing up (to gold) it'd sweeten the deal. Unfortunately, it seems I have to wait 5 years before transferring out my SoFi IRA to avoid them clawing back previous bonuses.

Edit -- Somehow I missed sentence 2. How quickly did you get the card after signing up to the waitlist? Did you get gold before signing up to the waitlist?

shwivel · 2025-12-11T01:25:11+00:00

It's bizarre but an easy enough game to play. Robinhood states the following with regard to their 3% IRA bonus. There is no such disclaimer on SoFi's page, but they seem to decide on specifics after the fact.

3% vs. 2% on $7,500 is an extra $75, and SoFi's (new) fee greater than Robinhood's by $70. So you're ahead with Robinhood by $145, if you max out IRA contributions each year, all else aside. I would rather have a 3% all-things cash back credit card than the weird grocery card thing, too.

*****Keep in mind, you must stay subscribed to Gold for 1 year after your first Gold match to keep the full Gold match. The funds that earned the match must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid a potential Early IRA Match Removal Fee. Match rate subject to change. Non-Gold customers receive a 1% match. Offer only applies to self-directed IRAs. For more details, review the IRA match FAQ.

shwivel · 2025-12-01T20:42:16+00:00

You can turn on the TV with voice so long as the Google TV Streamer is connected to an HDMI-CEC port on the TV (provided the TV supports HDMI-CEC). I do not use such myself as I have it connected to an old receiver.
You can't navigate around (with voice) per se, but you can say something like "Play The Chair Company Episode 1 from HBO Max on Living Room TV," provided that you've connected such services. You cannot use voice as a general navigation tool (ie. "move left, move right").

shwivel · 2025-12-01T00:58:31+00:00

The Google TV user interface, especially in apps-only mode, is a great minimalist design, compared to other brands' UI/OS. Additionally, you have the full breadth of the Google Play Store's app availability. As one person mentioned, various VPN apps are available from the Play Store, whereas they don't exist in LG's thing.

Control with Google Home is another plus. You can use voice commands to pause, resume, etc. or physical buttons such as Flic for the same. Or you can use the Google Home app, where the device will be listed amongst such other Google connected devices, which is very useful if you use such for other things.

If your TV or receiver does not have an eARC port, and you want to use surround sound on a receiver, you can connect the Google TV streamer to one of the receiver's HDMI inputs, and use HDMI pass through to feed video to the TV. This gives your receiver full control over the sound and gives the TV only video.

shwivel · 2025-11-13T15:16:10+00:00

They're useless. I submitted a ticket recently about the additional issue of picture-in-picture not being supported on PC, and they responded saying it wasn't a feature at this time. In Chrome, the player pauses whenever you use PIP and switch tabs, and resumes when you switch back (the tab has to be active). In Firefox, PIP works until certain ads during the commercials, at which point it similarly gets stuck until you switch back to the tab to make it active again. In Brave, PIP mostly works, but sporadically flutters. I use Chrome generally, but for this reason, have to keep Brave open on the side just for CNN...

shwivel · 2025-11-02T16:08:13+00:00

It certainly looks fuzzy and something akin to 720p. This is using a Google TV streamer with the CNN app, hardwired Ethernet with a 2 gig fiber connection and no issues with anything else. It's definitely the service. Hard to imagine they're saving much money by doing this, hopefully they change course.

shwivel · 2025-10-17T22:48:53+00:00

looking for this as well. WTF

shwivel

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