How to Get a Google Voice Phone Number

Easily sign up for a free Google Voice phone number with this user-friendly guide

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: August 24, 2022 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to sign up for a Google Voice phone number. You can sign up for a Google Voice phone number for free if you have a Google Account. You can also delete your current Google Voice number and select a different one, though you'll have to wait for 90 days between deleting the number and selecting a new number.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Signing up for Google Voice

1
Open Google Voice. Go to https://voice.google.com in your computer's web browser. This will open the Google Voice setup page if you're logged into a Google account.
- If you aren't logged into a Google account, enter your email address and password before proceeding.
2
Search for a location. Click the text box in the middle of the page, then type in a city name or a ZIP code (e.g., 96703). As you type, a drop-down menu with phone number options will appear below the text box.

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3
Select a phone number. Click the blue SELECT button to the right of the phone number that you want to use.
- You may first have to select a city in the drop-down menu below the search bar.
4
Click VERIFY. This blue button is in the middle of the page. Doing so will take you to a page where you can verify your actual phone number.
5
Enter your actual phone number. In the text field that appears in the middle of the page, type in a phone number for a phone that you can access.
6
Click SEND CODE. It's in the bottom-right corner of the phone number window. Google Voice will send a verification text to your phone.
7
Retrieve your code. Open your phone's texting app, open the text from Google (usually a five-digit number), and review the six-digit code in the body of the text.
- Google's text will say something like "123456 is your Google Voice verification code."
8
Enter the code. Type the six-digit code into the text field in the middle of the Google Voice page.
9
Click VERIFY. It's in the bottom-right corner of the code verification window.
10
Click CLAIM when prompted. This will confirm that you want to use the associated phone number with your Google Voice account.
- You might not see this option depending on your phone number. If so, skip to the next step.
11
Click FINISH when prompted. Doing so will confirm your phone number and take you to your Google Voice page.
- Any outgoing messages or phone calls from this page will use your Google Voice number.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Getting a New Phone Number

1
Open Google Voice. Go to https://voice.google.com/ in your web browser. This will open the Google Voice page that's associated with your email address if you're logged in.
- If you aren't logged into a Google Account, enter your email address and password before proceeding.
2
Click the gear icon (upper-right corner) to open the Settings menu.
3
Click the Phone numbers tab. You'll find this option near the top-middle section of the Settings menu.
4
Click DELETE. It's below and to the right of your current Google Voice phone number, which is near the top of the page. Doing so opens the Legacy page.
5
Click the Delete link. This link is next to your Google Voice number on the Legacy page.
- Do not click the grey Delete button that's near your email address.
6
Click Proceed when prompted. Doing this will delete your Google Voice number from your Google Account.
7
Wait for 90 days. You won't be able to sign up for a new Google Voice number on this account for a 90-day period after deleting your previous Google Voice number.^{[1]
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- If you want to restore your old number within the 90-day period, you can click ☰ on your Google Voice account page, click Legacy Google Voice at the bottom of the pop-out menu, and click your Google Voice number in the lower-left side of the page.
8
Sign up for a new number. Once 90 days have passed, you can open your Google Voice account again, click ☰, click Phone number, and click CHOOSE to the right of the "Phone number" section. You'll then follow the prompts to create a new phone number.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Google Voice Settings

1
To disable Call screening (it defaults to On):
- Enter Settings (click the gear icon in the upper-right corner)
- Click Calls in the left pane
- Scroll down until you see Screen calls
- disable the on-off slider to the right

Community Q&A

Question

Can I have more than one active number per email?

Community Answer

No. If you already have one then you must use that number or have different accounts.
Question

Can a Google voice number be decoded to see the name of the owner?

Community Answer

Yes, if the caller logs into the email account used to open the Google voice number.
Question

How do I record my message on a Google voice number?

Community Answer

There are several things you can do for this. Google Audacity and Snag That, then google how to record audio from PC to Audacity.