Google Voice

Featured on the radio a few weeks ago, Google Voice is a new service that Google is rolling out by invitation only. It sounded intriguing, a phone number that people can call which I can forward to as many phones as I like… and it’s free?

Hmmm, I had to sign up and see how this works.

So now after several weeks (since I submitted my request for an invitation to sign up for a Google Voice account), I received my invite. Today I activated the account and forwarded it to my cell and landline phone. Someone calls it and both phones ring, with the caller’s ID. When I pick up the phone, Google Voice tells me who’s calling and allows me to choose voice mail or take the call. Meanwhile on their end, it’s still ringing.

I was able to select my phone number by zip code or area code, and then choose from all available numbers in my area. I suppose I could have chosen a number in Seattle or Philadelphia, but I stuck with an Albuquerque number for now.

Other features (though I haven’t played with them yet) include customized voicemail greetings by contact (Hey Rose, sorry I missed you. I couldn’t get to the phone in time. I’ll call you back as soon as I can); “inexpensive” international calling (haven’t seen their rates); transcription of voicemail to text and delivery to an email account; recording phone conversations and saving them online (kinda creepy if you ask me, but some people will find this useful); send annoying callers directly to voicemail (blocked caller list), conference calling; send and receive text messages online (I don’t know if you can have these forwarded to your cell)…

There are two paths you can take which give you fewer or more features: use and existing number (fewer features); create a Google Voice mail phone number (more features) – this is the option I chose and you can select from which area code or city your number originates… missing the tribe in LA? pick a local number.

Ok, here’s the link where you can sign up for an invitation from Google (they are controlling how fast people can sign up), mine took between three and four weeks:

http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html

(Originally published Feb 2010)