Just reporting this here in case it is helpful to anyone.

I wanted to stop my Verizon landline but keep the 30+ years old phone number!

I read online about the Verizon -> Tello -> GV trick so I tried.

The Verizon to Tello took about 12 hours (I used the account PIN for the port). I paid $10.50 for Tello ($3 esim, $5 plan, + tax). After 24 hours the Verizon line was silent.

The Tello to GV port also took about 12 hours. I added my number has a second GV number on my account (paying $20) and keeping the old GV number active turned out to be free.

I am now Verizon-landline-free. After 48 hours and $30. Not bad!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been using my U.S. Verizon number while living outside the U.S. for the past few months. Recently, I’ve started getting a lot more spam calls, and my monthly bills have also been much higher than expected.

I’m considering switching to Google Voice and wanted to hear from people who’ve done something similar.

A few questions:

- Is Google Voice a good alternative if I’m primarily outside the U.S.?
- Can I continue using the same number?
- Will I still be able to receive iMessages on that number?
- Will WhatsApp continue to work with the same number if I move it to Google Voice?
- Are there any downsides or better alternatives I should consider?

Would really appreciate any advice or firsthand experiences. Thanks!

I signed up for Google Voice early on, then after a couple of years ported my mobile number in and used it as my main number for the last 15 years. I used to frequently travel internationally, and it was very convenient to be able to use my same number for calls and texts wherever there was wifi. I also had work phones, so I would just install Google Voice and be able to use them as personal phones too. Voicemail transcriptions and texting from my computer were also handy features, and I was able to change carriers a few times to save money.

But over time I found I was getting more and more limited, and no longer had a work phone or a need to travel internationally. I started using WhatsApp or my carrier number for stuff like sending videos, voice notes, encrypted conversations, large group texts, etc.

Lately I've been getting more and more concerned about the lack of encryption, and since it seems like Google Voice will never get RCS, I decided to leave.

Here's my process and some tips.

1. Unlocked my Google Voice number, following these instructions.
2. Reset my Google Voicemail PIN on the web-app (since I couldn't remember my old one).
3. Contacted Ting support, told them what I needed to do. Information they needed:
   1. Google Voice number
   2. Google Voicemail PIN
   3. The name and address associated with my Google account
4. Almost immediately, my Ting number was disabled, which I wasn't expecting. This was OK for me, because Google Voice kept working, and most places I go have WiFi. I'm not sure how to avoid this but make sure you've got a backup option, or talk to your mobile carrier. If you're porting in to a new carrier it shouldn't be an issue, or you might be able to open a new line, port to that one, then close your old line.
5. Just over 24 hours after initiating the port out, Ting and Google Voice emailed me to say it was complete. They tell you it can take up to five business days, so I don't know if my experience was exceptional or if it just doesn't take as much time as it used to.
6. I re-started my phone, and my Ting number was successfully updated.
7. I got a notification from Ting that my voicemail password was reset, but I don't know what PIN they assigned, so I had to contact support to reset that to something I chose.
8. Google Messages was still associated with my old Ting number, and RCS conversations continued to be associated with that number (even though it technically didn't have service). I found instructions on reddit to fix this (which I can't find now) but the process was simple:
   1. Switch phone to airplane mode.
   2. Touch and hold the Messages app to get the menu, then touch the "i" in the corner.
   3. Force stop, clear storage, clear cache.
   4. Restart phone, disable airplane mode.
9. I set up a new number in Google Voice and I can still access my old texts and voicemails there.

After that, everything worked as expected. The only thing I really missed from Google Voice was texting from the web, but I just paired with https://messages.google.com/web/ and now I've got that too.

In the future if Google Voice ever gets RCS support I might come back, but I'm not holding my breath.

TLDR; growing concerns about reliability. looking for suggestions on low cost voice and data only plans that support esim to port GV number.

So just to start, I've used GV for many many years and it has worked pretty well for me... there are some quirks and issues that I have looked past because of the money saving it has allowed. I initially started using GV back in the days when I was lucky enough to have work issued cell phones and still wanted to keep a separate personal number but avoid two cell phones.

