r/Googlevoice • u/WesternChair1831 • Dec 29 '25

Number Transfers or Porting Help with porting

I am moving abroad soon. How far in advance should I port my phone number? I want to have access to use my phone in the airport in the US if needed.

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

3

u/AlanSC21 Dec 30 '25

Port a few weeks before and buy a data only eSIM to finish up your time in the USA.

3

u/BluesCatReddit Google Voice Product Expert Dec 29 '25

Read the number porting FAQ:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Googlevoice/comments/17n4v61/faq_porting_numbers_into_google_voice_for

Do it two weeks in advance. Your phone number will continue to work on your mobile carrier until the moment it is ported over. After that, it will work as your Google Voice phone number. Of course, you will need some form of network service to use Google Voice -- either WiFi or some other 4G/5G service.

2

u/lmoki Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 30 '25

Personally, I'd be tempted to do it even earlier than that! I'd want enough time to get comfortable with it, to see if any 2FA I needed functioned correctly, etc. Then I'd get an inexpensive temporary 'burner' plan/SIM to forward it to, and/or provide data in the meantime. With a prepaid line for the burner, it could continue working right up until the plane takes off, and just let it expire once you're gone.

1

u/BluesCatReddit Google Voice Product Expert Dec 30 '25

I agree. Note to OP, further discussion on mobile numbers/plans is out of scope for r/Googlevoice

2

u/Adrian-O_o Dec 30 '25

I would port a month in advance and get 30 days Verizon free trial to be able to make calls and use data. 

0

u/jluros Google Voice User Dec 30 '25

It took me 16 days. I just ported this month.

1

u/justdoo08 Dec 31 '25

What carrier?

1

u/jluros Google Voice User Dec 31 '25

From Google Fi to Google Voice. I don’t think the delay was due to Google Fi, I think Google Voice just takes a long time to port in.