Google Voice

A separate number for calls and messages

Google Voice gives you a phone number for making and receiving calls, sending text messages, and handling voicemail through the app. It suits people who want one number they can use across more than one device, or who prefer to keep personal and work conversations separate from their main mobile number.

Useful across devices

The service can connect with smartphones, tablets, and computers, so calls and messages are not tied to a single handset. Call history, texts, and voicemails are stored with your account, making earlier conversations easier to find when you move between devices.

• Use one number on supported devices.
• Read and reply to text messages in the same place as calls.
• Review saved voicemails and call records later.
• Receive voicemail transcriptions when listening is not convenient.

Tools for quieter communication

Google Voice includes spam call screening to help identify unwanted or suspicious callers. Its voicemail transcription can turn recorded messages into readable text, which is handy when you are in a place where playing audio would be disruptive. International calling is also available in supported cases, with rates that may differ from those of a mobile carrier.

What the numbers suggest

Google LLC’s communication app has a 4.22 rating from 368,673 reviews and more than 10,000,000 installs. Those figures point to a well-established service rather than a niche calling utility. Availability and the exact set of functions can vary by location, so it is worth checking what is supported where you live before relying on it as your main number.