Can Google Voice be turned off?

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is a telephony service that provides call forwarding and voicemail services, voice and text messaging, as well as U.S. and international call rates. It was launched by Google in 2009. According to GetApp, Google Voice allows users to get a free phone number that can route calls to any of their phones including mobile and landline numbers. It centralizes voicemail, text messaging, and calling so users can manage communications from one place.

Some key features of Google Voice include:

Free phone number

Call forwarding to linked numbers
Voicemail transcription
SMS and MMS messaging

Low international call rates
Call screening and blocking
Conference calling

Visual voicemail

Benefits of Google Voice

One of the key benefits of Google Voice is free calling within the United States and Canada. Users can make unlimited calls to any number in these countries at no additional cost.

Google Voice also offers low international calling rates. Calls to many other countries cost just 1 cent per minute. This represents significant savings compared to traditional phone plans. According to one analysis, Google Voice can reduce international calling costs by up to 90% compared to major carriers (Source).

Other notable benefits include:

A dedicated phone number that can ring multiple devices
Advanced call routing and screening

Voicemail transcription and email alerts
Conference calling
Text messaging

For businesses, Google Voice provides a professional business phone number, call tracking and analytics, multi-level auto attendants, and more. It integrates with Google’s G Suite productivity apps (Source).

Why Some May Want to Turn Off Google Voice

There are a few key reasons why someone may want to turn off or delete their Google Voice account:

Privacy Concerns

Some users may have concerns over privacy with Google Voice, as it is a Google service that tracks usage data, call logs, voicemails, etc. According to the Google Voice privacy policy, they collect information about calls and texts made through the service. For those wanting increased privacy, turning off Google Voice may be preferred. However, Google states they only use data to provide and improve the service.

No Longer Using the Service

If someone no longer regularly uses their Google Voice number, they may wish to turn it off or delete it altogether. It can take up storage space and resources to keep an unused Google Voice account open. Users may port their Google Voice number to another carrier when leaving the service as well. According to this source, Google may also reclaim inactive numbers after an extended period of non-use.

How to Temporarily Disable Google Voice

If you need to temporarily disable your Google Voice account from making calls or sending texts, you can suspend these features in the settings. This is useful if you will be traveling abroad or don’t need access to your Google Voice number for a period of time.

To suspend calling and messaging from your Google Voice number:

Go to the Google Voice website and log into your account.

Click on the gear icon in the top right to access settings.
Under “Calls,” toggle the switch off for “Incoming Calls.”
Under “SMS,” toggle the switch off for “Incoming Texts.”

With these settings disabled, your Google Voice number will not receive any calls or texts. Keep in mind this is temporary – you can easily re-enable these features at any time by toggling the switches back on in settings.

Suspending calls and texts does not delete your Google Voice number. It simply puts it on hold temporarily until you are ready to start using it again.

How to Permanently Delete Google Voice

If you want to completely delete your Google Voice account and number, you can do so by closing your account in the Account Settings. Here are the steps to fully delete your Google Voice account:

1. Open the Google Voice website and log into your account.

2. Click on the settings icon in the top right corner.

3. In the menu, select “Settings”.

4. Under the “Account” section, click “Close account”.

5. Follow the on-screen prompts to permanently delete your Google Voice account.

Closing your account will cancel your Google Voice number. Once your account is closed, your Google Voice number cannot be recovered or reactivated. Make sure you want to fully delete your account before going through these steps, as the process cannot be reversed.

For more information, visit the Google Voice support page on deleting your account.

What Happens When Google Voice is Deleted

When a Google Voice number is deleted, the user loses access to that phone number and all of its associated data. This includes:

The Google Voice phone number itself is removed and can no longer be used.

All voicemail messages are deleted and cannot be recovered.

The entire text message history associated with the number is erased.

Essentially, deleting a Google Voice number wipes the slate completely clean. The user loses their virtual phone line and all logs of calls, voicemails, and texts. According to Google Support, only the phone number is removed when deleting Google Voice – the rest of the account and data remains intact¹. However, based on user reports, it appears voicemails and texts are also wiped out.

Overall, users should be certain before deleting their Google Voice number, as there is no way to recover it or any associated data once it is erased.

Can a Deleted Google Voice Number be Recovered?

In some cases, it is possible to recover a deleted Google Voice number if action is taken quickly. Google provides a short grace period after deletion where the number can be reactivated. According to Google’s support site, you have up to 45 days after deleting your Google Voice number to reclaim it before it is permanently removed from the system.

To reclaim a recently deleted number within 45 days:

Go to voice.google.com and sign in to your Google account
Accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policies if prompted
Click on the option to reclaim your number when it appears

After 45 days, Google states the released number cannot be recovered. Once the grace period has passed, there is no way to get the exact same number back. However, you can sign up for a new Google Voice number if desired. Be aware that if someone else claims your old number during the 45 day window, it is gone for good.

In summary, restoring a deleted Google Voice number is only possible for a short time through Google’s self-service recovery feature. It is important to act fast if you change your mind to maximize the chances of reactivating a deleted number.

Alternatives to Google Voice

For those looking to move away from Google Voice, there are several alternative services that offer similar VOIP phone number and call management features. Two popular options include:

RingCentral: This provides a robust phone system for businesses with options for unlimited calling, voicemail, call routing, and more. RingCentral offers mobile apps, integrations with popular business tools, and customizations for larger enterprises.

Skype: The free version of Skype allows you to get a phone number for calling and texting. Skype also provides video chat. However, the free version has limited minutes for calling cell phones and landlines. Upgrades provide more robust business features.

Other alternatives like Nextiva, Grasshopper, and OpenPhone offer a mix of free and paid plans to replace Google Voice. When choosing an alternative service, consider your usage needs, budget, and any specialized features that may be important for your situation.

Key Takeaways

Here are the key takeaways from this article on turning off Google Voice:

Google Voice is a free phone service that provides additional phone numbers and features like voicemail transcripts.

While useful, some may want to disable or delete Google Voice if they no longer need the service.
Google Voice can be temporarily disabled byturning off forwarding to linked numbers and not accessing the app.
To permanently delete Google Voice, users can cancel their account in the Google Voice settings.

Once deleted, the Google Voice number cannot be recovered but the account can be reactivated with a new number.
Alternatives to Google Voice include Skype, TextNow, and Burner for secondary phone numbers.

In summary, while Google Voice is a popular VoIP and virtual phone number service, those wanting to disable or delete it have options to turn the service off temporarily or cancel the account entirely.

FAQs

Here are some common questions about disabling Google Voice:

Can I temporarily disable Google Voice?

Yes, you can temporarily disable Google Voice by going into your Google Voice settings and toggling off your Google Voice number. This will disable all Google Voice services, like voicemail transcription and SMS messaging, but will not delete your account [1].

What happens when I permanently delete Google Voice?

Permanently deleting your Google Voice account will cancel your Google Voice number and delete all data associated with your account, including voicemails, call history, contacts, and texts. This data cannot be recovered once your account is deleted [1].

Can I recover my Google Voice number if I delete my account?

Unfortunately, you cannot recover your exact Google Voice number if you permanently delete your account. However, you can sign up for a new Google Voice number with a different area code [2].

What are some alternatives to Google Voice?

Some popular alternatives to Google Voice include Skype, Vonage, RingCentral, and Dialpad. These services provide features like virtual phone numbers, voicemail transcription, SMS messaging, and more [3].