Where is my Google Voice located?

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is a telephone service offered by Google that provides users with a phone number for making and receiving calls, sending and receiving text messages, voicemail, and more. With Google Voice, users can make low-cost international calls, send SMS texts, check voicemail, and manage calls all through one centralized platform and phone number.

Some key features of Google Voice include:

Free phone number – Users get a dedicated Google Voice number.

Call forwarding – Calls to the Google Voice number can ring multiple phones.
Voicemail transcription – Voicemails are automatically transcribed.
SMS texting – Send and receive texts through the Google Voice number.

Call recording – Users can record inbound and outbound calls.

Google Voice is available in the U.S. and select other countries. It integrates with Gmail and other Google services. Users can access it via the Google Voice website or mobile app on iOS and Android.

According to Google, Google Voice aims to help users connect however is most convenient for them whether on a cell phone, landline, or computer.

Signing Up for Google Voice

You need a Google account to sign up for Google Voice. The sign up process involves selecting a phone number and verifying it. To get started, go to voice.google.com and sign into your Google account. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to create one first.

Once signed in, you can choose a phone number for your Google Voice account. You can pick a number based on area code and prefix. Google Voice will check if the number is available.

After selecting a phone number, Google Voice will call the number you entered when signing up to verify ownership. Enter the pin you receive on the call to complete the verification process.

Once verified, your Google Voice number will be ready to use. You can start making calls, sending texts, and accessing voicemail.

Using Google Voice on the Web

After signing up, you can access Google Voice through the web interface at voice.google.com. The Google Voice website allows you to access all of your Google Voice features from your desktop or laptop computer using any standard web browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge.

Through the web interface, you can see all your recent calls and texts, make and receive calls using your computer’s microphone and speakers, send and receive text messages, access voicemail transcripts, manage contacts, customize call and text forwarding, and access advanced settings like call screening.

The web interface provides the most complete set of features and allows full control over your Google Voice phone number from your computer. It’s especially useful if you want to avoid using the mobile app but still have access to Google Voice on a bigger screen.

Using the Google Voice Mobile App

Google Voice offers free mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices. The app allows you to make and receive calls, send and view texts, listen to voicemail, and access many other Google Voice features directly from your mobile device.

With the mobile app, your cell phone essentially works as an extension of your Google Voice number. All calls to your Google Voice number will ring in the app, allowing you to answer calls even if you left your cell phone behind. The app also includes a dialpad so you can make outgoing Google Voice calls from your device.

Other key features of the Google Voice mobile app include:

SMS text messaging through your Google Voice number
Visual voicemail with transcripts

Ability to switch between cell service and WiFi
Settings to customize notifications and ringtones

The app provides a convenient way to access core Google Voice capabilities on iPhone, Android smartphone, or tablet. With the mobile app, you can stay connected to your Google Voice phone number while on the go.

Linking Your Phone Number

You can link your existing phone number to Google Voice. This allows you to receive calls on that number through Google Voice. According to Google Support, you can link mobile and landline numbers to your Google Voice account.

To link your number, go to the Google Voice website and click on Settings > Linked numbers > Add another number. Enter your existing number and follow the verification steps. Once your number is verified and linked, calls to that number will ring in Google Voice.

Linking your number to Google Voice centralizes your calling through one account. As explained on Reddit, this allows you to receive calls on your phone, computer, and mobile devices logged into your Google Voice account. It provides flexibility in how you answer calls. You can also access voicemail and text messages unified in Google Voice.

Google Voice Settings

Google Voice provides various settings to customize your experience. Under the settings menu in the Google Voice website or mobile app, you can configure options like:

Voicemail greeting – Record a personalized voicemail greeting callers will hear.
Voicemail display – Choose whether to show a transcript of voicemails.

Notifications – Manage notifications for new voicemails, text messages, and missed calls.
Call forwarding – Forward calls to your linked phone numbers or voicemail.
Call screening – Screen calls and filter spam calls.