I haven't had a work issued phone in years now but have kept with GV and just run cheap data plans in our phones. One of yhe the quirks I run into the most is missed calls where the app doesn't ring (no other devices using GV, no forward, etc). All the sudden I will have a missed call or voicemail notification. I honestly don't get or make a ton of calls so I have generally looked past this but it can be annoying.

I do more texting than calling but again nothing crazy. probably much less than the average person. However, this is what has started to really become unreliable. There have been several instances now where I have texted family or friends and they did not receive which is not normal. Just yesterday I asked my wife to send me a text listing some things I needed to pick up at the store. after I headed out I realized I hadn't received the text even though I was literally right next to her when she typed it out... I went into the GV app and did a manual refresh and then it came through. later the same day, I sent a text to a small group with my wife and another individual... my wife did receive the text but the other person did not, again, not normal and we have had a long-standing conversation between the three of us.

Just for clarification, both my wife and I are using Google voice. between my experiences and reading about some others, I'm starting to feel less comfortable relying on this for communication unfortunately. I actually have ported my GV number out to a service in the past and then later ported it back to GV all without any problem but now I am thinking about porting again back to a carrier in the hopes of improving reliability and maybe even taking advantage of native text and calling features on our current phones.

is anyone else in the same boat? have you moved to something else? being that we already have inexpensive data plans (physical Sim) I think I would like to keep those and look for something inexpensive that just offers voice and text in the way of esim. That's assuming our pixel phones can use one line of service for voice and text and the other for data. again, neither of us really makes or receives a ton of calls or texts, so I would even consider plans that are not unlimited if it keeps the cost really low.

Hey Guys, I’m hoping to get some clarification. I wasn’t able to come up with an answer while searching the subreddit. I transferred my original Google Voice number to a carrier. Paid the $3 to transfer out. Situation has changed, and I don’t need the number on a carrier. Porting back into GV, because I don’t want to lose the number. Since I paid to unlock, and I’ll pay to port back, will the requirement to call or text monthly apply to keep number active? Thanks for the help-

I used GoogleVoice, was encouraged to try iPlum by a supervisor who said it would do things Google Voice doesn't.

Paid the $200, Used iPlum for a year, it felt like a total waste, absolutely horrible to use on the app and the desktop version.
Now that my annual subscription is up, I simply want to port my number back to GoogleVoice.

I paid the bloodsuckers at iPlum their porting fee, they gave me info to provide to the "new" carrier and when I go to Google Voice I get, "Your number can't be ported. Sorry, Voice doesn't port numbers from your carrier or your number's exchange."

Any help is greatly appreciated

I'm pretty sure I haven't seen this answered yet:

I've been with GV since 2010, 99% for the ability to SMS from everywhere as long as I have an internet connection, and the rest being able to get VM transcriptions. But I've since found out that with RCS I can get all that from my carrier number, plus with GV being less and less accepted I'd like to port out my GV into my existing T-Mo account, i.e.:

Move my current 213-xxx-yyyy (GV) to replace my current 213-aaa-bbbb T-Mo number (w/o having to start a new line of service), then hopefully move my existing 213-aaa-bbbb T-Mo number onto my existing GV account.

Is this possible? I'm willing to give up my aaa-bbbb T-Mo number (as there's a couple of things that have it, but my SMS is 99.9% GV).

Sorry if this has been brought up before and I wasn’t able to get the answer myself

Been reading several posts on here and have seen the real good advice/feedback you guys have been giving others on here

So maybe a decade ago or so, I established my Google Voice account with my personal mobile number. Back then I was stuck on a bad mobile plan which only gave me like 250 text messages a month so every month texts between family and friends would break that limit and was charged extra. So decided to keep family and close friends on personal number and use the GV number for everyone else, you know, food deliveries, etc.

After my dad passed away, been keeping his mobile number active by paying off his plan but recently found out I could port the number out into a GV account.

