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Google is testing (off and on) a style to port your cellphone number to its innovative one-number-to-dominion-them-all service, Google Vox. That'south been one of the biggest characteristic requests for the product and one that many call back volition lead to Google phone domination (at least in the United States, because it's not bachelor internationally yet).

I'thousand here to say: "Not then fast." Porting can be expensive or a hassle if yous aren't careful, and you accept to do your homework ahead of time.

I say that considering the decision to port your number is complicated, even though the procedure is easy, and it may not be for everyone.

I say that having ported my number over to Google Voice two months ago, when Google demo'd the feature to me.

For those not clear on how Google Vocalization works, the company issues you a new phone number — your Google Voice number. It becomes your master number and when someone calls it, it rings some or all of your other phones and your Gmail/Google Talk business relationship.

This tin can include your cellphone, your home telephone, your work telephone and your reckoner if you have Gmail open up. Additionally, Google lets you screen callers and gear up rules per caller — fifty-fifty blocking and diverting individual numbers to voicemail, which no wireless carrier does.

Google Vocalism as well transcribes your voicemail and sends your the transcript to your due east-mail accost. You can make and receive calls from your GV number from your computer, without affecting your cellphone minutes. From your computer, domestic calls are free, and international are cheap.

Which all sounds peachy. And for new users, being able to port your existing cellphone number makes switching to Google Phonation very easy, since all the people that know your cell number won't even notice a change. Electric current users take had to get a new number and then publicize information technology, and spend months trying to wean people off the quondam number.

The porting characteristic will come to all Google Voice users and new users soon (in a few weeks if all goes to plan), according to the company, and current users tin can bank check their Google Voice folio regularly in the meantime to see if the feature has been turned on for them.

Google has made it really like shooting fish in a barrel to port your number, which is impressive, given that they are dealing with many phone companies. Yous just pay them $20, click a few buttons to confirm your intentions, and the transfer begins.

But that doesn't mean it's piece of cake, and getting your number dorsum out -- if you lot find you don't like it -- won't be unproblematic.

Foremost you need to exist enlightened that porting your number to Google Vox ways removing it from your mobile phone. That ways you lot'll demand to become a new number for your mobile phone so that your old number, now your Google Voice number, can forward calls to it.

In my case, my number transferred about immediately once the port started (afterwards a month or and then of e-mailing asking when it would happen). But Google warns it tin can take longer -- a 24-hour interval or two -- peculiarly for SMSes to evidence upward.

But GV has some drawbacks yous should be aware of. And in that location are issues about your mobile-phone carrier that you need to be consider. Because once you first the process, there is no turning back.

The commencement drawback to know about is MMS — multimedia SMS letters. Google Voice doesn't support them. At all. If someone sends 1 to your Google Vocalism number, you volition not get it. And the sender won't know that y'all didn't get it. Google is very aware of the problem and is working on it, but if the MMS is something y'all utilize often, exist careful considering senders will have to know to send them to your underlying mobile-phone number.

Google Voice has likewise had some uptime issues recently, though those were intermittent.

Voicemail presents another problem, but this affects a telephone call to any Google Phonation number, even if yous oasis't ported yours over.

Google Voice can have over voice mail for your cellphone, so that all of your voicemail ends up in its inbox, transcribed and saved for eternity. However, when I added my work phone into the mix as ane of the phones to ring, Google Voice interpreted my corporate voicemail as me answering the telephone, so voicemail messages are landing in my corporate voicemail business relationship, non Google Vocalisation'south.

Yous cannot modify the threshold number of rings on GV, and in most corporate environments, you tin can't change it either.

I merely include my piece of work number as one of my Google Voice calls during work hours, Monday to Fri, but I'thou because stopping that just to make sure that voicemail messages from friends and family don't ever end up in the corporate voicemail organisation.

Additionally, Google Phonation can be overwhelming. If you have information technology set to ring your work telephone, your cellphone and your Gmail, then an incoming call during a workday can set up off a fire alert of rings, as all three devices start chirping at the same time.

Finally, for those who have cellphone plans that permit for gratis mobile-to-mobile calling, Google Vocalization tin actually reduce the number of minutes you take for outgoing calls, depending on your setup. When using Google Voice's app on a smartphone, calls can exist placed using Google Voice (so the number you lot are calling from is your Google Voice line).

But that works past having your telephone call a special number at Google, which and so forwards your call, much like a calling card does. So those employ your regular minutes, non your data programme.

If, like me, y'all are on a programme that allows unlimited calling from mobile-to-mobile, a call via Google Voice from your mobile to another mobile isn't considered calling mobile-to-mobile, but mobile-to-a-Google-Voice landline. If you dodge this past setting the Google Voice app on your phone to apply Google Voice only for some outgoing calls, yous volition end up calling people from your cellphone's real number, which can confuse people because they and so might take 2 numbers for you.

But for would-be number porters, the existent budgetary problem to consider is your relationship to your mobile carrier and making certain you lot are able to get a new number to replace the i yous are porting over to Google Voice.

For instance, if you are under contract to a carrier, porting your number will probable count equally yous breaking the contract, which could cost you hundreds of dollars in early on-termination fees. I possible workaround suggested by a Google representative is to set up a second line of service a few days before you want to port your number, only without associating a phone with that number. You then port your outset number and switch your phone to using the second line. You then betoken your new Google Voice number at the second line's number and fence to your carrier that y'all haven't violated your contract since y'all yet have a line with them.

Overall, your all-time bet is to telephone call your mobile provider, hope you find a representative that understands what you are trying to do, and be patient.

Wired.com reporter David Kravets ported his number Friday morning time, but merely subsequently talking to 4 customer-service representatives from Sprint, which initially told him that porting would cost him $180 in broken-contract fees. It eventually agreed to just become him a new number, but the representative had to brand a special note in his business relationship to brand information technology happen.

If yous are out of contract, simply on a month-to-calendar month programme at a price yous want to proceed, porting your number volition likely end that service, and y'all'll need to go a new number to associate with your phone. That might mean haggling with your carrier, signing up for a new contract, or switching to a carrier that supports your phone and allows month-to-month service.

For those who don't listen contracts, the ideal time to switch is when you lot are getting a new phone. So y'all can go the new telephone on a new number, port your former number to Google Phonation, and end your erstwhile contract. That style, you lot'll never take a moment without telephone service, and only a small window when your erstwhile number doesn't work.

If after all this you however want to port, simply know that to start y'all'll need your carrier account and pin numbers to get the process rolling. The former is commonly found on your mobile-phone bill.

Good luck, and if you take problems, know that Google Phonation has no customer-support squad you can call, so you'll have to employ the forums instead.

See Also:- Roll Over, Ringo — Google Phonation Is Today's Existent iPhone Stone Star

• Get the Well-nigh Out of Google Voice
• Google Vocalisation Opens to All Comers, No Longer Invite-Only
• Google Voice Speaks of World Domination
• Google Voice on iPhone. At Terminal

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Source: https://www.wired.com/2011/01/google-voice-porting/