Why You Should Use Google Voice

Posted on 15. Mar, 2010 by Squealing.Rat in Internet Tools

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Google Voice, previously Grand Central, is a free service that gives you the capacity to merge your phone numbers into one, transcribe your voice mail, send text messages from your computer and more. This service can be extremely helpful for the those who spend a lot of time on their computers and smart phones.

While Google Voice is still in an invite only stage, many have reported that they received an invite within a week after applying for one on the Google Voice invite form.

After getting the invite, you are invited to port your own number over or pick a new one for free. I would suggest that you pick a new number, because it is free and with that you get the full features list. I’ll call this account the full account, because with the full account, you not only get a new number and have access to all of the features, but also the option to port your own number over as well. You can see the difference between a full Google Voice account and a ported number Google Voice account here.

You can pick your Google Voice number by searching through their long list, either by number phrase or word phrase. Once you pick your number (which can have any area code), you are asked to enter your forwarding number. This can either be a cell phone or a land line. While Google Voice is ideal for someone with several numbers, one forwarding number will suffice.

Google Voice will guide you through the process of setting up that forwarding phone. You will be called, and asked to enter a two digit number which is displayed on the screen. After that, you can press one to begin recording your greeting messages.

After that, you can begin tweaking your settings. If you have another phone you would like to add, click settings at the top of the screen, then add another phone.

If you and your partner both want to have Google Voice accounts point to one number, you are in luck. While Google Voice limits a mobile number to only one account, they do allow you to activate a home phone to two different Google Voice accounts.

Let me take you through some of the features that explain why I recommend Google Voice to others.

All Your Phones Ring

Many have a work number, a work cell, a personal cell, a car cell, a home phone, etc. For you, Google Voice rocks. you can give someone your Google Voice number, and all your phones will ring. Let’s say you only want your family members to ring all your phones. You can set up specific groups with rules, so that when family members ring, whereas if your co-worker calls, only your work line rings. You can also setup specific times phones will ring, so for example, you home phone never rings during the week.

Block and Customize Your Greetings

Say a spammer gets a hold on your Google Voice number. With a click, you can have his number blocked, so the next time he calls, he gets an out of service message. you can also customize greetings for different groups, for example, your family gets a casual voicemail greeting, and your boss gets a professional greeting.

Voicemail Transcription

Google Voice is free. You get a free number, which you can use to make free calls nationwide, any time, and very cheap calls internationally. Right there, I could stop. But here is another feature which I love. Voicemail transciption. Google Voice will transcribe your messages (using computers, not humans), and send them via text to you phone, and to your email if you chose. However, the transciption is not fabulous, only giving you the core of what is said.

Texting

Texting is one feature of Google Voice I use all of the time. With Google Voice, you can send free text messages to anyone in the US via the web. This can be incredibly handy for those who are constantly on the computer, but rarely use a phone.

On Your Android Device

If you have an android device, getting Google Voice is a no-brainer. On Android, making Google Voice calls is incredibly easy to do. Read more here.

Record a Conversation

On a phone interview? Want to record it? Use the Google Voice feature that allows you to record incoming Google Voice calls. Simply press 4 during the call, everyone on the line will hear something letting them know the call is being recorded, and you can rest your writing hand.

Lifehacker on Google Voice

Another cool feature.

What do you think of Google Voice? Let us know in the comments!

Photo: echiner1

The writer of this post compiles the latest tech news and more at Squealing Rat, and writes about tricks and tips of deception, trickery and survival at Lone Iguana. Find him on Twitter.

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One Response to “Why You Should Use Google Voice”

Why You Should Use Google Voice at Lost in Tech | Squealing Rat: The Word

15. Mar, 2010

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