How do I receive calls on Google Voice app?

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is a phone service that provides call forwarding, voicemail transcription, SMS text messaging, and more. It allows you to get a free phone number that can ring multiple phones, send and receive text messages, record voicemail that is transcribed into text, and make low-cost international calls (1).

Some key features of Google Voice include (2):

• Call forwarding – Forward calls to any phone number or multiple numbers simultaneously.
• Voicemail transcription – Voicemails are automatically transcribed into text.
• SMS texting – Send and receive texts from your Google Voice number.
• Call screening – Listen in while someone is leaving a voicemail and pick up if you want.
• Call blocking – Block unwanted callers.
• Visual voicemail – View, organize and delete voicemails easily.
• Low international rates – Make international calls for low per-minute rates.

Google Voice is available on iOS, Android, and the web, allowing you to access your number anywhere (3). It provides an easy way to stay connected and manage calls and texts from one central number.

(1) https://www.usnews.com/360-reviews/business/business-phone-systems/google-voice
(2) https://www.amplifiedit.com/google-voice-overview/
(3) https://portlandstate.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ITKB/pages/737116494/Google+Voice+Overview?parentProduct=JSM-Portal&parentProductContentContainerId=18294&initialAllowedFeatures=disable-login-flow.disable-share&locale=en-US

Setting up Google Voice

To start using Google Voice, you’ll first need to download the Google Voice app for iOS or Android. The app allows you to make calls, send texts, listen to voicemail, and more using your Google Voice number.

After downloading the app, you can sign up for a free Google Voice number. This will be your dedicated phone number that works across all your devices. Follow the prompts in the app to choose an available area code and request a new number. Google will provide a random number, but you can change it for a one-time fee.

Optionally, you can link your existing mobile number to your new Google Voice number. This allows you to receive calls and texts on both numbers. Enable this by going to Settings > Link numbers in the Google Voice app. Enter your carrier-specific details to verify your number ownership. Once linked, toggle options like call forwarding and voicemail preferences.

For full setup instructions, refer to this guide from Geeky Gadgets.

Enabling call forwarding

To enable call forwarding on Google Voice so you can receive calls in the app, you’ll first need to set up forwarding of calls from your regular carrier number to your Google Voice number.

On most carriers, you can choose to forward calls either only when your phone is unreachable (like when it’s turned off or out of range), or to always forward all calls to Google Voice. Always forwarding calls allows you to essentially use Google Voice as your main phone number.

To set up call forwarding on an iPhone, open the Phone app and tap the dial pad icon, then tap the three dots in the top right and select Call Forwarding. Choose your Google Voice number to forward calls to. On Android phones, open the Phone app, go to Settings or More settings, and select Call forwarding. Again choose your Google Voice number as the forwarding destination.

You can also often enable call forwarding by dialing a code like *72 on your carrier number, followed by your Google Voice number. Check with your carrier for the specific code to use.

Once call forwarding is enabled, any calls to your carrier number will ring through to your Google Voice app so you can answer them there. You can disable call forwarding at any time to revert calls back to your regular number.

Receiving calls in the app

One of the easiest ways to receive calls on Google Voice is directly in the Google Voice app. When a call comes in to your Google Voice number, you’ll get a notification on your phone. Tapping on the notification will open the app and connect you to the call.

To enable this feature, make sure you have the latest version of the Google Voice app installed on your device. Open the app and go to Settings > Calls. Toggle “Receive calls” to ON. This allows calls to ring directly in the app when you get an incoming call.

Now when a call comes in, an notification will display the caller’s name or number. Tapping on the notification will open the app and you can swipe to answer. The call will be routed through the app, utilizing your phone’s internet connection.

The Google Voice app provides a centralized place to easily receive all your incoming calls. With the app open or a quick tap on the notification, you’ll never miss an important call again.

Using Do Not Disturb

The Do Not Disturb feature in Google Voice allows you to mute incoming calls during certain times or events when you don’t want to be disturbed. When enabled, Do Not Disturb will send all incoming calls directly to voicemail without ringing your phone.

To turn on Do Not Disturb in the Google Voice app, open the app and tap on the profile icon in the top right corner. Then tap on Settings > Calls > Do Not Disturb. Toggle the switch for “Turn on Do Not Disturb” to enable it. You can also enable Do Not Disturb by tapping your profile photo in the app and toggling it on.

To mute calls for a certain period of time, you can schedule Do Not Disturb hours in Google Voice. Tap on Scheduled under the Do Not Disturb settings. Choose the start and end time for Do Not Disturb. You can schedule it for certain days of the week or every day. Google Voice will automatically mute calls during the scheduled hours.