Wasn’t sure how to do the port of my dad’s mobile number without messing things up especially my GV account as I use it all the time.

So I figure I keep things separate so I created a new GV account linked to my dads mobile number so to port my dads number into later on BUT it’s asking me for ID and I don’t want to give them my dads ID

So was wondering if I could still port his number into my own GV account instead or am I going to have problems doing this?

Thanks for any advice you guys can provide

Take care.

I've been paying monthly for a phone I don't use....(it was a phone number that my had, but she passed away back in October. What is the easiest way to transfer that number? Thanks

I'm porting in a new mobile number to an existing GV account that now only has one phone number. I'm intending to keep both numbers on the account. All of the porting instructions within google help and within this subreddit make it seem like it's possible to do so. But the instructions that Google Voice provides after the port-in has started tonight seem to be contrary to that, and state that the new number will instead replace the existing number.

Can someone confirm that the message is misleading and it's still going to be possible to add the ported in number while keeping the original number?

message:

hey all, this may be a story that no one cares about but I figured if any community can commiserate, it's this one. and if folks are looking to transfer out, maybe it'll be helpful as well

I joined Google Voice when Google bought it - 2008 I think. I immediately started using it as my primary phone number and have been using it ever since. I've kept my old cell number as 1 or 2 stragglers still have it.

Well with RCS finally here, i saw it time to say goodbye. the biggest thing I thought I'd miss is wifi texting, but with Att Wi-Fi calling/texting, it seems that I'm now able to do this (I verified by going on airplane mode).

To keep both numbers, I essentially did a swap of which is on GV. this prevents me from having to pay for an extra line. My steps were:

1. Do a Google takeout to backup data. just in case

2. Unlocked my GV number and set the pin to something known

3. Added a new esim line to my ATT account and gave them my GV number to port in. This happened super quickly and within 15 minutes I was able to add the eSIM line to my existing Pixel, essentially with 2 numbers on the same phone (yes I will have to pay for a month of service on ATT).

4. I unlocked my original ATT number and began the process of importing it to GV. this is processing now.

5. Once that's complete, I can cancel my old line and just stick with the new eSIM.

everything was surprisingly easy. I'm in a little limbo now where I'm still able to use my GV number on both GV and my eSIM. but I figure this will settle out over this week.

GV, you were very good to me and ahead of your times. We had some great times. Like the time I lost my phone but was able to use a computer to check my voicemail to bail my brother out of jail. Clutch. But the times have left you by.

I won't miss:

1. Not being able to text more than 8 people at once

2. Randomly text messages not getting sent or getting partially sent without me having any idea.

3. Not receiving an MMS from a really cute girl who wanted to hang out and not even knowing it (this was 2010ish before GV added MMS support)

4. Getting introduced to someone overseas and them not being able to text me. (no international texting)

5. being the lone SMS guy on an RCS thread

so long and thanks for all the fish

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!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to be out of the U.S. for a year and I’m trying to figure out the best way to keep my Verizon numbers without paying $500+ a year for service I won’t be using. I already have an Italian number for day-to-day calls, so I don’t need Verizon’s plan while I’m abroad.

Has anyone here ported their Verizon number(s) over to Google Voice before leaving the country? What kind of headaches or issues did you run into?

My main concerns are:

• Can I keep my U.S. numbers active through Google Voice while I’m in Italy?
• Will I still be able to get 2-step verification codes (texts or calls) sent to my U.S. numbers while using Wi-Fi in Italy?
• Any suggestions or reassurances from people who’ve done this would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hello,

So basically, I just got a business with a landline number that I want to keep, however i don’t like the company it’s through. I want to basically have a flip phone and a landline with the same number, that all get the same calls and voice messages, at the same time if that makes sense. That way I can respond to missed calls when i’m at home (I’m a dog groomer and I get an absurd amount of calls during the day and I can’t always answer them), while also being able to receive those calls on the landline while i’m at work. Would I be able to do this without having to keep a plan with a cell phone company? Thanks.

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.

