What is Google Voice and What Does It Offer?

Google Voice is a telephone service that provides call forwarding and voicemail services, voice and text messaging, as well as U.S. and international call termination for Google Account customers in the U.S., Canada, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. The service was launched by Google on March 11, 2009, after the company had acquired the service GrandCentral.

Google Voice allows users to associate their telephone numbers with their Google accounts, thereby allowing them to use their Google Voice number to make calls, send text messages, and check voicemail from any device with an Internet connection.

It also includes a number of features designed to help users manage their communications more effectively, including the ability to transcribe voicemails into text, block unwanted calls, and route calls to multiple devices.

Google Voice is available to anyone with a Google account, and users can choose to use their Google Voice number as their primary phone number or as an additional number. The service is particularly useful for people who use multiple devices, as it allows them to receive calls and messages on any device with an Internet connection, and it can be used to make calls and send texts from any device with an Internet connection as well.

Some of the key features of Google Voice include:

1. Call forwarding: Users can set up call forwarding to route calls to any phone number, or to multiple phone numbers at the same time.
2. Voicemail transcription: Google Voice can transcribe voicemails into text, allowing users to read their voicemails rather than listen to them.
3. Blocking: Google Voice allows users to block unwanted calls, either by blocking specific numbers or by setting up filters to block calls based on caller ID or other criteria.
4. International calling: Google Voice allows users to make international calls at low rates, with rates depending on the destination and duration of the call.
5. Text messaging: Google Voice allows users to send and receive text messages from any device with an Internet connection, and users can also receive text messages on their Google Voice number.
6. Customization: Users can customize their Google Voice experience by setting up personalized greetings, selecting different ringtones for different contacts, and more.
7. Integration with Google apps: Google Voice is integrated with other Google apps, such as Google Calendar and Google Docs, allowing users to schedule calls and send messages directly from those apps.

Overall, Google Voice is a powerful and feature-rich telephone service that can help users manage their communications more effectively and stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues.

Whether you’re a busy professional, a frequent traveler, or just someone who values the convenience of being able to make and receive calls and messages from any device with an Internet connection, Google Voice is a service that is well worth checking out.