Caller ID – Choose what phone number is displayed to people you call.

Customizing these settings can help optimize Google Voice to best suit your needs. For example, configuring call forwarding allows calls to ring multiple devices, so you never miss an important call. Adjusting notifications allows you to control how and when you’re alerted to new messages and voicemails. With all the available options, you can set up Google Voice to work exactly as you want it to.

For more details on the settings available, see Google’s support article on managing Google Voice settings (https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115116?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid).

Google Voice Features

Google Voice includes many useful features beyond just getting a free phone number. Some of the key Google Voice features include:¹

Voicemail transcription – Google Voice can automatically transcribe your voicemails into text so you can read them instead of listening to them. This makes it easy to quickly get through and search your voicemails.

Call screening – You can screen calls by having Google Voice ask callers to say their name before the call rings through to you. This helps avoid unwanted calls.
Do not disturb mode – Turning on do not disturb blocks all incoming calls. You can customize when and how long you want this enabled.
Call blocking – Google Voice allows you to block specific numbers so you never receive calls or texts from them again.

Call recording – You can record any call for reference later. This can be useful for interviews, important business calls, or just remembering details.
Voicemail greeting – Customize your voicemail greeting so callers hear your name or a unique message when they reach your voicemail.
Call forwarding – Forward calls to any linked device or phone number, so you never miss an important call.

With robust features like these, Google Voice provides much more functionality than just having a basic phone number.

Using Google Voice Internationally

By default, Google Voice only works for calls within the United States and Canada. To use Google Voice for international calls, you’ll need to enable international calling and possibly add funds to your account.

According to Google’s calling rates page (https://voice.google.com/rates), international calls from the United States to other countries cost $0.01 per minute to landlines and $0.05 per minute to mobiles. International calling rates from other countries vary.

To get started making international calls with Google Voice, first make sure international calling is enabled by going to Voice Settings and toggling on “Calls to other countries.” Then you can place international calls using the web interface, mobile app, or by dialing your Google Voice number directly.

On Android, you can dial international numbers directly from the app (https://support.google.com/voice/answer/3379129?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid). On iPhone, you’ll need to first dial the international exit code before entering the Google Voice access number and then the international number (https://support.google.com/voice/answer/7491761?hl=en).

With some configuration, Google Voice provides an affordable way to make international calls. Just be aware it only allows international calling to select countries, and per-minute fees apply.

Google Voice Limitations

While Google Voice offers many useful features, it does have some limitations to be aware of (source):

MMS support is not available with Google Voice. Users cannot send or receive picture messages, video messages, or group messages. This can be inconvenient for people who regularly use these messaging features.

International calling support is limited. Calling rates to other countries can be high and availability varies. So Google Voice may not work well for people who need to make frequent international calls.

On Android, call quality can suffer compared to the native phone dialer. Issues like choppy audio, echoes, and disconnects are more common.

Advanced call management features seen with other VOIP solutions are lacking. Options like shared lines, multiple users on one number, and call analytics are not offered.

The number of users supported on Google Voice for Workspace is capped at 10. To add more users, an upgrade to a paid Google Workspace subscription is required.

Porting numbers out of Google Voice can be difficult in some cases. So it may not be the best option for a business phone number if portability is a priority.

Getting Help with Google Voice

If you need assistance with Google Voice, there are a few options for getting help.

The Google Voice Help section provides frequently asked questions, community forums, and troubleshooting tips. Here you can browse help topics or search for solutions to common issues.

You can also contact Google Voice support directly. Support is available via phone, chat, or email depending on the issue. Phone support may be available 24/7 for certain problems. See Google’s Contact Us page for details.

The Google Voice community forums are another good troubleshooting resource. You can post questions and get input from other Google Voice users in the community.

With the official Google Voice Help center, contact options, and community forums, you have several ways to get assistance with any issues using Google Voice.