Traditional phone systems are expensive to buy, maintain, and scale. Cloud-based phone solutions solve those headaches with lower costs, simpler setup, and far more flexibility for both business and personal use.

Enter Google Voice—an affordable, modern way to make and receive phone calls and texts from virtually any device you already own.

Instead of locking into pricey business phone contracts, Google Voice lets you add users and locations quickly without buying hardware. It’s easy to roll out across a team and just as simple to use solo.

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is a cloud telephone service that works in your web browser and on smartphones. You get a phone number for calls, voicemail with transcription, and text messaging, all managed from a clean, simple interface.

The platform supports call forwarding to your existing numbers—landlines, business phones, and mobile phones—so you can ring multiple devices or keep using a number you already rely on.

All Google Voice business plans include calls to the US from any Google Voice number and calls to Canada when you’re using a US or Canadian Google Voice number. Texting is included to U.S. and Canadian numbers (availability varies by country and it’s not intended for mass or automated messaging). Plans start at $10 per user per month, and because it’s fully cloud-based, there’s no special equipment to buy or install.

Google voice on multiple devices example.

The Basics of Google Voice

Let’s walk through the core components of Google Voice so you know exactly what you’re getting and how it fits into your workflow.

Connect From Any Device

Google Voice provides a number you can access from any device. Use the iOS or Android app on your phone and the web app on your computer to place and receive calls, send texts, and manage voicemail.

This means your team can stay reachable from anywhere without being tied to desk phones. With the mobile app installed, your business line travels with you—perfect for hybrid work, on-site visits, and after-hours support when needed.

There isn’t a native desktop application; on computers you’ll use the browser-based interface (or install it as a lightweight PWA). Most users prefer this since it keeps everything synced without extra software.

Unlimited Calling and SMS

Every Google Voice plan includes calls to the US from any Google Voice number, plus calls to Canada when you’re using a US or Canadian Google Voice number. You can send texts at no charge to U.S. and Canadian numbers; coverage can vary by market and usage is subject to acceptable-use policies (it’s not for bulk or automated texting). International calling to other countries is supported with per-minute rates.

Starting at just $10 per user per month, Voice undercuts traditional landline and many cellular plans while removing minute caps and overage anxiety. Your predictable base rate covers everyday business calling and texting needs.

Need video meetings or conferencing? Pair Voice with Google Meet for secure, high-quality video calls and scheduled meetings—no need for separate conferencing software.

Call Forwarding

Call forwarding is a strong suit of Google Voice. If you miss a call in the app, you can forward it to a mobile or landline number so important calls still reach you.

From the admin or user settings, link your numbers and verify them with a six-digit code. You can link up to six phone numbers to your Voice account and control which ones ring, on what schedule, and under which conditions.

Turn forwarding on or off for any linked number at any time. You can also disable specific devices if you only want calls to ring on your phone or browser during certain hours.

Spam Detection

Spam calls waste time and expose teams to scams. Google Voice uses Google’s AI-powered spam filtering to automatically route likely spam calls, texts, and voicemails to a separate Spam view—similar to how Gmail handles junk mail—so your team stays focused.

Not every VoIP provider does this well. Voice’s built-in filtering is a practical advantage when your lines are busy or client-facing.

Spam detection example.

It’s also easy to review what was filtered and unblock anything that was incorrectly flagged.

Customization

Google Voice keeps day-to-day management simple. From the admin center you can assign numbers, manage locations, handle porting, set up auto attendants and ring groups (on supported plans), configure forwarding, and manage billing—all from one place.

The trade-off for simplicity is fewer deep customizations than some enterprise PBX systems. Outside the Google ecosystem (Calendar, Meet, Gmail, and BigQuery on higher tiers), native third-party integrations are limited, though SIP Link support on Standard and Premier helps larger deployments connect existing carriers and desk phones.

Role-based permissions exist at a basic level (such as admin privileges), but if you require highly granular roles across large departments, you may want to confirm needs against the Standard or Premier feature set.

Scalability

Voice scales cleanly from solo operators to big teams. The Starter plan ($10 per user per month) supports up to 10 users and up to 10 domestic locations—ideal for small teams getting off the ground.

Upgrading to Standard ($20 per user per month) unlocks unlimited users and domestic/regional locations along with multi-level auto attendants, ring groups, SIP Link, desk-phone support, and eDiscovery for calls, texts, and voicemail.

Premier ($30 per user per month) adds unlimited international locations, automatic call recording, and BigQuery export for advanced reporting—useful for multi-country operations and compliance-heavy environments.

While Voice can support busy teams, it isn’t built as a full call center suite. If you need advanced queueing, skills-based routing across large agent pools, or deep CRM synchronization, consider a dedicated contact center platform.

How to Optimize Google Voice

Here are three practical tips to get more from Google Voice right away.

Trick #1: Call Recording (Know the Rules)

Google Voice makes on-demand call recording straightforward, but the rules differ by account type and plan.

On personal Google Voice, you can record incoming calls by pressing “4” on your keypad once all participants are connected (you’ll hear an automated announcement so everyone knows the call is being recorded). Press “4” again to stop, or just hang up. Recordings appear in your voicemail tab.

On Google Workspace accounts, Standard and Premier plans support on-demand user recording, and Premier can enable automatic recordings via admin policy. Always follow local recording laws—some regions require the consent of all parties before recording.

You can use any active phone number to make and receive calls and texts with Google Voice. Here’s how to link one:

  1. Go to “Settings.”
  2. Select “New linked number” from the “Linked numbers” menu.
  3. Enter the new phone number you want to link.
  4. Google will send a six-digit code to that number via text for mobile numbers and call for landlines.
  5. Enter the code in Google Voice and click “Verify.”

All linked numbers can ring when someone dials your Google Voice number, but you can fine-tune those rules so only specific devices ring at certain times.

You can link up to six different phone numbers. Numbers already linked to a different Google Voice account can’t be linked again.

Trick #3: Keep Your Personal Number Private

The smartest way to use Google Voice is to separate personal and business communications. Share your Voice number with clients, vendors, and colleagues so your personal mobile number stays private without sacrificing responsiveness.

When you need to call a client away from your desk, open the Google Voice app and place the call from your business number. Contacts can also text your Voice number, keeping every conversation in one place.

Best of all, it runs on devices you already have—no desk phones required. You can sign up and start using your new number in minutes.