With Do Not Disturb enabled, you can still make outbound calls normally from the Google Voice app. And starred contacts can bypass Do Not Disturb to ring your phone even when it’s turned on. Overall, Do Not Disturb gives you granular control over muting Google Voice calls when needed.

Blocking unwanted callers

Google Voice gives you options to block unwanted callers so you don’t have to deal with spam or nuisance calls. You can block specific numbers or enable settings to send unknown callers directly to voicemail.

To block a specific number in the Google Voice app, tap the three-dot menu icon next to a call log entry and select “Block/report spam.” This will block that number from calling you in the future. You can also access your blocked numbers under Settings > Calls > Blocked numbers to view and manage your block list.

If you want to send all unknown callers directly to voicemail, enable the “Screen calls” setting under Settings > Calls. When enabled, callers who are not in your contacts will be prompted to say their name before the call rings through. You can then choose to accept the call or send the caller to voicemail. This is useful for filtering out unwanted calls from numbers not already blocked.

Additionally, the “Do not disturb” mode under Settings > Calls allows you to set schedules where all incoming calls go straight to voicemail. This gives you complete control over when you receive calls vs. voicemail.

Viewing call history

The Google Voice app keeps a log of all your incoming and outgoing calls. To view your call history, open the Google Voice app and tap on the “Calls” tab. Here you will see a list of all calls organized by date and time. You can filter your call history by selecting specific date ranges or sorting by missed calls, received calls or dialed numbers. You can also search for specific numbers or contacts within your call log.

On the website, you can view your full call history by logging into your Google Voice account and selecting “Calls” from the left sidebar. This provides a complete call log showing phone numbers, call durations, timestamps and whether the call was inbound, outbound or missed. You can search, filter and sort your call history to find specific calls. The website provides your entire call history whereas the mobile app only shows the most recent calls.

According to Google Support, your full call history is retained and available in your account.

Voicemail options

Google Voice provides voicemail services so you can receive messages when you miss a call. To set up voicemail, you need to configure your Google Voice account to forward calls to your linked phone number when you don’t answer.

To record a personal voicemail greeting, open the Google Voice app and tap on the menu icon in the top left. Select “Settings” and then “Voicemail” to access options for recording a custom greeting, choosing a pre-recorded greeting, or using the default greeting. You can record a new greeting at any time. [1]

To listen to voicemail messages, open the Google Voice app and select the “Voicemail” tab. You can play back messages, delete them, share them, or save transcripts. On Android, you can also access voicemails by tapping the notification that appears when you receive a new voicemail. For additional management options, use the Google Voice website. [2]

Google Voice transcribes voicemail messages automatically using speech recognition. While transcriptions aren’t always perfect, they allow you to quickly identify important messages without needing to listen to every single recording. Transcripts are saved and searchable within the app.

Using call screening

One of the most useful features in Google Voice is call screening, which allows Google Assistant to answer and screen calls for you. To enable call screening, open the Google Voice app and tap the three-dot menu button in the top right corner. Go to Settings > Calls > Call screening and toggle it on.1

With call screening enabled, when you receive a call the Google Assistant will answer and ask who is calling and why. You can listen in real-time and decide whether to pick up, hang up, or report the call as spam. After screening a call, you can review the full transcript in your call history to see what was said.2

Call screening can be useful for avoiding unwanted calls and robocalls. However, you can turn it off anytime if you would rather answer calls directly. Just go back to Call screening settings and toggle it off.

Receiving calls on multiple devices

One of the key benefits of Google Voice is the ability to receive calls on multiple devices. This is useful if you want your Google Voice number to ring on both your smartphone and computer, for example.

To enable this, you first need to make sure call forwarding is enabled in your Google Voice account settings. This will forward incoming calls to all linked devices.

You can link multiple devices in the Google Voice app, including:

• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Computers (requires Google Chrome browser)

WiFi calling can also help you receive Google Voice calls on multiple devices. If your smartphone supports WiFi calling, it will route calls through WiFi when you have an internet connection instead of cellular network. This allows you to receive calls on WiFi-connected devices like laptops.

One limitation is that only one device can answer an incoming Google Voice call at a time. So you need to make sure to disable call forwarding on devices where you don’t want calls to ring.

Overall, linking and enabling call forwarding on multiple devices gives you flexibility in how you receive Google Voice calls. WiFi calling further expands your options.

Source: https://toomanyadapters.com/tech-tips-budget-travel/