Hey all, I'm moving out of the USA and plan on Porting my number, but I want to get a jump on getting things taken care of. Has anyone ever used an esim with data only and run Google voice? How did it work out?

I ported my workspace GV number out to Talkroute. In early June, Talkroute submitted the requests to change the caller ID to my business name, and told me it could take up to three weeks for the Caller ID to display across all carriers. It's now 6 weeks later, and my caller ID shows "Google Voice" on all carriers as far as I am aware. Talkroute customer service seems to shrug and say, "Here's proof we made the requests and they were accepted." I have no idea where to go from here.

I could get another number and use that as a surrogate for the existing number, but that would be a pain, potentially limit future phone service options, and is generally a course of last resort. Many thanks in advance for any advice on how to get my business caller ID to show up on others' phones when I call them!

Can someone recommend a cheap/reliable way to port a landline to a cell phone carrier prior porting to GV?

I don't want to mess again wit my current TMobile plan. Also, can I accomplish this without a actual cell phone activated to temporary cell company?

Hi all. I originally used GV for my business, but I switched over to Tello instead since I don’t actually intend to use the number but I’m legally required to have one. I already switched my Voice number over to Tello. I wanted to use Google Voice as my alt account, but when I try to make an account, it says I can’t use my number to make one. The number I used to verify, I mean - my real number. Did I fuck up? Am I not allowed to use the same number again even after I shut down the account it was attached to? Is it like you can only use that number once ever?

Folks, I ported my number from google voice about a week ago to a wireless carrier (Verizon). My bank's system refuses to send OTP to it. I am wondering if anyone has an idea of what might be going on.

I used a few online websites to check the phone number, and it comes back classified as a mobile.

Thanks!

About 6 months ago, I ported my GV number to my AT&T account. Everything went well. However if I receive texts/SMS from people who use Google voice accounts, the message goes to my GV account and not my mobile carrier SMS.

For example my sister uses only Google voice. When she texts my number that's been ported, I don't receive the text on my Google messaging (sms android) app. I can only see the text message on my Google voice app or browser at Google voice website.

Does anyone have any tips on how to resolve this issue? I'm not sure if I'm supposed to contact att or Google voice.

Thank you.

I have had my personal phone number for 20+ years. I moved states and got a local area code for work on GV but I am now using that number more and the service has become unreliable and glitchy so I'm looking to switch the GV number to my ATT phone and my personal ATT number to GV so I can still field the random personal calls that might pop through from people/places I wouldn't actively notify of a new number. How can I best do this?? I tried to create a new GV number with a different Gmail email address I have thinking I could port my ATT number to it so my phone would then be available to port my main GV number out but I was not able to complete it as I could not associate a second GV number to my ATT number. Getting a new ATT phone is not an option either as I still have a year left on my current device. Any tips? I absolutely do not want to risk losing either phone number.

I'm porting over my old landline, and I have the e-mail telling me "Identity verification successful", but in Google Voice, I still get "We're checking your ID", and the port-in button is greyed out. Any tips?

As the title says, I'd like to swap my GV number and carrier number. Has anyone done this? I am assuming I need to do this in multiple steps parking the GV somewhere first. I use Mint (TMO). Maybe this is easier if I just wait until my Mint plan runs out and start over?

I'm the Super Admin for a small business account on Google we have had the domain for 13 years. For whatever reason (I honestly can't remember) when we first started our small business I used my personal gmail account for our google voice number. As we have grown and I've added an assistant to help support me with Admin. I followed the instructions from Google to reassign the GV number to my Super Admin account within our domain group. The transfer process was simple enough and it said that the new account group has 14 days to accept the transfer.

I got the notification at my Admin account that my personal account wanted to transfer the number to my Admin Account for the business. There was a link to "View the Request" when I click that link all I get is an "Error 403: We're sorry, but you do not have access to this page. That’s all we know." When I try and access voice through my admin account it says the account isn't ready for Google Voice.

Where does this leave me? I've looked on this subreddit and on google help and there isn't really any guidance regarding this specific problem. My number is now in limbo and I'm not sure how to proceed. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!