Why do I need a Google Voice number?

Google Voice gives you a phone number for calls, texts, and voicemails. You can use this number to make domestic and international calls from your web browser and mobile devices. Make international calls at low rates. Get protection from spam calls and messages.

Does Google Voice use your actual phone number?

Google Voice will not affect your personal phone number. People calling your Google Voice number will be forwarded to up to six linked phone numbers, and any number of VoIP clients, such as the Google Voice app on your smartphone, the web interface on your computer, or an Obi device.

What happens when you text a Google Voice number?

Messaging with Google Voice While you can call others using Voice and they will see your Voice phone number, if you text to someone using an app other than Voice (say, Google’s Messages app), the recipient will see the text as coming from the number of your phone’s SIM rather than your Voice number.

What do people hear when they call my Google Voice number?

When you get calls to your Google Voice number, you can screen your calls to hear the name of the caller before you answer the call. After hearing the caller’s name, you have these choices: Press 1 to accept the call. Press 2 to send the call to your voicemail in Voice.

Can you receive text messages on a Google Voice number?

With the Google Voice app, you can send and receive SMS messages.

How can I tell if a call is from Google Voice?

You have a couple of options to identify whether the call is coming through Google Voice or not. Enable Call Screening in the Settings menu of either the web page, or in the Google Voice app. This will announce the name of the caller and require you to press 1 to answer, or press 2 to send to voicemail.

Can you use Google Voice without phone service?

If you’re not familiar with Google Voice, here’s the quick and dirty explanation of what it is: Google Voice is a completely free phone number provided to you by Google. It can make calls in the US over the internet and send and receive text messages, without you having to pay for any phone service.