Notes about Google Voice

Each google voice account is associated with one texting phone.



What is this 406-###-#### thing I have to learn with google voice?

-This is the way phone numbers are routed through your google voice account.
-If Richard Nixon (111-111-1111) calls or texts your normal Carrier number, it will be receives on your phone as (111-111-1111).
-If Richard Nixon texts your Google Voice Number, the text will be routed through and saved to your google voice account and immediately forwarded to your cell. His cell number will come in as a randomly assigned 406-###-####. In this case it is (406-321-3214).
-These 406-###-#### numbers are unique to each phone/ GV account. You cannot dial that 406-###-#### from a different phone. You will get a random person or a call error. (Been there, tried that.) So when Richard Nixon texts Sally, Sally will get a different 406-###-#### for Richard Nixon than I "me" did. It will show up as (406-765-5678). Strange, huh? Not really. If you could give out that 406-###-####, then no matter who dialed it on whoever's phone, it would look like it was a call coming from your google voice account. That could be bad.



Why do I want someone's 406-XXX-XXXX number?

-When you call or text someone's 406-XXX-XXXX number, they will see it as coming from your google voice number (and not your normal cell number). They can then easily save and reply to your Google Voice number.
-If you consistently communicate with someone from the 406-XXX-XXXX number, they do not get confused by receiving messages and calls from sometimes your Google Voice number and other times from your cell number (which happens if you dial or text their normal cell number.)
-Dialing someone's 406-###-#### from your contacts is faster than dialing up your google voice number, entering your password, pressing "2" to place a call, punching in the number of the person you want to dial, and pressing # (pound).
-When you text someone's 406-XXX-XXXX number from your phone, the text message conversation is saved on your password protected www.google.com/voice account.
-When you call someone through their 406-XXX-XXXX number, a little box shows up on your google voice account that shows you made an outgoing call. It can help you keep track of who you called and when.



How do I get someone's 406-XXX-XXXX number?

1.) Ask the person to send a text to you. Just say, "Can you send me a quick text with your first and last name? Here is my number."

If it's someone who has your old number, I generally say,
-- "I'm changing my primary number, can you send me a quick text with your first and last name to my new number?" Then I ask, "Can you go ahead and save that new number as my default? I don't want to miss your call if I loose my phone." (You can forward texts messages and calls to another cell that is not yet linked to Google Voice in case your phone gets lost. You'll need internet access to set that up though.)

If I think they will send me MMS messages (pictures, contact files, messages over 160 characters), then I'll say,
--"Use (my old number) for those files. My new number can only do text and voice, but it can do it even if I loose my phone unlike my old number."

If it is someone far away, you can text them with your new Google Voice number and say, "Hey, this is _______. Can you save this as my default number and text me back so I know you have it right? .....If you plan on sending me an MMS message, use my old number (...or my e-mail.)

*Yes, you can send SMS and MMS messages to e-mail. You can also e-mail your phone number.

*Google voice does not save or forward MMS messages (pictures, etc.) sent to it.
*This verification is also good to make sure you both have each other's numbers. If the person is uncomfortable doing this, maybe they don't have a data plan (and don't use texting anyway) or they don't want you to have their real number.

Etiquette advice: If the other person gave you a wrong phone number on purpose, you two aren't going anywhere anyway. You can only make things worse for yourself by pushing it. Just make sure they have your number and a reason to call you. Then leave the choice up to them. Don't give us Google Voicer's a bad reputation.

Having them send you their first and last name makes saving them as contacts as easy ans copy and Paste on the www.google.com/voice site. It also makes it easy to save their 406-XXX-XXXX in your phone with the correct spelling.

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Settings - Call - Caller ID (out)
"Whe I SMS a Google Voice caller from a forwarding Phone
-Set it to "Display my Google Voice Number"
--In my mind, this should make sure that they receive and return messages to your Google Voice Account so both of you can keep record of the same conversation.



In this example
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Everyone uses cell phones


-Richard Nixon (no google voice account)
carrier assigned cell phone number: 111-111-1111

-Me
Carrier assigned cell phone number: 222-222-2222
My self picked Google Voice number linked to my cell: 232-232-2323

Nixon's 111-111-1111 cell# when texting my GV# = 406-321-3214


-Sally
Carrier assigned cell phone number: 333-333-3333
Sally's self picked Google Voice number linked to her cell: 343-343-3434

Nixon's 111-111-1111 cell# when texting Sally's GV# = 406-765-5678

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When a person without a google voice account (Ex: Richard Nixon = 111-111-111) sends a text message to a google voice number (My Google Voice number: 232-232-2323), the user's cell 111-111-1111 is received as a 406-XXX-XXX number (406-321-3214) by the google voice user's phone.

*some phones have the option to save the 406-XXX-XXXX number or the actual cell number. Save the 406-XXX-XXXX number as all texts to and from that person sent through the 406-XXX-XXXX number are logged for you on www.google.com/voice. If you dial the 406-XXX-XXXX from your cell, they will get a call from your Google Voice number and not your cell number. Alternatively you can dial your google voice number and go through the google voice voicemail to dial the number you want to dial. You can do this verbally if you remember their number.

Format: YourGoogleVoiceNumber(pause)GVpassword(pause)2(pause)NumberYouWantToDial(#--pound sign)

232-232-2323(p)9999(p)111-111-1111# (their normal cell)or (thein assigned 406#)
232-232-2323(p)9999(p)406-321-3214# -I think (probably as long as it is from the same phone..?)
.... either way, whenever you dial a number through your google voice voicemail, it will appear to the reciver as if the call is coming from your google voice number. This is good so that they can save your GV number.




(Their actual carrier number will show up on the google voice website. There are no 406-XXX-XXXX numbers/links on the www.google.com/voice site. The only way I am aware of to get this 406-XXX-XXXX number is to have the non-GV user text the GV user's GV number.)

Save that 406-XXX-XXXX number. Whenever you call, let's say Richard Nixon, You can do it as a primary/ secondary phone on the same contact. Just make sure you have the default switched to the 406-XXX-XXXX. Alternatively you can have a duplicate record for that person that says "Richard Nixon myGV" and store the 406-XXX-XXXX number there. Text message conversations you have with Richard using the 406-XXX-XXXX number will be recorded on your www.google.com/voice account. chose the "myGV" add on to

When a google voice user sends a text message or places a call to that 406-XXX-XXXX number, the text will be seen as from the GV number, not the carrier's assigned phone number. that will only dial that individual when used with that particular phone.


Should I dial the 406-###-### instead of dialing their normal cell?

Do you want people to use your Google voice number? If you do, you will look like a hypocrite when they receive calls from your carrier's number (when you simply dial their carrier's cell number from your phone) but expect them to call you back on a different number. It will also confuse people.

If you decide to use the google voice number, make sure they recive calls and texts from that number. To send a text to them from your phone, you need to get and save their special 406-XXX-XXXX number. So far, the only way to get this 406-XXX-XXXX number is to receive a text message from them.