Does Google Voice support SIP phones?
Google Voice is a phone and messaging service provided by Google that offers features like a phone number, voicemail, call forwarding, call screening, text messaging, and more. It allows users to have one number that rings multiple phones and integrates with the Google services people already use like Gmail, Google Meet, and the Google Voice app (Google Voice Overview – IT Knowledge Base).
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phones are VoIP (Voice over IP) phones that use the SIP protocol to make and receive calls over the internet. Unlike traditional analog phones, SIP phones convert voices into digital signals that can be transmitted over the internet. This allows for more flexibility and features compared to traditional phone systems (Google Voice Business Phone System Overview and Prices).
This article will provide an overview of whether Google Voice supports connecting and using SIP phones, the configuration required, and any limitations.
What is Google Voice?
Google Voice is an app and service offered by Google that provides phone numbers for making calls, sending texts, and voicemail. Some of the key features of Google Voice include:
- Virtual phone number – Google Voice provides you with a phone number that works for both mobile and landline calls.
- Call forwarding – You can forward calls made to your Google Voice number to any phone you want.
- Voicemail – Google Voice provides voicemail that can be accessed online or through the mobile app.
- Texting – You can send and receive texts using your Google Voice number.
- Call screening – Google Voice can screen calls and provide you with a transcript of voicemails.
- Online management – All call and text history can be viewed and managed through the Google Voice website or mobile app.
In summary, Google Voice gives users enhanced phone communication features beyond just a phone number. It integrates calling, voicemail, text messaging, and management tools into one platform accessible on mobile and web.
What are SIP phones?
SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol,
which is a communications protocol used to establish, manage, and terminate multimedia communications including voice and video calls (What are SIP Phones? – VoIP Insider).SIP phones utilize VoIP technology to make calls over the Internet rather than traditional phone lines. They transmit audio signals using Internet Protocol or IP data packets (What are SIP Phones).
SIP phones include both software phones that run on desktops or mobile devices, as well as hardware phones (also called IP Phones) that connect to the network like a computer. Either type can be used to make IP calls using SIP.
Some key benefits of SIP phones include lower cost, more advanced calling features, portability, and flexible setup. They work like traditional landline phones, but use digital connections rather than analog signals.
Google Voice Compatibility
In general, Google Voice has limited compatibility with SIP phones. Google offers a service called SIP Link that allows some SIP phones to work with Google Voice, but it is only available in certain countries.
According to Google’s support documentation, SIP Link and therefore Google Voice compatibility with SIP phones is currently only available in these countries:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
So in summary, Google Voice has limited SIP phone support that varies by country. Most SIP phones are not compatible with Google Voice out of the box. Specific configuration through SIP Link is required, and even then only certain approved SIP phone models will work in supported countries.
Supported SIP phones
According to google voice documenation, Desk phone requirements for Voice, Google Voice only supports Poly desk phones that request the OBi Edition firmware, including models such as:
- Poly VVX 411
- Poly VVX 501
- Poly VVX 601
Additionally, Google Voice By G Suite Phones lists several Poly VVX OBi Edition IP phones that integrate seamlessly with Google Voice.
So in summary, Google Voice works with select Poly SIP phones that run the OBi Edition firmware designed specifically for Google Voice compatibility.
Unsupported SIP phones
While some SIP phones do work with Google Voice, others are known to be unsupported. According to Google’s desk phone requirements, Obihai phones used with the unmanaged version of Google Voice are not supported.
In a forum discussion on Using Google Voice with ATAs and IP phones, users report issues getting Obihai, Polycom, and Yealink phones to work properly with Google Voice after 2023. Specifically, the Obi200, Obi202, Obi302, and Obi304 models are called out as unsupported.
So in summary, Obihai, Polycom, and Yealink SIP phones have been reported not to work with Google Voice, especially after changes Google made related to linked numbers in 2023. If you have one of these phone models, you’ll likely need to replace it with a supported desk phone in order to use Google Voice calling capabilities going forward.
Configuration
To configure SIP phones to work with Google Voice, you need to enable SIP calling in your Google Voice settings. Here are the steps:
- Go to the Google Voice settings for your account and enable “Allow calls to be received by this Google Voice number” under the Making and Receiving Calls section.
- Under “Incoming call options” choose “Send calls to linked numbers and receive calls on this Google Voice number.” This will allow the SIP phone to receive calls.
- Set up a SIP trunk or account on your SIP phone that points to the Google Voice SIP access details. The hostname is sip.google.com, username is your full Google Voice phone number, and password is your Google Voice PIN.
- Make sure your SIP device is connected to the internet to receive calls. Inbound calls to your Google Voice number will now ring the SIP phone.
- For outbound calls, on Android you may need to enable “Yes (all calls)” under “Calls started from this device’s phone app” in Google Voice settings for the calls to correctly use your Google Voice number as caller ID.
Once SIP calling is enabled in Google Voice and your SIP device is properly configured, it will be able to make and receive calls through your Google Voice phone number.
Limitations
There are some key limitations to using SIP phones with Google Voice. According to press8.com, Google Voice is not actually based on SIP technology. Instead, it uses a proprietary backend system. This means many standard SIP features like call transfers, call parking, and phone provisioning may not work reliably.
Google Voice also does not officially support the connection of SIP devices or softphones. While some users have reported success getting certain SIP phones to work, Google does not provide technical support if issues arise. There may also be audio quality or delay problems when using unsupported devices according to Google’s own documentation.
In summary, the lack of official SIP support can lead to functionality limitations, quality issues, and integration challenges when attempting to use SIP phones with Google Voice. Users should be aware of these technical barriers before choosing Google Voice as a phone system platform.
Alternatives
If SIP phones don’t work as expected with Google Voice, there are several alternatives worth considering. According to Forbes, some top alternatives to Google Voice in 2024 include RingCentral, Dialpad, and Nextiva. These services offer features like comprehensive VoIP solutions, AI capabilities, and excellent customer support.
Other Google Voice alternatives like Ringblaze and Grasshopper focus more on ease of use and affordability while still providing business phone system functionalities. And options like Skype and Sideline are free or low-cost alternatives for personal usage rather than business purposes.
So in summary, if you need full UCaaS and VoIP systems for your business, look into RingCentral, Dialpad or Nextiva. If you want an easy and low-cost solution, choose Ringblaze or Grasshopper. And for personal usage, Skype and Sideline are solid free options.
Conclusion
In summary, Google Voice has compatibility with certain SIP phones, but it does not support all SIP phones. Some key points in this article:
- Google Voice is a VOIP phone service that provides an alternative phone number for making and receiving calls.
- SIP phones use the Session Initiation Protocol for making calls over the internet or private networks.
- Some SIP phones are supported by Google Voice and can be configured to work with your Google Voice phone number.
- Unsupported SIP phones cannot connect directly with Google Voice. Alternative services or an IP PBX may be required for those phones.
- Supported SIP phones can take full advantage of Google Voice features like voicemail, call routing, and online management when properly set up.
So in summary – yes, Google Voice does support some SIP phones, but check for compatibility before purchasing a SIP phone with the intent of using it with Google Voice. We covered the key details around configuration and limitations as well in this article.