Using Google Voice for business is quick and easy as long as you have a stable internet connection and a Google account. It works seamlessly across iOS and Android devices, a web browser, and even a desk phone. Core functionalities include unlimited domestic calls, text messaging, voicemail transcription, and an auto-attendant. In this walk-through, we explain how to use Google Voice and make the most of its features.
Getting Started on Google Voice
To start using Google Voice, you need a Google account. After logging in, open voice.google.com in your web browser. You will be asked whether you want to use Google Voice for personal or business use. Below we provided separate steps to set up Google Voice for both options:
Step 1: Select the “For personal use” button and choose your preferred device from iOS, Android, or the web. If you want to use your mobile device, we suggest you install the Google Voice app. For this walk-through, we’ll go with the Web option.
Step 2: Enter your city or area code to see which numbers are available, then select the phone number you want to use.
Step 3: Click the “Verify” button to enter your U.S.-based phone number, then select “Send code.” Next, enter the six-digit code sent to your phone via SMS.
Step 4: Tap the “Finish” button to complete the setup. From here, you will be directed to the Google Voice main dashboard.
In our guide on getting a Google Voice number, we provided a step-by-step video tutorial to set up your Google Voice personal account in minutes.
Google Voice requires users to have an existing U.S.-based number to qualify for its services. (Source: Google Voice)
Google Voice only allows calls between U.S. and Canada-based Google Voice phone numbers. It is also available in most countries within mainland Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K., Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. However, Google doesn’t allow countries outside the U.S. to make calls over Google Voice.
Step 1: Select the “For business” button to access the product page.
Step 2: Click the “Get Started” button on the next screen to see the subscription options.
Select a plan from the three pricing tiers: Starter, Standard, and Premier.
Step 3: Register your Google Workspace account to start your Google Voice business plan. If you don’t have one, select the “Sign up” link from the pop-up. For those whose Google Workspace account is managed by an administrator, let them know you want to access Google Voice.
Step 4: After verifying your Google Workspace account, you will reach the information page explaining your chosen plan. Make sure to read everything before clicking the “Get Started” button.
Step 5: Review your payment plan, then click “Checkout.” In the next window, provide your business address and credit card information. Double-check the accuracy of your entry before submitting your payment.
Step 6: Click the “Get Started” button to set up your Google Voice business account. You can now set your business location, add more users, and order phone numbers.
Check out our comprehensive Google Voice review and discover if this platform is a good fit for your small business needs.
Making Calls
Make calls to domestic and international locations using your Google Voice number. Here are two ways to initiate a Google Voice call from your desktop or mobile device:
To make phone calls from your desktop:
Step 1: Go to voice.google.com and select Calls 
.
Step 2: In the top search bar, enter the name of the saved contact you want to call. If the number isn’t a saved contact, tap the dialpad and enter the number.
Step 3: Select the Call button to make the phone call.
On the desktop app, you’ll find the “Calls” tab in the upper left corner of your dashboard. (Source: Chrome Web Store)
To make phone calls from your mobile device:
Step 1: Open the Google Voice app and tap Calls at the bottom left side of the screen.
Step 2: There are two ways to choose who to call:
- To enter a number, tap the dialpad
. - To call a saved contact, tap Contacts
or enter the name on the top search bar.
.
or enter the name on the top search bar.Step 3: Tap the Call button.
To discover calling features on Google Voice, go to Settings within the Google Voice app. Here, you can configure your preferences for call forwarding, call screening, missed call notifications, and incoming call options. You can also set up your Wi-Fi or mobile data for making and receiving calls.
Making domestic and international calls is easy using Google Voice’s mobile app
(Source: Google Workspace)
Sending Text Messages
Google Voice restricts text messaging to up to seven phone numbers due to carrier limitations and spam protection. You can use it to provide customer support, but it is not intended for bulk messaging. Follow the steps below to start sending SMS:
Step 1: Open the Voice app or navigate to voice.google.com on your desktop.
Step 2: Choose Messages 
and select Compose (mobile device) or Send a Message (desktop).
Step 3: Enter the contact’s name or number in the recipient field.
Step 4: Type your message and hit “Send.”
To attach an image, click the “Image” icon. Note that images should be smaller than 2MB. Anything above 2MB will be sent as a smaller file.
Send unlimited text messages within the U.S. using your Google Voice number. (Source: YouTube)
Initiating Video Calls
Google Voice lacks video functionality for group calls, but it lets you switch calls to a one-to-one video call session. However, this feature is limited to the Google Voice app on mobile devices. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Tap Calls on the lower-left part of the screen.
Step 2: Enter a name on the search bar or use the keypad to dial a phone number, and then tap the “Call” button.
Step 3: During the call, you’ll see additional calling features, such as add call, video call, mute, and end call.
Step 4: Tap the Video Call 
icon to initiate a video conversation.
