8 ms·
Google Voice goes US only
If you update the Google Voice app, you cannot make phone calls anymore if you cannot randomly validate a US phone number. Which pretty much kills the only use case for googlevoice: having a phone number when traveling, when you cannot receive SMS on your US phone number (thanks verizon).
You can still call from the website, for now, but not the app.
edit: btw the app seems to work fine, until you try to make a call. Then it shows a dialog:
> One last thing...
> Before placing a call, you must validate your phone number > [cancel] [validate]
(after removing my us number and adding a international one i can acces, the buttons change to [cancel] [associate a number] despite me having a non-us number)
if i try to associate a non-us number Then I get the dialog:
> Google is not available outside the United States. To use Google Voice, register using a US-based phone number.
(i'm translating those messages from french, so it might be slightly different)
- ChrisArchitect 3y agoTell HN:
- 1oooqooq 3y agoI guess they really want the world to use whatsapp
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- londons_explore 3y agowhatsapp is just... better... Mobile networks have dropped the ball for years on functionality. (it's 2023 and most mobile networks still won't let me make a call or send texts from my laptop!). And across most of the world, mobile networks still charge $10/minute or more for group video calls... Forget about the fact video calls are impossible between some networks and others too. The UK's largest network, EE, says on it's site "Video calling isn’t available direct from EE at the moment.".
- 1oooqooq 3y agoyou are not wrong. But not right either. Google voice and a phone are clients to a network you must use. You can complain all you want about the network, but "requiring some nonsense to use the client in a way that is not related to the network" is not excusable for the client software, no matter how bad the network is.
- vlovich123 3y agoCompletely different use case though. WhatsApp doesn’t give you a virtual phone number. Also, GV is immune to SIM hijacking which makes SMS 2F more secure when it’s the only 2F option offered (often the case for US banks). Since GV is your normal account you can secure it with passkeys/U2F/OTP to improve the effective security you get for 2F sms. It’s not perfect but it’s something. Additionally, this authentication is available when traveling just from an internet connection whereas SMS charges you roaming rates / you might be using a different provider while traveling.
- wildrhythms 3y agoPersonally I'm shocked this service still exists at all, I imagine abuse is a huge problem.
- ugjka 3y agoMust be something Googlers themselves use?
- londons_explore 3y agoding ding ding.
- prepend 3y agoThis is what I imagine. People try to kill it, but there’s thousands of googlers using it and it’s harder to make it internal only than just to keep it running. So every time someone tries to kill the project some fancy pants google person kills the idea because it personally inconveniences them.
- jeffbee 3y agoThis logic doesn't make sense considering how many Googlers used Inbox and Plus and so forth. I imagine they don't kill it because their ads feature where you can click to call the advertiser uses the same infrastructure. It's the ultimate sales conversion tracker.
- prepend 3y agoI think very few googlers cared about Plus. Inbox had a pretty easy substitute as gmail was still around. If Voice goes away there’s nothing else googlers can use, even at reduced functionality.
- jeffbee 3y agoI guess since I never used it I don't understand what this irreplaceable feature is. Isn't it just VoIP?
- prepend 3y agoWhat’s the replacement service for google voice? I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info. I also like getting texts through a web/app interface. Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn’t make them money.)
- grepfru_it 3y agoMy voip provider does this
- rgrieselhuber 3y agoWhat provider?
- nabusman 3y agoI used to use Skype for this when I was traveling outside the US. I also imagine you can set up something simple with Twilio as well, IIRC they have a no-code configuration tool for this kind of thing (simple forwarding, text to email, etc.)
- gst 3y agoMain downside of Skype is that you afaik can't port a number into it. Otherwise it would be a great alternative to Google Voice.
- ethanbond 3y agoOpenPhone is really nice. Definitely built for more business use case but it’s a very complete and well-built solution.
