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Google Voice offers many great features for businesses, including free calls to landlines and mobile phones. Google also has apps available on Android, iOS, Windows Phone 7/8/10 and Samsung Galaxy devices that allow users to make phone calls right from the device. These all-inclusive services will help your business grow!
Google Voice is a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) platform that provides users with a second phone number as well as various communication options, including calling, messaging, and video conferencing. While it isn’t the most advanced tool, its Google-like user interface makes it quite simple to use. Follow the steps below to get started with our low-cost, small-business-friendly VoIP service.
1. Register for the service
You must first create a Google Voice account in order to utilize Google Voice as your business phone service. To go through each step in detail, see our Google Voice getting started guide. It will walk you through the whole process, from setting up a Google Voice number to connecting an existing phone number.
Fortunately, setting up Google Voice is far simpler than setting up a full-featured VoIP system. Instead of a whole day, the procedure should just take a few minutes.
After you’ve signed up, you’ll be able to use Google Voice via the desktop program or the mobile app. Although both interfaces perform the same functions, the procedures to utilize features may differ somewhat depending on which one you select.
2. Make and Receive Phone Calls
Incoming calls will display on your desktop app or mobile device, and you can opt to accept or reject the call in the same manner that you would on a personal mobile device. Using Google Voice to make calls on a PC and a mobile device, however, is not the same.
To make phone calls from your computer, follow these steps:
- Go to voice.google.com and choose “Calls” from the drop-down menu.
- From your contact list, recent calls, text messages, or voicemail, locate the person you’re looking for. You may also manually dial a phone number using the dial pad.
- Click on their name and then on “Call.”
- To make an international call, precede the phone number with the country code.
- If you don’t recall your Google Voice number, look for it under the “Call as” box in the top right corner.
To make a phone call from your mobile device, follow these steps:
- Tap the “Calls” tab in the Google Voice app (located at the bottom).
- Enter a name in the search box, locate the contact in your recent calls list, or manually dial it using the dial pad to choose a contact.
- Before dialing the phone number for an international call, be sure you have input the country code.
- To make a call, use the “Call” button.
With only a few clicks, you can begin making calls (Image courtesy of Google Voice)
3. Text Messages
Although Google Voice makes sending one-to-one text messages simple, the technology does not allow mass texting. You may, for example, provide customer service through text messaging, but you can’t put out a July 4th promotional SMS campaign.
On your PC and mobile devices, you may send and receive text messages. Both procedures are virtually identical:
- Open the Google Voice app or go to voice.google.com on your computer.
- Choose “Compose” (mobile device) or “Send a Message” from the Messages menu.
- Choose the recipient from your contacts list, or manually type their name or phone number.
- When you’re finished, choose “Send” to send your message. You can also use the “Image” option to attach an image.
- You may only upload pictures that are less than 2MB in size.
- Select “Send” to send your message.
- You can receive texts by launching the Google Voice app and looking in the Messages page for bolded unread messages.
(Image courtesy of Google Voice)
4. Go through your voicemail
The procedures for checking your voicemail on a PC and a mobile device are virtually similar. To listen to your voicemail, go to:
- Navigate to the “Voicemails” tab. Voicemails that you haven’t listened to yet will be highlighted in bold.
- Select the “Play” option after tapping or clicking the voicemail you wish to listen to. If you want, you can also read the transcript.
- Choose the “Menu” option and choose “Designate as Spam” to mark a voicemail as a spam caller. This will prevent the caller from bothering you again. You may also uncheck that option if you wish to designate a contact as spam later.
(Source: Google Voice)
5. Make a video call
Although Google Voice does not have video calling capabilities, it works smoothly with Google Meet. Here’s how to use the smartphone app to make a video call:
- Open the Google Voice app on your phone.
- In the lower-left corner of the screen, tap the “Calls” button.
- Enter a name or enter a phone number using the keypad.
- When you tap the “Call” button, you’ll find more call-handling options, such as add call, video call, mute, and terminate the call.
- To start a video chat, tap “Video Call.”
6. Set up a multi-level auto-attendant system
Google Voice is a corporate phone solution that allows you to create a multilayer auto-attendant to route incoming calls. Customers will be able to self-serve and browse through a menu to locate the appropriate extension. Here’s how to put one together:
- Go to “Apps > Google Workspace > Google Voice > Service management” once you’ve logged into your account.
- After that, choose “Auto Attendants.”
- A list of all your current auto-attendants will appear. Click “Create” in the top right corner to start a new one.
- Give your auto-attendant a name and a description. Make it as precise as possible so you can locate the particular auto-attendant if you need to make adjustments later.
- Select “Create” from the drop-down menu.
For setting up an auto-attendant, Google Voice offers a simple UI. (Image courtesy of Google Voice)
You’ll next be able to configure your working hours, add greetings, set up call handling rules, and create menu choices. If you get stuck and need assistance, go to Google’s step-by-step instructions.
Keep in mind that the auto-attendant function of Google Voice is only accessible to Voice Standard and Premier subscribers.
7. Go through your call logs
Call reports and analytics may assist you in making educated choices about how your company utilizes Google Voice. Through a series of charts and graphs, Voice’s reporting will show you trends and use. Here’s how to track them down:
- To access the “Google Admin console,” go to “Google Admin console.”
- Go to “Reporting > Reports > Apps Reports” from there.
- There are a few different report kinds to choose from:
- Total number of active users
- Total number of licensed users
- Total time spent on the phone
- Total number of outgoing calls
- Total number of incoming calls
- Total number of calls
- Total number of messages sent out
- Messages received in total
- Total number of messages
- Select the report you want to see.
Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is Google Voice available in countries other than the United States?
At this moment, no. Google Voice does not enable calls to be made from countries other than the United States. You may, however, make international calls from your Google account using Google Hangouts.
What is the cost of using Google Voice?
For personal usage, Google Voice is free, however, accounts are restricted to one user and lack features such as auto-attendants, ring groups, and desk-phone compatibility. Businesses will be required to pay a monthly membership, which will range between $10 and $30 per user, each month.
Is there a 1-800 number accessible on Google Voice?
At this moment, no. Only area codes may be used to choose numbers.
Conclusion
Google Voice is a great VoIP communications tool for small companies and teams with basic communication requirements. Its user-friendly design makes it simple to pick up for anybody who has used a Google application previously. It also works seamlessly with the rest of Google Workspace, allowing you to sync your calendars, emails, and file storage. In this in-depth analysis of Google Voice, you’ll learn all you need to know (and more).
