Google Voice now supports incoming number ports

By on Jan 19, 2011 at 10:31 PM
mobile January 19, 2011

If you’re a Google Voice user and you’re not TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington (who was able to port his number into the service a long time ago), odds are pretty good you’ve prayed for incoming number portability at some point. And for years, your prayers have gone unanswered. Well, no more — Google has officially implemented incoming number portability as of Wednesday evening, and it is in the process of being rolled out to all users. Rejoice! To port your number into your Google Voice account, simply click on Settings in the top right corner, and then Voice settings. Now, on the phone tab next to your Google Voice number, click on Change / Port. Now click on “I want to use my existing mobile number instead” and follow the on-screen instructions to port your number. There you go — you now have 867-5309 as your phone number and $20 less in your pocket.

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  • Anonymous

    This is a terrible idea unless you are also able to port back out.

    • http://www.bgr.com Jonathan Geller

      You could always port your number out…

  • http://twitter.com/ahock ahock

    Can someone explain the advantage of this?

    • Moverton

      You don’t have to give out a new number to everyone. Just use the same one to ring all your different phones. No changing address books, business cards, or any other listings!

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CCQ2AO7P5377BLXTOADXT5VEFI Ted

        You can use the same number even if you have to switch your carrier. Why do you have to get a new number?

      • Chut Pata

        I know lot many people want to change their number due to annoying calls from collectors or ex-girlfriend etc. However there are important people who have your old number and you would want them to be out of touch.

        The biggest advantage of porting number over switching it is, your ex and the collection agencies would still think this is the correct number, and would keep calling, instead of trying to find out your new number.

  • Dha1029

    im not sure what the benefit of this is if my contract cancels and I no longer have a cell phone for anyone to call………….

    • Anonymous

      This makes the most sense for people switching carriers who are off contract. My buddy is leaving AT&T and his iPhone in favor of T-mobile and the G2. He was planning on porting his number to T-mobile… but this way, he’ll never have to port his number ever again, AND he gains all of the functionality that Google Voice offers.

    • Anonymous

      port your current number into gvoice, and change your current number to somethnig else. Then you don’t have to give out a new number to be able to use gvoice

  • Anonymous

    $20

  • http://twitter.com/donnyb Don B.

    Until google voice supports MMS, it only be a part-time number.

    • Anonymous

      Thats exactly what I was thinking.

    • Drozek

      MMS? I heard this little thing called email works much better

      • ChocoTaco

        Yea Drozek, great idea. I’m sure your emails will be very effective for the vast majority of the population that don’t have smartphones yet.

  • Fatabbot23

    So if i port from “Sprint” to google, My Sprint account closes? So how will i make calls unless i have a number with Sprint. Google is not a wireless carrier. So ill have to sign up for Sprint with a new generic number with a new contract and plan? How does this help me agian?

    • Anonymous

      You’ll need to get a new service with a carrier. This is clearly best suited for those that are off contract and planning on switching carriers.

      • Anonymous

        So I port my off-contract number to GV, and then go back to my carrier and get a new line with a different number? Then the GV number calls my new carrier number?

        Is that how this would work?

      • Anonymous

        Yes, exactly…and on top of that, say you switch carriers again in a year. No need to port your number. Just go to your GV page and change your “mobile” number to your newly assigned carrier number. Further, you can now take advantage of all of GV’s other power features..you can integrate all of your phone numbers (home, work, mobile, etc.) in a way that one number can rule them all…or you can selectively forward depending on who’s calling, etc.

  • http://twitter.com/j_nathaniel Jason

    Why would someone do this?

  • http://www.google.com/profiles/107430353005607798966 KiriusKris

    I wish I could use this! I don’t have a Google Voice number, so I don’t get an option to port. Otherwise I would port my old Vonage number. They don’t even have any Google Voice numbers for my area code.

  • http://dossy.org/ Dossy Shiobara

    Will this only work for porting mobile numbers in, or can we port landline numbers in, too?

    • Anonymous

      I suspect landline numbers are next on the agenda. ;)

  • http://dossy.org/ Dossy Shiobara

    Also: This must be rolling out slowly, because my settings still only says “Change” … :-(

    • djlime

      Same! I want to port a number in…

    • Gtstang462002

      I would love to move my “business” line over to this. Then I can be down to one phone again. and saving $40 a month… But my account is just giving me the “change” only option. No porting for me as of now…

    • JoJoC

      same here!!! no porting option, this is horrible who has this option?? i hav had an account from the GrandCentral days befroe Google bought it, i should be on the first roll out???