- tyingq 3y agoI like anveo.com, it's $2/month if you use the "free" plan and a $2/month US number. The UI is kind of dated, but the US phone number accepts incoming SMS, and they offer a drag/drop IVR type interface where you can route calls in most any way you want. Also includes in/out faxes, not that it comes up much, but when it does, it's nice to be able to do. Note the other responses regarding some places requiring a "real" mobile number for SMS verification. Anveo's numbers won't work for this kind of thing. Similar to how Google Voice numbers don't work for it either.
- bunnyfoofoo 3y agoWhen you say validate, would giving another US persons phone number work? I use this while living abroad for my US banking. It’s only solution I’ve found.
- toomuchtodo 3y agoIf they will enter the OTP for you, yes.
- 1oooqooq 3y agoAbsolutely not if that "other person" also have a google account. This will associate the phone number permanently to your google account as well. And remove from the other account (and you cannot switch phones between accounts in the same 3month period... don't want know how I know this)
- bunnyfoofoo 3y agoThis is why relying on google for anything is shooting yourself in the face. Thanks for the information.
- dougmwne 3y agoBeen on Google Voice as my primary number for about 7 years. Mostly smooth sailing. I spend a few months a year out of the US and it makes it seamless. I also switched between cell carriers as I find deals or need different service and have never bothered with the number porting. Guess it’s time to think about a new place to get a US number that works internationally for 2-factor sms. Any suggestions?
- thfuran 3y agoI ported my Google voice number to voip.ms a few years ago. It has worked well except for the very occasional system that refuses to attempt to send my number SMS on account of believing it to be a landline. I think that may have just been one time. A few months ago, I dropped my cell plan and switched to a data-only plan from Ubigi. It's dirt cheap even for a US+EU data plan, as long as you don't need a ton of data. In the us, it uses T-Mobile's network I think, which is fine in my area but not the best in some areas of the country.
- t1E9mE7JTRjf 3y agosilent link. Cheap & easy Esim, so you can still use your existing sim - or as you travel, local sims.
- 1oooqooq 3y agodoens't cover some big countries.
- cj 3y agoVerizon offers a web interface to send/receive SMS. I’m guessing other providers may have the same. (This is also useful for getting a 2fa code while on airplane WiFi) Edit: Sadly Verizon is discontinuing it at the end of the year: https://www.verizon.com/support/verizon-messages-faqs/ https://www.verizon.com/support/verizon-messages-faqs/
- 1oooqooq 3y agoi've been on gvoice since it was announced. And honestly, it is the only thing still holding me to my google account (and in the end I end up using everything else, from gmail to owning several pixels with stock OS). But now it seem it will end as everything else from google is low cost to switch.
- elmerfud 3y agoThat seems like an annoying change but if your phone doesn't go voice over Wi-Fi or your carrier doesn't offer that, it's time to change. It's nearly 2024. I travel a lot and use Google voice as my primary number but always have T-Mobile backup that can be used with WiFi only.
- jeffbee 3y agoI've never used Google Voice, but I do use Google Fi, and they offer unlimited calls and sms in what looks like every country on the planet. What's the advantage of Voice for the traveling caller?
- simtel20 3y agoFi has started to threaten that they will cancel your account if you are overseas for extended periods a month, maybe two or three. So far it seems to reset if you usage is low and you visit the US often enough, but if you want to take an extended trip, it may simply stop working at some point.
- warp 3y agoI don't live in the US, so far my Google Fi is fine except for international data. "Your international data roaming has been suspended". The error message says you need to stay in the US, with "significant usage" for at least 30 days for access to international data to be restored. I typically visit the USA a few times per year for a week at most (which is why I have the Fi plan in the first place), so this message has been on my account for over a year, and so far I have not seen any indication that Google is going to cancel my Fi plan.
