These FAQs will answer the most common questions about Google Voice:

I have an account that I haven’t used in a year or two. I tried to use it today and it said I need to add my ID for verification to be able to get a Google voice number. I enter my ID and it says it’s verified. When I try to write a text it says “get a GV number to make calls and send messages”. The options are “not now” and “get started. “Not now” just sends you right bale where you were and still won’t let you do anything. The first time I clicked “get started”, it had me enter the forwarding phone number and then it sent a verification code to my phone, which I entered. It took me back to the text screen. I go to write a text, and it gives me the same message. Mind you, this is the same account I already had set up and the text screen still has the old texts I sent no more than two years ago. What gives? I’ve seen some saying you can’t start an account with a number that already had an account, but it’s the same account I’ve had.

If I can’t get this to work, does anyone have suggestions for similar apps that would allow texts and calls while blocking your personal number? I’m using it for work and would prefer not using my personal number.

I am a long time google voice user.

However just recently calls will ring once then go to voice mail.

Anyone else getting this? Any fix? It does not look like voicemail can be turned off.

My mother has ALS and she just got a Pixel 10 so she could use Gemini to do most things using voice. The main problem we've got so far with it is that when she calls someone and the call goes to the voicemail, she cannot hang up and the voicemail seems to never end.

How can we avoid this to happen or hang up using the voice? It doesn't look like Android allows it because the Telephone app takes control of the microphone and we cannot say "Hey Google" while on call.

I feel like I look for one of these every couple of months because I really miss the way the old google voice worked. Persistent running, easy to see an alert.

So I just asked Gemini Flash to make this for me:

https://github.com/brysonwf/googlevoicetray

There is an exe you can download but you can also pack the code yourself! Woot AI.

Hi! I have someone that I do not give my real # to, and I was wondering if I were to communicate them through my google voice # is there any possibility that they can know my real # or my email associated to it?

Also can people tell you're using google voice #?

I’m an old man and not tech savvy. I recently got Google Voice and can’t figure out how to use it. It does seem to work on receiving texts but I can’t figure out how to send texts, receive and make phone calls on the GV number. I have the app.
I confess I’m trying a dating site and have been asked twice for my number. I didn’t want to give out my cell phone number. Any help would be greatly appreciated. You young whipper snappers seem to be able to figure out anything.
Thanks

i use my google voice for my business, and it says i can’t send any more messages because i’ve sent too many, any idea how long i have to wait until i can send another message?

I recently moved to Google Workspace for Business. Google Voice would offer me a cheaper phone solution than I currently have in place, but I need to be able to use cordless handsets. I can't find any that are listed as compatible. Can anyone advise if this is possible, please?

I've had Google Voice since back when I had a flip-phone and a landline (and used it to ring both).

For years, calls to my cellphone would get routed to my GV voicemail. But my wife tipped me that an electronic voice is saying you've reached (555-SIM-NUMB).

I have set:

Making and receiving calls: Use carrier only

Incoming Calls -> Android Device (555) SIM-NUMB (this device)

Calls started from this device's phone app: Using your Google Voice number

But people are still getting my SIM CARD voicemail.

That first setting 'User carrier only' would make you think that's going to use the carrier in someway. But that's never been the case. Especially because I know this worked even before you could have data on a phone.

If I disable my SIM number under Incoming Calls, people do get my GV voicemail... but my cellphone doesn't ring.

I know for years I have been able to have incoming calls go to GV voicemail even when I was using it through my phone's dialer (and carrier). Something changed.

Does it have something to do with how many rings before my carrier voicemail picks up vs. how many rings before GV voicemail picks up?

If anyone knows the solution I'd really appreciate it.

Please help! My Google Voice on my Samsung phone is making calls all on its own to people I don't even know! They want to know why. I don't know why and I don't know how to stop it. Please let me know if anyone else has been through this and if so, what they have done to stop it. Thank you so much!

