When you travel as much as we do, you have to develop clever and cost-effective ways to stay in touch. Most people don’t think about how they are going to call their parent’s assisted living facility or how they are going to arrange their next local tour in Asia, but we do. We have found that Google Voice is one of the solutions we use to stay in touch from anywhere around the world without dealing with lots of robocalls.
What is Google Voice?
Per Google: Google Voice gives you a phone number for calling, text messaging, and voicemail. It works on smartphones and computers and syncs across your devices so you can use the app in the office, at home, or on the go.
Basically, US residents can sign up for a virtual US phone number that can be used over WiFi or cell data anywhere in the world, for free in most cases. So what, you say. Well, I found this service has benefits even if you don’t travel and more if you do…
Keeping a Distance: Screen Calls
I first signed up for Voice maybe ten years ago. The primary benefit I saw, at that time, was the ability to use the automatic voicemail transcription feature to reduce the number of spam calls I was getting on my home and mobile phones. In effect, keeping non-friends at a distance by giving them this virtual number. Basically, I switched all vendors over to using my Voice number for calls and texts.
The most impactful way to implement the Google Voice application is to install the application on all of your mobile devices, phones, and iPads. When a call to that number comes in, it rings on my mobile phone and my iPad. I only answer if I’m expecting a call. If I don’t answer and they leave a message, I get a text on my mobile phone with a transcription of the message within a few minutes. I can then decide if and how I want to respond. In addition, Voice can screen known spam numbers. All of this happens quickly and for free.
Recently, Diana installed the app on her mobile devices and gives out the voice number to most vendors as well. She really likes the ability to move between devices and cut unwanted calls. For both of us, most calls to our actual mobile phone numbers are from genuine friends and family.
Reaching Out to Distant Lands
The next benefit emerged as I started planning trips abroad. Although email and web chat can get a lot done these days, sometimes you need to speak to a vendor abroad in order to get things set up properly. Google Fi is our mobile provider. While it has some important benefits for Diana and me as frequent travelers, rates for international calls are not great. Most of the world costs 20¢/min.
Voice, on the other hand, is quite competitive. Much of Europe is 4¢/min or less. Texts are free. Since I’m effectively calling from the US, the prices don’t change no matter where in the world I’m calling from. I put $10 into my Voice account 2 years ago; I still have about $8.50 left in it. If Fi or some local SIM is cheaper, I can use either of those instead.
Staying in Touch: Phone Home
When I am traveling overseas, calls I make to the US and Canada using Voice are free. Calls made to me are free. I will say reception depends on the quality of the WiFi or mobile data, so incoming calls are often missed. But I do get the voicemail transcription and I can work to find decent data access to improve call quality when I’m ready to return the call.
I also have the Voice app on my iPad Mini, so I’m able to make calls and retrieve voicemails and texts there, too. I prefer using the iPad for speakerphone calls when Diana and I both need to participate. You know, like when we need to discuss the wine pairings with the sommelier for an upcoming Michelin-starred nosh. After all, some things must be done properly. We have standards to uphold.
Features and Caveats
Other free features include conference calls and call forwarding. You get to choose your phone number from a list; it doesn’t even have to be from the area code you live in. If you want spam calls for private banking and yacht services, maybe an area code in The Hamptons is right for you. I spent too much time trying to pick a number that I could spell something with, like 408-I8A-PLUM (no, that’s not my number). That way, I could just tell someone to call me at I ATE A PLUM. Haven’t really used it, though.
Or, you could port your landline to Voice. Be careful here because I’ve heard reports it can be difficult to port your number out of Voice if you want to do so in the future. Also, note that some financial institutions can detect that your Voice number isn’t attached to an actual phone and will not provide texts in case you are trying to use it for two-factor authentication. In that case, you would need to provide them with a real mobile number.
Overall, I happily choose Google Voice for any and all of the uses above, often a few times a week. You can’t argue with the price, either.
What do you use to stay in touch and keep at a distance?
