Google Voice account protection tutorial in 2023 (long-term or permanent)

As a cross-border e-commerce business, almost everyone must have at least one Google Voice number of their own. However, due to Google’s policy, we need to protect the Google Voice number, otherwise the GV number will be recycled, that is, it will not be used within 9 months. When GV makes calls or sends and receives text messages, the number will be recycled. Now, you must actively send text messages or make phone calls within 90 days, otherwise it will be recycled. In addition, the Google Voice method of securing a US virtual number has also changed. The old method of spending $30 to permanently secure a Google Voice number is no longer effective.

After extensive review of information and practice, we have compiled this latest Google Voice account protection tutorial.

An important reminder before you start: Many tutorials on the Internet talk about using automatic program reply and IFTTT account protection, but they are all useless!

The following is Google’s official recycling policy for Google Voice numbers:

If you have a Google Voice number but don’t make or receive calls or send or receive text messages within nine months, Google will reclaim the number. However, Google will not take back numbers that have been ported to Google Voice or have applied for permanent use.

1.GV numbers send text messages to each other regularly

Manually sending text messages to each other is the most cost-effective and effective way to maintain a Google Voice account, but do you find it troublesome? What if you forget? In fact, this is not a problem. We only need to set a reminder on our mobile phone to be reminded every 3 months to operate multiple accounts. If you only have one GV number, you can exchange text messages with the GV numbers of your relatives and friends or with other friends in the TG group who need to protect their numbers.

2.Call the U.S. toll-free customer service number

If you feel bored, you can also call the toll-free customer service number in the United States to protect your Google Voice number. The toll-free customer service number is as follows:

• Voice of America: (213)493-0288
• Apple Customer Service: (800)275-2273
• Microsoft Customer Service: (800) 642-7676
• Amazon customer service: (206)266-2992

Subscribe to advertising push text messages

Isn’t this a weird way? You only need to send text messages to subscribe to some advertising services, and the advertising company will regularly send advertising push text messages to your GV number. The specific operation method is as follows:

(1) Send “auto” to “67135”, then reply “Y” to subscribe to advertising push text messages; then, you will receive 4 advertising push text messages from Autozone (an auto parts brand) every week.

(2) Send “JOIN” to “22122” and you will receive 2 Starbucks advertising push text messages every month; if you want to stop subscribing, just send “STOP”.

(3) Send “code” to “25666” and reply “PROMO” to receive Bloomingdale’s advertising push text messages every month; if you want to stop subscribing, just send “STOP”.

4.Buy it out and make it a permanent account

If you don’t like to manually exchange insurance numbers, don’t like to subscribe to ads, and are worried about forgetting to register your Google Voice account, then according to Google’s policy, we recommend that you permanently protect your account by transferring your real card number. In addition, the previous method of spending 30 dollars to buy out a permanent account is no longer valid. Now you can spend about 50 dollars to transfer a real card (such as Google Fi, Ultra Paygo card, etc.) to a Google Voice account to achieve permanent account protection, but the operation process is very cumbersome. , and may take a very long time to succeed.

How number portability works: Number porting to Google Voice involves transferring your mobile number from your mobile carrier to Google Voice. This way, you can continue to use your number and enjoy all Google Voice features. Number portability requires a one-time payment of US$20.00 through Google Pay. After porting your number to Voice, your mobile phone service plan will be terminated. Your carrier may charge you an early termination fee. After the number porting is completed, you can replace your current Voice number with the transferred number in “Settings”, or keep the Voice number permanently.

Currently, there are two ways to transfer from a real card back to a Google Voice permanent account:

(1) Single permanent GV number

First transfer the GV number to the real card, and then transfer the GV number that has been transferred to the real card back to Google Voice through number portability (there is no GV number on the account at this time), thus achieving permanent number protection, because any transfer from the real card Numbers transferred to Google Voice are permanent numbers.

(2) Dual permanent GV numbers

If you already have another GV number on your Google Voice account, then transfer the number on the real card back to Google Voice through number portability, thus achieving dual permanent GV numbers. Because any number transferred from a physical card to Google Voice is a permanent number, and after the number porting is completed, you can keep the Google Voice number permanently in “Settings” and make it a permanent number.

Precautions: The above operations for permanent account protection may seem simple, but for novices, it may take a month or two to complete. Please be mentally prepared and be patient, as you will encounter many pitfalls.

It costs $3 to unlock Google Voice and $20 to port your number. If your data is in a non-tax-free state, you will need to deduct taxes and the cost will be slightly more.

The account transferred back from Google Fi to Google Voice is permanent. If you add another account for $10, it will be a double permanent account. The number transferred to Google Voice from other physical cards (such as T-Mobile) is also a permanent number and will not be recycled.

A permanent number does not mean that you can do anything random, such as sending a large number of spam text messages, making a large number of outgoing calls to different numbers, etc. If you violate the terms of Google Voice policies, Google will also take back your number. For details, please see Google’s official documentation: https://www.google .com/googlevoice/program-policies.html

It is best not to transfer a permanent account out, because Google does not have a clause stating that the permanent account will also be a permanent account after being transferred out; after practice, the permanent account is no longer a permanent account after being transferred out.

, so please be careful when transferring your permanent account.

After testing, Google Voice can receive text messages from 2 numbers at the same time, but only one can answer the call, and the other one automatically goes to voicemail.

Contact Google customer service: https://support.google.com/googleplay/gethelp. You can communicate online in real time or send customer service emails.

5.Transfer the physical phone card number

If you have some physical phone cards in the United States (such as Lyca, Google Fi phone cards, etc.) and feel that the monthly rent is too expensive and do not want to renew, you can transfer these numbers to Google Voice. In this way, not only can the original number be retained, but the registered website account will basically not be affected; in addition, after the original physical phone card number is transferred to Google Voice, this number will become a permanent number and there will be no monthly rent.

Note: Transferring a Google Fi number to Google Voice is free, while transferring a Paygo/Lyca number to Google Vocie requires a one-time transfer fee of $20.

Recommended methods to protect your Google Voice account

If you are a rich user, then I strongly recommend that you buy it out directly and get rid of it once and for all;

If you don’t want to spend money, you can choose to send text messages to each other manually or call the US toll-free customer service number or subscribe to advertising text messages;

If you are a wealthy person and have an existing physical U.S. phone card, but you don’t want to renew it and want the physical card number, then switching to Google Voice is the best choice.

Reminder:

If your GV number only receives messages within 90 days without logging in to send text messages or make calls, you will still receive an official email reminder from Google to recycle your GV number.