- simtel20 3y agoI have cancelled my Fi service, so I looked back and you're right, it's the data (the important part) that gets suspended. Here's the message: > As a reminder, Fi's Terms of Service require you to use our service primarily in the United States (territories not included), and it looks like you've been predominantly using Fi abroad. In 30 days, we'll need to suspend your international roaming data capabilities unless you start using Fi in the United States again (territories not included). Your calls and texts will not be impacted.
- devoutsalsa 3y agoI have both Google Voice and Google Fi. With Fi, it's not meant to be used perpetually outside of the USA. If you stay outside of the USA long enough, they'll disable your data connection until you return to the USA, although I believe voice & SMS continue to work. The biggest problem I've had with Fi is that I destroed my phone while traveling, and I couldn't find a phone internationally with which I could activate Fi while traveling abroad. I could only associate the new phone w/ Fi once I returned to the USA. I use Google Voice as my phone for nearly everything, unless it doesn't work.
- crazygringo 3y agoWhat do you mean by "randomly"? Like it asks you to re-validate it every week or month or something? I haven't encountered this at all. Honestly it sounds like a bug (try deleting and reinstalling the app for starters), or it's flagging your specific number as high risk for some reason. I share your frustration but there really needs to be more evidence that it's either a widespread problem or an intentional policy change. (Because it's also hard to see why it would be intentional, and also it would have been implemented on the site as well if so.)
- 1oooqooq 3y agoI mean exactly that. If you have a phone number associated to your account and gvoice, they will ask you to re-validate it via SMS at random. If you don't have a US number (as I just tried to switch to one number I can access) they will just display that it must be a US number. You might just have a US number and not yet be flagged to revalidation. Or maybe going overseas flags you for revalidation (great timing!) ...anyway. Good luck waiting for Google-I'm-altering-the-deal.-Pray-I-do-not-alter-it-any-further to be upfront about their changes.
- causal 3y agoI stopped using Voice for international communication years ago- WhatsApp is so much better in features and international adoption.
- devoutsalsa 3y agoI've been using Google Voice while living outside the USA for 4+ years. I've never been able to make calls to the USA when using a foreign SIM. On my phone, I've only been using it for SMS, and I make the occasional call from the website.
- iamEAP 3y agoI’m in the same situation. Calling and receiving calls worked for a year or so via the app, but at some point this year, it asked me to verify that my (former) US number was still valid (which I obviously couldn’t do). Probably what OP is referring to. Guessing I’ll have to find another alternative soon.
- gst 3y agoDid you have the number configured as forwarding number? At some point I got asked to verify an old forwarding number, but I just deleted it and Google Voice continued to work fine (I mostly use it in VoIP mode instead of forwarding calls).
- masto 3y agoI think this title is misleading for a post about your personal experience, without a news article or an announcement. I don't really even understand what you're saying.
- bunnyfoofoo 3y agoHey OP, I had the same issue (also in France), and I believe it’s just a settings change that you have to do for this. Under Settings -> Make and receive calls -> Ensure it’s set to Prefer Wi-Fi and mobile data. If it’s set to use carrier, then you cannot make calls. Hope this work because this would scare the crap out of me!
- 1oooqooq 3y ago[SOLVED] indeed this is the right answer. Thanks! Is this a new feature or they just changed a default on last version, because i've been making gvoice calls from that account on this phone without a sim card for months. well, now i don't have a US phone number associated with my account anymore, hopefully i don't get kicked out for some other reason before i'm back home.
- lxgr 3y agoThis has been the behavior for many years now.
- bunnyfoofoo 3y agoI think an update flipped the setting, or added it. Glad this worked for you!
- robben1234 3y ago>having a phone number when traveling, when you cannot receive SMS on your US phone number (thanks verizon) Is there a good reason why carriers in USA and Canada refuse to provide free incoming sms (& calls at expense of the caller) while abroad? My experience might be limited to only a handful of sims from different countries, but prepaid Telus (Canada) failing to receive sms while visiting USA was a first and a big surprise to me. Made me transfer to PM which offers this.