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Google Voice goes US only

news.ycombinator.com

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Google Voice goes US only

#1
If you update the Google Voice app, you cannot make phone calls anymore if you cannot randomly validate a US phone number. Which pretty much kills the only use case for googlevoice: having a phone number when traveling, when you cannot receive SMS on your US phone number (thanks verizon).

You can still call from the website, for now, but not the app.

edit: btw the app seems to work fine, until you try to make a call. Then it shows a dialog:

> One last thing... > Before placing a call, you must validate your phone number > [cancel] [validate]

(after removing my us number and adding a international one i can acces, the buttons change to [cancel] [associate a number] despite me having a non-us number)

if i try to associate a non-us number Then I get the dialog:

> Google is not available outside the United States. To use Google Voice, register using a US-based phone number.

(i'm translating those messages from french, so it might be slightly different)

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#4
What’s the replacement service for google voice?

I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info.

I also like getting texts through a web/app interface.

Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn’t make them money.)

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#6
post #4

What’s the replacement service for google voice? I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info. I also like getting texts through a web/app interface. Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn…

My voip provider does this

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#7
post #4

What’s the replacement service for google voice? I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info. I also like getting texts through a web/app interface. Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn…

I used to use Skype for this when I was traveling outside the US. I also imagine you can set up something simple with Twilio as well, IIRC they have a no-code configuration tool for this kind of thing (simple forwarding, text to email, etc.)

Re: Google Voice goes US only

#10
post #4

What’s the replacement service for google voice? I like having a proxy number that I give out and route to my “real” number. So I have an unchanging number and don’t risk revealing my actual contact info. I also like getting texts through a web/app interface. Is there a similar nice, simple, and cheap voip service that I can just drop in? (When google inevitably kills their another awesomely useful service that doesn…

My voip provider does this

What provider?
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