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Google Voice gives you a separate number for calls, texts, and voicemail. You can use it in the Google Voice app or at voice.google.com; optionally, you can link phones so calls to your Voice number ring there too. Linking a phone does not turn its carrier number into your Google Voice number. Texts are sent through the app or website over Wi-Fi or mobile data, and some verification messages and bulk-texting uses are not supported.
What a Google Voice number is
A Google Voice number is a service number for calling, texting, and voicemail. Personal users in the US can search for available numbers by city or area code. The number can be used in the Voice app or in a browser at voice.google.com.
Google states that “Google Voice saves and processes your call, text, and voicemail information.” A Voice number is therefore a Google service account, not an anonymous alias that simply forwards calls without processing service information. Google Voice Help: Set up Google Voice
How Google Voice call forwarding works
Calls placed to your Google Voice number can ring in the Voice app or browser. You can also link verified phones so calls to the Voice number ring on those devices. The linked phone remains a separate carrier number; callers still dial your Google Voice number.
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Link and verify a phone
- In Google Voice settings, add a linked number.
- Choose verification by text for a mobile number or by phone call for a landline, then enter the code Google provides.
- Turn call forwarding on or off for the linked device or number in Voice settings.
Google currently allows up to six linked numbers. A number already linked to another Google Voice number cannot be linked again. Turning forwarding off stops calls from being forwarded to that device, but does not remove the number from your account. Google does not support forwarding calls to an automated system; organizations needing an auto attendant are directed to Google Workspace. SIP Link users do not have linked-number functionality, so managed-account users should confirm their configuration with an administrator. Google Voice Help: Link your phone number
Use Voice without forwarding
You can place and receive calls in the app or at voice.google.com without linking another phone. On a computer, call notifications require you to be signed in and to keep the browser window open. Whether using the app or a linked phone, check the call-routing information before a call: a call that does not go through Voice may use carrier minutes instead.
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How Google Voice texting works
Texts are sent from the Voice app or website over Wi-Fi or mobile data, not from your mobile plan’s SMS allowance. Google’s consumer help page says personal texts can be sent at no charge to US, Canadian, and Puerto Rican numbers, with American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands excluded. Messages can be received from anywhere in the world. Data limits and carrier charges still apply; using mobile data abroad can incur roaming fees. For paid Voice subscriptions, Google says texting is available only in the US, so the consumer service’s destination coverage should not be assumed to apply to paid plans. Google Voice Help: Send and receive text messages
Limits on message length, groups, and attachments
- Messages longer than 160 characters to a non-Voice number are split into multiple messages.
- A group text can include up to eight participants, including the sender.
- Images larger than 2 MB are resized. GIFs larger than 2 MB are not sent.
These are behaviors documented by Google; how the resulting messages are handled can still depend on the recipient’s carrier.
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Short codes and verification messages
Google Voice does not support sending texts to five- or six-digit short-code numbers. Some banks and subscription services also do not send verification texts to Voice numbers. If a provider requires a mobile carrier number or rejects Voice, use your carrier number for one-time passwords and service alerts. Google Voice is also not compatible with iMessage; on iOS, a number may need to be deregistered from iMessage for messages from iPhone users to reach Voice.
Why bulk texting can lead to restrictions
Google describes Voice messaging as a way to have interactive personal conversations, not to send bulk messages. Repeated identical messages, links, or a high volume of messages in a short time may trigger restrictions. Google may block messages, and repeated behavior or serious abuse can lead to account suspension. Voice should not be treated as a campaign, alert-blast, or business texting platform.
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What calls and texts may cost
Google Voice call charges
Google says almost all calls made from the US to the US and Canada are free. Some US and Canadian numbers cost one US cent per minute, and calls outside the US use destination-based rates that may vary by destination and local currency. Google’s app shows routing or cost information for paid calls. If a call is routed through carrier minutes rather than Voice, the mobile carrier may charge you; the app may offer carrier-minute routing when the internet connection is unstable. Check the displayed route and cost before proceeding. Google Voice Help: Rates for calls with Google Voice
Texting and connectivity charges
A no-charge text destination does not mean that sending the message requires no connectivity. Wi-Fi can avoid mobile-data use, while mobile data uses your plan’s allowance and may incur roaming fees when you are abroad.
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Forwarding is different from porting a number
Linking a phone sets it up as a destination for calls to your existing Google Voice number. Porting is a separate process that moves an eligible mobile number into a personal Google Voice account. Google’s current help page lists a $20 fee for porting an eligible mobile number. Google says a port may take up to 48 hours, while text transfer may take up to three business days. Do not cancel the existing phone plan until Google confirms that the port is complete. Google Voice Help: Port your number to Google Voice
Personal Google Voice and work accounts differ
The steps and rules for a personal account do not necessarily apply to work or school accounts managed through Google Workspace. Workspace users should contact their administrator about setup and number porting; business porting follows a different process. When transferring a Voice number between personal Google accounts, only the number transfers—not call history or voicemails. Google Voice Help: Port your number to Google Voice
Quick Recap
Which number should you use?
| Use case | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary interactive conversations | Google Voice number | Send and receive messages in the app or website over Wi-Fi or mobile data. |
| Short-code verification or a provider that rejects Voice | Mobile carrier number | Voice does not support texting to five- or six-digit short codes, and some providers do not send verification messages to Voice. |
| Receiving calls on several phones | Voice number with linked phones | Verified linked phones can ring when someone calls the Voice number; forwarding can be managed by device or number. |
| Work or school-managed Voice service | Workspace account and administrator guidance | Managed accounts have different setup and porting processes from personal accounts. |
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