  • Mr8820

    I just left Sprint because of the “$10 smartphone fee because we’re a broke ass network” bullshit, this is perfect! I can still keep my number from 11 years, and Sprint still suffers…perfect!

    • Anonymous

      I call BS. You either completely lack financial intelligence or are one of the many people who pretend to be a sprint user to bash Sprint. Why? Well let’s see, the fee only affects new activations, so it wouldn’t affect you until you upgraded, no need to leave NOW. If you are out of contract and were looking to upgrade, if you had done so right NOW, you could have gotten all but three phones without the $10, and thus avoided it for two or three years if you wanted. If you were still in contract, you just paid an ETF and are now paying more for data on another carrier.

      • Mr8820

        I’ve been out of contract since June, you should know someone before making stupid assumptions.

      • Amow24

        I actually just called Sprint to try and get out of my contract because of this. For the 4 lines on my plan, Verizon would be about the same, maybe slightly less with the “smartphones talk free” and my corporate discount and using GV for texting. Sprint wants me to put up with crappy phones and coverage for the same price as Verizon’s better network & phones. Maybe when it was $80 less a month, not so much anymore. They said they’re not changing my plan & I said if I drop my phone & have to activate my old Hero you are! I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there…

      • Anonymous

        I allowed for if you were out of contract. Saying that if you were, you could upgrade right now, and avoid the fee. If you want to leave, that’s find, but claiming it’s over the extra ten bucks is silly, because you could get another 2+ years with the current plan, and if you go elsewhere, you’ll only pay more. (And if you mean you LEFT [because leaving and out of contract are two diff things] in June, then you shouldn’t be claiming you left due to the $10 because in June that applied to only one phone.)

  • Deo

    Google Voice allows you to have one # period. So let’s say you port the number to Google. You can now just give that existing number out to everyone. When people call that ported # you can set up what phones to ring. (ex. Home, Work, Cell, or all).
    Scenario 1
    You are out and about town or traveling with your wife or significant other waiting for an important call and your cell phone dies. You can have their # ring so you don’t miss a call.
    Scenario 2
    Let’s say you gave out your number to someone but are now regretting the fact. You can screen calls via Google and have that individual’s call go directly to voicemail or even record a special vm for them with a # disconnected recording so they stop calling
    Scenario 3
    You are home and your cell phone is upstairs and you have set Google to ring you at home and cell. Both phones will ring and you can pick up whichever is closest.
    I can go on and on…

  • http://www.facebook.com/peterf Peter Fares

    This is alright but I wouldn’t do it because you miss out on the free mobile to mobile calls (at least on incoming).

  • mike

    can you port in a CANADIAN number…maybe a loophole for the fellow brothers up north?!

  • serpentor

    How come when people talk about Google Voice they never ever mention the one caveat – unless you have the Google Voice app running on a phone, calling out is a hassle. You have to do it from a computer for the number to show up on Caller ID.

    • Amow24

      It’s available for Android, iPhone and BBerry and I’m sure WP7 is right around the corner. WTF smartphone do you have?

  • http://infotainmentempire.blogspot.com Rob

    So does this mean if I port my number to Google Voice, I’ll have my original Google Voice number and my ported number?

    And I’m guessing it automatically cancels your wireless contract?

  • http://twitter.com/batrad Devesh Batra

    Love to port my second home number in, we hardly use it to dial out, but everyone has it in their speed dial, this would be perfect. Currently paying a VoIP carrier $5 + taxes a month to keep it alive

  • Bringit

    Sweet.

  • Chut Pata

    Good idea. I wanted to discontinue my home phone as I do not use it at all. However, a lot many people still have it and call it once in a while. Those calls are important for me. So I have taken an extra line on family plan for $10/mth. Now I can save this money by a one time $20 fee. I can then redirect all those google voice calls to my cell phone.

  • Amow24

    This means free text messaging without making everyone you know learn a new number!

  • dimaD

    Hm…I have been w/ google voice now for a little over a year and i have that option showing under “change/port” also…i currently have a contract w/ t-mobile. I really do not see the point of this for anyone who is under contract. for all those of you who are not….go ahead…i would!

  • http://twitter.com/mlevy23 mlevy23

    its a shame it cancels ur contract…will stop a bunch of ppl from doing it….bc they’ll want to wait till their contracts are over…and of course the carriers try to get u to renew during the contract…

    bottom line is I kinda started to like my Gvoice number and my “regular” number…and make it work (i was dieing in the at first though!). In general the Gvoice ecosystem needs a bit more polish but IS GETTING THERE….and is rlly good.

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