Porting a Google Voice number

[pillyg]

I would like to port my Google Voice number to my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but then use Virgin Mobile service. Is this even possible? All the steps seem to indicate so.

You can port a Google Voice number to Virgin Mobile, and you can use Virgin Mobile on a Verizon device.

What I was originally looking for was a no contract smartphone plan with calling, texting, and fast data, all for around ~40 per month. Do you have any other suggestions?

 

[Rukbat]

Get a VM account and forward the GV number to it. Once you have a GV number, just keep it and accept whatever number the cellphone carrier gives you, then forward the GV number to it. (And run GV for outgoing calls if that matters to you.)

That way, even if VM somehow totally screws up and you lose your VM number, you still have the number you use. (You just forward it to your new VM number.)

Activating a phone takes a minute. Porting a number can take a minute or it can take 24 hours. (Or it can get screwed up and take days.)

Oh, and if you have a landline, you can forward that GV number to both your cellphone and your landline at the same time. I find that handy when my cellphone's at one end of the house and I'm at the other end (but near a cordless phone).

I'm just having a problem understanding why you'd want to port out of Google. It's all win, no lose.

 

[pillyg]

That sound much easie,r but how would I make calls using GV over the cell network? I don't want to rely on WiFi or data usage to make/receive calls.

If I port the number, I can use it over the network. If I don't then I will only be able to receive calls.


Also, an unrelated question, can I reasonably watch YouTube videos over 3g?

 

[tube517]

I am contemplating to port my number out of Google Voice also. I have been using apps w/GV to avoid using minutes. Being on the Tmobile $30 plan has been great but it's 100 minutes. I'm thinking of porting my GV number or just using the 100 minutes and keeping a GV forwarding. But, I also need to use my GV number with SMS and MMS. GV doesn't have MMS support. May 15th is the end of GV being used with apps.

Another option is we don't know what GV is going to be in the next few months or if they are going to finally integrate with Hangouts.

In the meantime, I use Viber to talk with my wife anyways so this isn't a life and death decision.

 

[mruno]

That sound much easie,r but how would I make calls using GV over the cell network? I don't want to rely on WiFi or data usage to make/receive calls.

If I port the number, I can use it over the network. If I don't then I will only be able to receive calls.


Also, an unrelated question, can I reasonably watch YouTube videos over 3g?

I have been using Google Voice (GV) for years and I love the ability to forward all my calls through one number. The SMS feature of Google Voice uses data in case you don't have a text message plan and the "visual voicemail" is handy and is a premium feature on some carriers.
I give out my GV number and have it call both my cell phone and my VOIP phone. I have not received any spam SMS or telemarketers with this number, but if i did, i can mark them as SPAM. There is a nice call screening feature in GV that you can setup as well.

If you download the Google Voice app, you can make calls through Google Voice which will show up as your GV number on the caller id of the person you are calling. GV will NOT use data when you use this feature, it basically calls a GV number that forwards your call to who you dialed. This can be bad if you have certain numbers on a free list with your carrier.

Check out more about GV here and here.

Just a heads up, Google is going to be combining Hangouts with Google Voice, see here.