January 25, 2011

Google Voice Number Porting

Google Voice has a lot of features that help you manage multiple phone numbers more like your email accounts. The main problem is that you need a new phone number to use most of the advanced features and this is not convenient.

Now you can port an existing mobile phone number to Google Voice for a small fee: $20. The process is rather complicated and may incur additional charges, but it's important to keep in mind that Google is not a wireless carrier (at least not yet) and you'll still have to get a non-Google phone number.
Number porting is a feature in which your existing mobile number will become your Google Voice number and you can take advantage of the full set of the Google Voice features, like one number to ring all of your phones, online voicemail, and more. Number Porting also costs a one-time fee of $20, payable via Google Checkout. Note that you will still need carrier service (Sprint, T-Mobile, Cricket, etc.) to receive calls on your mobile phone.





At the moment, you can make free calls in the US and Canada if you use Gmail Chat, but it's likely that this feature will also be available in Google Voice's mobile apps for Android and iPhone.

{ Thanks, CJ. }
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8 comments:

  1. bseeJanuary 25, 2011 at 2:50 PM

    What does this mean for Verizon "IN" calling? Or Sprint and such? Without IN calling, I'll use way too many minutes for my phone plan. Switching wouldn't even be an option.

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  2. Shawn ThroopJanuary 25, 2011 at 3:20 PM

    lame i want google voice in germany
    or maybe just anywhere but the US (and canada)

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 25, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    You didn't mention the big catch for this feature: using it deactivates and removes your existing Google Voice number after 90 days :(. I've been using GV since the GrandCentral days and have a lot of people using my current GV number... If I want to port my old 'real' number, I have to forfeit the GV one I've been migrating people to for ages (or I have to open a second Google Voice account). Either way, crappy way to take care of the existing users imo.

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  4. UnknownJanuary 25, 2011 at 5:43 PM

    Can I port my landline which is controlled by Cox Cable?

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  5. dah_sabJanuary 26, 2011 at 1:17 AM

    If I want to port my old 'real' number, I have to forfeit the GV one I've been migrating people to for ages (or I have to open a second Google Voice account). Either way, crappy way to take care of the existing users imo.

    Well, could set up a 2nd google account, & port your number to that 2nd account, preserving your original GV number in the process.

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  6. KyleJanuary 30, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    What about my google apps account, there's still no link....

    ReplyDelete
  7. PacoBellJuly 14, 2011 at 12:37 AM

    @Anonymous on January 25, 2011 5:06 PM:

    Just for future reference:

    "However, if you wish to permanently keep your original Google Voice number as a secondary number you can do so for a one time fee of $20. All calls and text messages to your original Google number and your new number will still reach you."

    http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin/answer.py?answer=1065667

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousAugust 17, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    when is number porting and google voice available in western europe, germany and netherlands ?

    ReplyDelete

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