Does YouMail work with Google Voice?

YouMail and Google Voice are both voice mail services that allow you to receive, access, and manage voicemail messages.
YouMail is a third-party visual voicemail app that works with most major mobile carriers and can be used with a mobile phone number or through an app.
Google Voice is Google’s phone service that provides a phone number and various features like voicemail and text messaging.

This article will discuss the compatibility between YouMail and Google Voice, providing details on how to set up and use YouMail with a Google Voice number.

What is YouMail?

YouMail is a voicemail service that provides advanced features beyond standard voicemail. Some key features and benefits of YouMail include:

– Visual voicemail that allows you to see and manage voicemail messages easily from your phone (YouMail Features).

– Personalized greetings that can be set based on who is calling, time of day, and more (Block Spam & Smarter Visual Voicemail | YouMail).

– Spam call blocking that identifies robocalls and other unwanted calls and sends them directly to voicemail or blocks them entirely (Block Spam & Smarter Visual Voicemail | YouMail).

– Voicemail transcription that converts messages to text for easy reading.

– Options for call forwarding, screening, routing, and auto-replies.

– Conference calling and auto-attendant features.

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is a virtual phone number service by Google that provides call forwarding, voicemail, SMS, and more capabilities. With Google Voice, users can get a free phone number that works with the Google Voice app on mobile and web (Google Voice: Business Phone System & Plans).

The main capabilities of Google Voice include:

Obtaining a free virtual phone number

Call forwarding to ring multiple phones
Voicemail transcription and storage
Sending and receiving text messages

Low-cost international calling
Call screening and blocking

Google Voice gives users additional phone features while keeping their existing carrier number. It essentially acts as a second phone number that provides advanced call management and an online portal. Google Voice pairs with the user’s smartphone number to provide these capabilities (How Google Voice Works).

YouMail and Google Voice Compatibility

YouMail is designed to be compatible with Google Voice accounts and numbers. When you sign up for YouMail, you can enter your Google Voice number and set up voicemail through YouMail. This allows you to take advantage of YouMail’s features like personalized greetings, transcriptions, blocking, and more, while still using your Google Voice number.

According to YouMail’s support page, “You can always port your number over from Google Voice into YouMail to ensure the best experience.” However, porting your number is not required to use YouMail with Google Voice. YouMail is compatible with Google Voice whether you port your number or not.

There are a few limitations to using YouMail with Google Voice accounts. For example, YouMail visual voicemail may not be fully supported on certain Android devices when paired with Google Voice. Additionally, some features like call screening and blocking may not function properly.

Overall, YouMail is designed to be compatible with Google Voice numbers, allowing you to upgrade your voicemail while keeping your Google Voice phone number. Some advanced features may be limited, but the core voicemail functions work with Google Voice.

How to Set Up YouMail with Google Voice

Here are step-by-step instructions for setting up YouMail to work with an existing Google Voice number:

Download and install the YouMail app on your smartphone. You can find it in the App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Android devices.

Open the YouMail app and select “Add Account.” Choose “Google Voice” as the carrier.
Enter your 10-digit Google Voice phone number and tap “Next.”
YouMail will send a verification code to your Google Voice number. Enter this code in the YouMail app to verify your number.

Under “Call forwarding,” choose the option to forward all calls to your YouMail number.
Go to your Google Voice settings online at voice.google.com. Under “Phones,” choose “Add another phone.”
Enter your YouMail forwarding number provided in the app. Make sure to enable forwarding for this number.

That’s it! Now all calls to your Google Voice number will be forwarded to YouMail and managed in the app.
You can go back to the Google Voice website at any time to disable forwarding if needed.

Once set up, YouMail will handle all voicemail, transcription, and other features for your Google Voice number. You no longer need to use the Google Voice app or voicemail system.

YouMail Features with Google Voice

YouMail offers several features that integrate with Google Voice numbers:

Customized Greetings – You can record custom voicemail greetings for your Google Voice number through YouMail, including options like out of office and extended absence greetings. You can update these greetings as often as you’d like (source).
Voicemail Transcriptions – YouMail can provide transcriptions of your Google Voice voicemails, allowing you to quickly skim messages (source).

