In 2010, Google Voice was launched, giving customers a free digital quantity that might ship and obtain texts and telephone calls, plus assist individuals with a number of telephones simplify their lives. For those who’re a Google Voice person, maybe you’ve thought-about porting your digital Google Voice quantity over to your wi-fi provider, however you don’t wish to lose the telephone quantity that’s related along with your SIM both. Ideally, you’d prefer to swap the 2, however how? There’s loads of details about tips on how to port a provider quantity to Google Voice, or tips on how to port a Google Voice quantity to a provider, however I couldn’t discover any assets for tips on how to do each on the identical time. Getting the steps and order proper is critically vital, so that you don’t by chance lose one in all your long-used telephone numbers alongside the best way. So, right here’s tips on how to do it the appropriate approach.
Backstory
As soon as upon a time, I used to be the lead Android gadget reviewer for a outstanding tech weblog. That gig meant I used to be testing a brand new telephone with a brand new SIM card each one to 2 weeks. I couldn’t ask my family and friends to maintain up with my ever-changing telephone quantity, so I went forward and signed up for Google Voice and simply gave all people that quantity. My provider quantity grew to become one thing I solely used sometimes, and my Google Voice grew to become my foremost quantity, even after I moved on from the telephone assessment grind.
The factor is, regardless of being made by Google itself, Google Voice (GV from right here on out) has by no means built-in as deeply with android telephones as provider numbers. For those who use Android Auto or a WearOS smartwatch, you may reply to a GV textual content along with your voice, however should you attempt to ship a brand new textual content, it would come out of your provider quantity, complicated your recipient. In the meantime, whereas Android’s Messages app has gotten extra options and polish, Google Voice has obtained fewer and fewer significant updates over time. Ultimately, Messages received RCS help, with better safety and media help, whereas GV nonetheless hasn’t.
Late this summer time, Apple lastly bowed to regulatory stress and added RCS help to iOS 18, which promised to lastly make messaging between iPhones and Android telephones suck a lot much less, giving cross-platform texts increased high quality photographs, learn receipts, and higher group messaging. That was the straw that broke the camel’s again, and I made a decision it was lastly time to swap my Google Voice quantity for my provider quantity.
The factor was, I didn’t wish to lose both quantity, as a result of I nonetheless get calls on each. Plus, I had almost 15 years of voice and textual content messages saved in Google Voice, together with some from family members who’ve handed away, and I didn’t wish to lose these both. So, I had to determine tips on how to port my Google Voice quantity to my provider, and my provider quantity to Google Voice with out shedding any of the valuable information. So, I labored with each the Google Voice crew and with my provider (T-Cellular) to place this tutorial collectively.
Put together
First, concentrate on is that this course of might take a number of days to finish. That can rely in your provider to some extent, however there are some built-in safeguards to assist forestall individuals from taking up numbers that don’t belong to them, so plan on that.
Second, I’d advocate backing up your whole messaging information earlier than you begin this course of, simply in case. Your messages will NOT switch from one service to the opposite. Following this information will make sure you gained’t lose any of your messages, however they may keep siloed of their respective authentic apps. To obtain your information from each, go to your Google Takeout Web page and look beneath Merchandise. Test the field subsequent to Messages and Voice, then click on Subsequent Step and select which format you’d prefer to obtain them in, then click on Export.
Third, whereas it’s not completely needed, it is going to be useful to have a spare gadget that’s eSIM succesful. This may simply be short-term, however early into the method, you’re going to want to have your provider add an extra line to your account, and a few might require you might have a telephone for that line. An previous telephone you don’t use anymore needs to be effective (Android or iPhone will each work), but when it doesn’t work with eSIMs, then you definately’ll must go to a retailer and get a bodily SIM card. Alternatively, should you’re getting a brand new telephone, then that’s the proper time to make this change, as you may maintain utilizing your previous telephone throughout this transition.
How To Do It
Step 1
Name your provider’s technical help quantity and have them arrange an extra short-term quantity in your account. If in case you have a brief telephone (talked about above) with an eSIM, have them assign the short-term quantity to that gadget (or go to a provider retailer and get a bodily SIM for it). For me, that was T-Cellular. I known as tech help and so they activated the brand new line instantly. This incurred a one-time setup price of $10 (totally different carriers fluctuate). You then have to attend 24 hours earlier than shifting on, as a result of this new quantity can have a brief lock on it.
Step 2
After ready 24 hours, name your provider again and inform them to change the numbers between your telephones. In different phrases, ask them to affiliate your new, short-term quantity along with your foremost telephone, and ask them to change your regular provider quantity to your short-term telephone. This could take only a few minutes to finish. You’ll must restart each units as soon as it’s full. Once more, this could solely be executed remotely should you’re utilizing eSIMs. If in case you have bodily SIM playing cards, you may simply energy down and swap them between telephones.
Notice: You’ll have to hold each telephones round with you for a day or two till the total course of is full.
Credit score: Brent Rose
Step 3
Go to the Google Voice web site at voice.google.com. Go to Settings, after which beneath Account, you’ll see your GV quantity. Click on Unlock. It’s going to cost you $3 to do that. WRITE DOWN THE PIN that GV provides you with, since you’ll want to present it to your provider in a second.
Step 4
Name your provider technical help again and have them port your Google Voice quantity to exchange your TEMPORARY quantity. They may want your GV telephone quantity in addition to the PIN quantity that GV simply gave you. When you’ve executed that, congrats! Your Google Voice quantity ought to now be related along with your foremost telephone. It needs to be kind of immediate on the provider finish, nevertheless it took me restarting the telephone a number of instances earlier than it appeared on my telephone. You’ll be able to affirm that it’s labored by trying on the About part beneath your telephone’s settings. Have a good friend textual content you to see should you’re receiving texts as anticipated.
Credit score: Brent Rose
Step 5
Now that you just’ve received your GV quantity in your foremost telephone, it’s time to maneuver your previous provider quantity to your Google Voice. Return to the GV web site, open Settings, and scroll all the way down to “Port your quantity to Google Voice.” Enter the quantity you wish to port (your authentic provider quantity, which needs to be in your short-term telephone).
Credit score: Brent Rose
Step 6
GV will ship a textual content message to that short-term telephone/authentic quantity, containing a 6-digit PIN. Enter that PIN on the Google Voice web page that’s requesting it, and hit Verify. This may price you $20, payable by Google Pay. When you’ve paid, you have to be all executed. It could take some time to switch however you may affirm that your previous provider quantity is now your GV quantity by Settings on the Google Voice website.
Step 7
At this level, you’re successfully executed! You’ll be able to retire your previous/short-term telephone now, because it shouldn’t have a telephone quantity related to it anymore. Ensure you have the Google Voice app put in in your foremost telephone so that you’ll nonetheless get texts or calls that go to that telephone quantity. Go to the Google Voice website, and beneath Linked Numbers, click on “+New linked quantity,” and add the brand new quantity in your foremost telephone (i.e. your former Google Voice quantity).
And that’s the way you do the swaparoo. For those who’re simply in search of tips on how to port your provider quantity to Google Voice, or tips on how to port your Google Voice quantity to your provider, Google particulars these separate processes right here. Once more, this text consists of the additional steps wanted should you’re attempting to do each of these issues on the identical time (i.e. commerce your provider and GV numbers for one another). Comply with the steps above to make sure you don’t by chance lose one in all your valuable telephone numbers or any of your saved texts or voicemails. Hope it helps!