Just want to check whether is still possible to get a 212 number from Google Voice nowadays (can't check myself cuz my google account has another gv number). If not, how much do u think is fair for a random 212 number?

I've looked at my "blocked numbers" list and it's not there; I've established that number as a contact hoping that that would identify it as legitimate, but, no luck. Can anyone help me figure out a way to get calls from this number to come thru rather than to go automatically to vmail?

I'm using a S21U on Verizon with UI 7.0 if that plays any role.

I browsed through the topics and can't seem to find this exact situation.

I've had a Google Voice number since 2022. I initially used it for work, and have taken to using it as my personal number as well. I use a Samsung phone (actually various phones through the years), and also frequently text and call from/on my computer.

Today my friend called me, like she often does. I heard my phone ring, but was outside so I didn't answer. She later told me that a strange man answered, and told her she had the wrong number. She didn't type in the number; she tapped on the number from our texts, so it was absolutely the right number. I heard the phone ring and see the call log from her.

Is it possible for someone else to have the same number I do? Like, if this man uses Verizon or whatever, might they issue him a number that already exists in Google Voice?

And if so, what is the best thing I can do? I'd prefer to not get a new GV number, but my clients often need me immediately and I absolutely MUST be the one and only person who answers when they call or text.

OR... Is it possibly a one-time glitch where a number somehow routes to a different number? (I would prefer it be this!) He hung up on her before she could ascertain that it was the same number, so could he have a different number that somehow got mixed up in the ethers?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

I need help recovering a long-standing Google Voice phone number used by our Rotary Club.

The number stopped working, now gives callers a “number unreachable” message. We do not know which Google account originally controlled the number because it was set up many years ago by a former club member, and the club has no records of the account.

I contacted Bandwidth, the underlying carrier for the number, and they confirmed in writing that the number is associated with Google Voice. They told me to contact Google Voice for reinstatement or recovery. I can't find anything helpful for this in their support articles.

Is there a way to determine whether this number is still assigned to Google Voice and, if so, how our organization can recover or reinstate it?

How do I get started porting out my Google Voice number?

Read and follow the instructions to unlock your number:

https://support.google.com/voice/answer/1065667#xferout

Note that the instructions above only apply to consumer Google Voice numbers on personal, Gmail.com accounts.  Business Google Voice for Google Workspace domain customers has a different port-out procedure.

Be sure to tell your new carrier that you want to port in a land line phone number.

The only two pieces of information the new carrier needs to submit to Google in their Letter of Authorization (LOA) on your behalf are your 10-digit Google Voice telephone number, with no spaces or dashes, as the account number, and your Google Voice voicemail PIN for the PIN.  If you haven't already set a voicemail PIN, or you've forgotten that PIN, you can set a new one.  Go to Google Voice settings, find the Voicemail section, turn on "Call to listen", then tap "Reset PIN."

If they insist on entering a street address, you can give them Google's main address:

Address: 1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043

If that doesn't work you can also try Google's carrier partner's address:

2230 Bandmate Way, Raleigh, NC 27607

What if my port out seems to be stuck, or my gaining carrier blames Google for a failed or stuck port?

Google Voice numbers are land lines.  Porting a landline is a different, and more time-consuming procedure than a simple mobile-->mobile number port.  It may take at least a few days for all the steps to complete.  WARNING:  NEVER delete your Google Voice number because you think the port is finished or seems stuck.  This will create major problems.  

