How do I permanently delete Google Voice?

Google Voice is a free VoIP service from Google that provides users with a phone number to make and receive calls, send text messages, and access voicemail. Users can manage all these communication tools through the Google Voice app or website.

Some reasons why someone may want to permanently delete their Google Voice account include no longer needing the secondary phone number, wanting to consolidate communication channels, or concerns over data privacy. Deleting a Google Voice account can remove the user’s online presence and history associated with that number.

Reasons to Delete Google Voice

There are a few key reasons why someone may want to delete their Google Voice account:

Cost

While Google Voice is free for domestic calls within the U.S. and Canada, international calls can get expensive. According to Google’s pricing page, international calls can cost up to $0.25 per minute. Deleting Google Voice eliminates these potential costs.

Privacy Concerns

Some users may wish to delete their Google Voice account due to privacy concerns over Google having access to their call and text metadata. According to Google’s data policy, they use Google Voice activity data to personalize ads. Deleting the account removes this data from Google’s systems.

No Longer Needed

Perhaps the main reason someone may want to delete their Google Voice account is simply because they no longer need it. Maybe they’ve switched to a new phone provider or virtual phone service. Either way, once Google Voice is no longer being used, deleting the dormant account cleans things up.

Back Up Any Data

Before deleting your Google Voice account, it’s important to back up any data you want to keep. This includes your contacts, voicemails, texts, and other information stored in Google Voice.

To export your Google Voice data:

Go to https://takeout.google.com and sign into your Google account.

Under “Select data to include,” choose “Voice” to export all data.
Or, select only the specific data types you want, like “Voice text messages.”
Choose export format (e.g. .zip) and delivery method.

Click “Next” and then “Create Export” to start the data export.

The exported Google Voice data will contain your contacts, call logs, voicemails, voicemail transcripts, text messages, and more. You can save this data locally on your computer or device before deleting your Google Voice account.

Backing up your important Google Voice data first allows you to have a copy if you ever decide to reactivate your account. It also lets you migrate certain information to a new account or phone service if desired.

Unlink Google Voice from Accounts

Before deleting your Google Voice account, it’s important to unlink it from any connected services like Gmail or Google Contacts. This ensures that deleting Google Voice won’t affect your other Google accounts.

To unlink Google Voice on desktop:

Go to the Google Voice settings page at voice.google.com/settings.

Click on the “Phones” tab.
Remove any phone numbers linked to your Google Voice account by clicking “Remove” next to each number.

To unlink on mobile:

Open the Google Voice app and tap the menu icon in the top left.
Go to Settings > Account.
Tap “Unlink” next to any linked services like Gmail or contacts.

Once unlinked, these services will no longer forward calls or texts from your Google Voice number. However, your Gmail account and contacts will remain intact after deleting Google Voice.

According to Google’s support page, “Delete your Google Voice number” https://support.google.com/voice/answer/150640, unlinking any connected services is an important step before cancellation to ensure no data is lost.

Delete the Google Voice App

The first step in deleting your Google Voice account is to remove the Google Voice app from your mobile devices. Here’s how to do this on both Android and iOS phones:

On Android:

1. Open your phone’s Settings app.

2. Tap “Apps” or “Applications.”

3. Scroll down and tap the “Google Voice” app.

4. Tap “Uninstall.”

This will completely remove the app from your device.

On iPhone or iPad:

1. Find the Google Voice app icon on your home screen and tap and hold on it.

2. Tap the “X” icon that appears in the upper-left corner.

3. Tap “Delete” to confirm.

This will delete the app from your iOS device.

Once removed from all your devices, the app will no longer be able to send notifications or messages to your phone. However, deleting just the app itself does not delete your Google Voice account or number. To fully cancel your account, additional steps detailed below need to be taken.

Cancel Google Voice Subscription

If you have a paid subscription for Google Voice, you’ll need to cancel the subscription before deleting your Google Voice account. Google Voice offers subscriptions for additional call minutes and features like voicemail transcription and call forwarding.

To cancel a paid Google Voice subscription:

Open the Google Voice app on your mobile device and go to Settings.

Tap ‘Billing’. This will open your Google Payments account.
Find your Google Voice subscription and select ‘Cancel subscription’. Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm cancellation.

You can also cancel Google Voice subscriptions by logging into your Google Payments account and managing subscriptions.

Delete Google Voice Number

To permanently delete your Google Voice number, you will need to go through a few steps on the Google Voice website or mobile app. The key is locating the “Delete” button next to your Google Voice number.

On the Google Voice website, go to the settings menu in the top right corner and click “Account” on the left side. Under “Google Voice number,” find the number you want to delete. Click the “Delete” button next to it [1].

In the Google Voice mobile app for Android, open the app and go to Settings. Under “Account,” find the Google Voice number you want to delete. Tap the “Delete” button next to the number [2].

Deleting your Google Voice number will cancel your account and remove the number from your Google account permanently. Make sure to back up any voicemails or data before deleting.

Confirm Deletion

After deleting your Google Voice account, it’s important to confirm that the account is fully deleted before taking any further steps. Here are some ways to check:

Try logging into your Google Voice account again – if you get an error saying the account doesn’t exist, that’s a good sign it was deleted.

Check your Google account settings and see if Google Voice still appears – it should be removed after deletion.
Try calling your previous Google Voice number – you should get an disconnected message.
Verify the Google Voice website no longer shows your number as associated with an account.

If any Google Voice services still seem active, contact Google Voice customer support to ensure the account is fully deleted on their end. You want to confirm deletion before releasing the number or setting up a new Google Voice account.

Alternatives to Google Voice

If you decide to delete your Google Voice account, you may want to move to another voice over IP (VoIP) service. Popular alternatives include RingCentral, Dialpad, Nextiva, and Skype according to the sources.

RingCentral (https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/google-voice-alternatives/) offers a comprehensive set of features like phone numbers, auto attendants, voicemail, and texting. Dialpad (https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/google-voice-alternatives/) stands out for its AI features like real-time transcription and insights. Nextiva (https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/google-voice-alternatives/) is known for excellent customer support.

Skype (https://www.ringblaze.com/blog/google-voice-alternatives/) also offers calling, voicemail, and messaging similar to Google Voice. However, Skype has limits on the number of minutes available on free accounts. Overall, these alternatives provide similar capabilities with some unique features not found in Google Voice.

Recover an Accidentally Deleted Google Voice Account

If you accidentally delete your Google Voice account, there are a few options to try to recover it:

If you deleted your account recently, you may be able to recover it by signing into your Google account and going to voice.google.com. Google Voice gives you a short window of time (around 3-5 days) to reactivate a canceled number.

You can also try contacting Google Voice customer support to see if they can help recover a recently deleted account. Their phone number is 1-855-492-5538.
If too much time has passed, your best option may be trying to reclaim the Google Voice number associated with the deleted account, if it was a number you owned. You can do this by signing up for a new Google Voice account with the same Google account, and attempting to “Reclaim” your old number on the Google Voice website.
As a last resort, you may be able to recover some data from your Google Voice account such as voicemails and texts by contacting Google support and requesting data recovery. But the account itself and the phone number may be lost.¹

In summary, act quickly if you accidentally delete your Google Voice account and try to reactivate it. If too much time has passed, attempt to reclaim your previous Google Voice phone number through a new account. And contact support to see if any data recovery is possible.