Enhanced Call Blocking – YouMail lets you set highly customized call blocking rules for your Google Voice number, like blocking specific area codes or blocking repeat callers (source).
Voicemail Management – YouMail makes it easy to access, organize, forward, and delete voicemails for your Google Voice number all in one place.

Limitations

While YouMail and Google Voice are generally compatible, there are some limitations to be aware of when using the services together:

According to redditors on r/verizon, one limitation is that YouMail may not work as seamlessly for business purposes as Google Voice’s voicemail. This is because YouMail does not allow users to easily save and forward voicemails like Google Voice does.[1]

YouMail’s smartphone apps may also have occasional bugs or issues working properly with Google Voice. Users have reported problems like delayed notifications or transcript errors. However, force quitting and reopening the apps often resolves many of these types of problems.

Lastly, some key YouMail features like voicemail greeting customization may not work fully when the app is linked to Google Voice. The Google Voice voicemail system can override user-set greetings in YouMail in some cases.[2]

Troubleshooting

There are a few common issues that can arise when trying to integrate YouMail with Google Voice. Here are some tips for troubleshooting:

One issue is that calls may go directly to Google Voice voicemail instead of YouMail. To fix this, check that call forwarding is set up correctly in your Google Voice settings. Make sure your Google Voice number is forwarded to your YouMail “inbox number.” This YouMail support article provides step-by-step instructions.

Another problem is delayed or failed voicemail delivery from Google Voice to YouMail. This is often due to Google Voice’s servers being slow to forward the voicemail audio file. Be patient and wait an hour or two – most voicemails should come through eventually. Make sure to enable all permissions related to voicemail access when you link your Google account to YouMail.

On mobile devices, users may have trouble getting YouMail to work properly with the Google Voice app. Try uninstalling updates to the Google Voice app and using the pre-installed version. Or use your normal Phone app for calling instead of the Google Voice app. You may need to re-enable call forwarding in your Google Voice settings after making this change.

As a last resort, you can try porting your Google Voice number directly to YouMail. This will switch the number over from Google’s system into YouMail’s system, avoiding compatibility issues. However, you will lose some Google Voice features by porting out your number.

Comparison to Google Voice Voicemail

When comparing YouMail to the default Google Voice voicemail, there are some key differences in features and capabilities:

Google Voice’s voicemail is basic and offers limited options. YouMail has more advanced features like visual voicemail, customizable greetings, smart assistant, call blocking, and transcription. YouMail allows you to screen calls and hear the caller while they leave a message, whereas Google Voice voicemail does not.

YouMail offers personalized greetings for contacts, scheduled greetings, and greetings in multiple languages. Google Voice only has one standard greeting. YouMail also has options like voicemail-to-text transcription and sharing voicemails via email or social media that Google Voice lacks.

In terms of storage, Google Voice voicemail has no limits, while YouMail provides 100 saved voicemails for free users. YouMail has paid plans that offer unlimited voicemail storage. YouMail also keeps voicemails forever unless manually deleted, while Google Voice deletes them after 30 days.

YouMail is customizable with features tailored for individuals or businesses. Google Voice uses one-size-fits-all voicemail. Overall, YouMail provides a significantly more robust and feature-rich voicemail experience compared to standard Google Voice voicemail.

Sources:

[1] https://www.g2.com/compare/google-voice-vs-youmail

Conclusion

In summary, YouMail is designed to fully integrate with Google Voice, providing enhanced voicemail services beyond what’s available through Google Voice alone. By linking your Google Voice number to a YouMail account, you can take advantage of features like voicemail transcription, personalized greetings, broadcast messages, and more.

While there are some limitations, such as inability to access voicemails through the Google Voice app, the benefits of YouMail make it a worthwhile upgrade for most Google Voice users. With some tweaking of settings and understanding the differences between the two services, you can have Google Voice ring through to YouMail and leverage the best features of both in a seamless experience.