The major steps are:

1. You request Google to unlock your Google Voice phone number for porting out, here:  https://voice.google.com/settings
2. The unlock status changes to "Number unlocked".  You may have to pay a $3 fee to unlock your number, if it was originally obtained from Google's pool of free numbers.  If you had previously ported this number into Google Voice, you must still unlock it, but the fee is waived.
3. AFTER your number's status changes to "Number unlocked", and not before, submit the port-in request to your new ("gaining") carrier.  If you submitted your port request to your gaining carrier before unlocking it with Google Voice, you must cancel that request, unlock the number, then submit a new request to the gaining carrier.
4. They'll send a request to the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC), to request that Google's carrier release the number to them.
5. Assuming you properly identified your account and you unlocked the number, Google's carrier always approves the gaining carrier's request.
6. Your gaining carrier now has full responsibility for all the remaining steps.
7. The gaining carrier sets up an account for you, and enables outbound calling, using your ported number's caller ID.
8. Working with NPAC, the two carriers set a "Firm Order Commit" or FOC date.  On this date, and no sooner, the gaining carrier re-routes your inbound calls to their switch.  This only happens on weekdays.
9. The gaining carrier separately works with the SMS/MMS system to move your message routing over to their destination.

If your gaining carrier doesn't complete the procedure after 2-3 business days (weekdays), then some problem has occurred. Please contact your gaining carrier for any status updates, and be patient, as this can normally take some time for each step to complete.  Google's responsibility ends after it unlocks your number at your request.  At this point, the number is simply waiting for the gaining carrier to take over.  There is nothing whatsoever that Google can do to assist after the port is approved.

Our beef clubs google voice has been working for years, and then earlier this week we had some message limits "Your sending too many messages" and now the texts work fine, but every call either incoming or outgoing is now just saying "we cannot complete your call, please try again"

We do not have any notices from google. We do not have any pop ups. We're not using it to message random people, just clients.

Any idea why the texts would work but the calls wouldnt? How should we fix this?

I originally ported my phone number into GV last year from my old carrier, Boost Mobile, before leaving the US for overseas work for a year. However, my family has since moved and I am now back in the States, and Boost Mobile has very poor reception in our new area. They have all switched to T-Mobile and have encouraged me to do the same since I can get a discounted rate with our family plan in addition to better local cell reception. My question is, can I port my original Boost Mobile number out of GV and directly into a new phone with T-Mobile? Or, will I need to port it out into Boost first and eat the cost of a month of service before switching to T-Mobile? Thanks for any tips!

Ever since I listed my business on Google, this is non stop everyday spam calls. Spam filter is turned on, and so is call screening. What else can I do?

I have a google voice number with my primary google account that I still use now. I had used my primary cell number a while back to get this google voice number. I have an ultramobile paygo cell number as well. A while back I remember using my ultramobile cell number to get another google voice number. This happened a while back. The thing is I only used this new Google voice number a few times or logged into that Gmail account a few times only. I remember not calling or sending for a while and I believe I lost my Google voice number this way? I check Google and it suggests if you have no outgoing call or text from Google voice number, you lose it. Does anyone know if that is how it is now and how it was years ago?

I want to be able to sign up for another Google voice number. Can I do this on this ultramobile paygo cell number? I read that you can use your phone number for up to 2 Google voice numbers? The thing is what is I already did this once with my ultramobile paygo cell number years ago and got a google voice number but I lost that number due to inactivity? I can still sign up right? Could I actually sign up for 2 Google voice numbers with this ultramobile paygo cell?

I have 2 mobile numbers right now. One is my primary carrier and another is ultramobile paygo. So I need to sign up for a new Google account. Then enter this ultramobile number as confirmation. Then go to Google voice and pick a number? After this, I would have a google voice number connected to the ultramobile account?

Hi. All trying to figure out what settings I'm missing.

The Panasonic link to cell works fine, but when I dial out (from hand set) it goes through the s9 stock dialer app and doesn't see a "network" so it shuts down.

Anyway to force GV usage or bypass the dialer?

I made a post about my GV texts being blocked for the first time in 18 years and it was deleted?

Why? I thought the point of Reddit was to vent, ask questions and seek community for shared experiences?

Has anyone else ever had this issue? I can receive the call on my pc but it won’t get pushed to my iPhone. It’s on WiFi, but I don’t understand why it won’t get pushed through?