Google Voice: Use it with Your Existing Number

Watch “Voicemail, the Google Way” on YouTube

Google Voice is Google’s take on voicemail. It offers those of us without an iPhone or other fancy smart phone some pretty slick features for saving and organizing voice messages. But it does much more than archive messages. Google will give you a new phone number. You can then direct all your existing numbers to that one number. Indicate which line should ring when Person A calls. Block Person B entirely. Even listen in on Person C’s voicemail as they’re leaving it and, if it’s too important to wait, pick up the call mid-message just like back in the day when we all used our answering machines to screen our landline calls.

The feature set sounded awesome from day one, but I didn’t like the idea of needing to give out a new phone number to everyone just so I’d have a few more features on my phone. Google has hinted at allowing users to port their existing number to their service sometime in the future. They still haven’t added that ability, but today Google released the next best thing. You can now use many of the Google Voice features with your existing cell number.

Pro Tip

The way Google explains it you might think you would have to choose between using either a Google-provided number or your own number. In fact, when you first sign up for the service this is the first question you’ll be asked. But no matter which option you think you want, always select to receive a Google Voice number. Why? Because down the road you may want the additional features available with your Google-provided number. Because at some point you may find yourself changing numbers anyway. Whatever your specific reason, the point is you can setup Google Voice on your existing number whether you ask for a Google number or not. So why wouldn’t you?

If you sign up for Google Voice with your existing number, you’ll get:

• Online, searchable voicemail
• Free automated voicemail transcription
• Custom voicemail greetings for different callers
• Email and SMS notifications
• Low-priced international calling

If you decide to also get a new Google number, you’ll get all of the above PLUS:

• One number that reaches you on all your phones
• SMS via email
• Call screening
• Listen In
• Call recording
• Conference calling
• Call blocking

All the features in the second list only work when the person calling you dials the Google-provided number. The features in the first list can be made to work on any number, whether the person calling dials your Google-provided number or your original number.

Here’s How to Set it Up

Setting up Google Voice on your existing number is as easy as setting up call forwarding. Let’s say you signed up for a Google-provided number like I suggested, but like me you’re not eager to pass it out just yet. You just want to use the features on the first list for now. Once you sign up for Google Voice, just click on the settings tab in the upper right corner of the screen. You’ll see a screen that looks a bit like the one below.

Just click Activate Google voicemail for this phone and follow the instructions. You’ll need your phone to dial in some numbers to setup call forwarding. (It’d be a good idea to check out whether your carrier charges extra for call forwarding before you set this up.)

Get Started

To use Google Voice you’ll need to find an invite. Some existing Google Voice users have invites to pass out. (I have not been given any yet.) You can also request an invitation here. If you’re already using Google Voice let me know what you think of it.