Seamlessly switch calls to a 1:1 video call using the Google Voice mobile app (Source: LifeWire)
Checking Voicemail
The steps for checking your voicemail are nearly identical on desktop and mobile devices. To check your voicemail, follow these steps:
Step 1: Tap Voicemails 
. Unopened voicemails are marked in bold text.
Step 2: Choose the voicemail you want to open and select the “Play” button. Below, you’ll find the text transcription of your voicemail.
Step 3: On the upper right, tap the three-dot menu icon ⋮ to access the following features:
- Copy number
- Copy transcript
- Add contact
- Block number
- Mark as spam
- Archive
- Delete
Google Voice uses artificial intelligence (AI) to transcribe voicemail into text format. (Source: Google Voice)
Setting Up the Auto-attendant
As a business phone system, Google Voice lets you set up a multi-level auto-attendant to effectively manage incoming calls. This gives callers a menu that can respond to their queries when none of the team can answer the phone. Here’s how to create one:
Step 1: In the Admin console, go to Menu ☰ > Apps > Google Workspace > Google Voice > Auto-attendants.
Step 2: From there, you will see a list of your current auto-attendants. At the top, click “Create.”
Step 3: Give your auto-attendant a name and a description. When done, tap “Create.”
Step 4: Create an initial greeting by adding a welcome message. You can upload an audio recording or use the text-to-speech feature.
Step 5: Click “Done.”
Step 6: In the “Add a prompt for the n key,” enter a message to create a voice command. For example, “Press one for sales.”
Step 7: Click the down arrow next to “Select an action” to choose what happens after the key message plays.
Step 8: Next, customize your business hours. On the left, Click “Edit Business Hours.” You can specify actions for holiday closures and after-hours.
Step 9: After configuring your auto-attendant, click “Preview” on the bottom right, then click “Call.”
Step 10: After testing the auto-attendant, click the “Publish” button to complete the setup.
Google Voice makes setting up an auto-attendant simple and easy with its user-friendly interface. (Source: Google Workspace)
Creating Ring Groups
Google Voice lets you create ring groups or a shared mainline phone number where team members can answer calls from a single Google Voice number. An incoming call will ring all members of the ring group until someone picks up. Or, you could ring members sequentially in random order. Note that members added to a group must have a number assigned or a Voice license.
Step 1: In the Admin console, go to Menu ☰ > Apps > Google Workspace > Google Voice > Ring groups.
Step 2: At the top, click “Create.”
Step 3: Create a display name for your ring group and add a description (optional).
Step 4: In the “Find users” field, enter the names of your ring group members. You can add up to 25 members.
Step 5: Click “Continue.”
Step 6: You will be led to another window to configure call handling. Here, you can set the ring order, attempt duration, and maximum ring duration. You can also tweak the ordering of how all ring group members will be called.
Step 7: Under “Unanswered calls,” choose what happens when a call isn’t answered after 30 seconds.
Step 8: Click “Create Ring Group.”
Step 9: The next window will ask you to assign numbers to your ring group. While this is optional, this serves as a customer-facing number for your business.
Step 10: Select “Finish.”
Google Voice provides three options for your ring group order: round-robin, simultaneous, and fixed order. (Source: Google Voice)
Viewing Usage Reports
Google Workspace administrators can access the audit and investigation page to review user activities in Google Voice. For example, you can view the details of calls and texts, including the cost, duration, and exact call times.
Step 1: In the Admin console, go to Menu ☰ > Reporting > Audit investigation > Voice log events.
Step 2: Select “Add a filter,” then choose an attribute.
Step 3: From the pop-up window, choose an operator and a value, then click “Apply.”
Step 4: You can add several filters for your search. When done, click “Search.”
Here are example attributes to use when searching Voice log event data:
- Call destination
- Call source
- Cost
- Date
- Duration
- Voicemail recipient
- Phone number
- Service name
- Email address
- New address
Need more help to set up a full-featured voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) solution? Check out our guide on how to set up a VoIP phone system. While at it, improve your team’s VoIP fundamental skills by checking out our guide on the top five VoIP training certifications and courses.
Best Practices on Using Google Voice
While Google Voice is incredibly easy to implement and use, there are a few strategies you can try to optimize Google Voice as a business phone system. Check out some of the best practices below:
- Create a detailed name for your auto-attendant: Be specific when creating a name and description for your auto-attendant. It will help you find a specific auto-attendant if you need to make changes later.
- Assign a Google Voice license to your team: Before using Google Voice for business, be sure to assign licenses to every team member.
- Use a country code: When calling abroad, enter the country code before the phone number. For example, for the United Kingdom, enter +44, followed by the phone number.
- Add a service address: Make sure to add a service address when you are assigned a Google Voice number. Remember, you can’t make calls without a service address.
- Use your carrier minutes: If your internet connection is unstable, Google Voice lets you use the minutes from your phone plan.
- Pin the Google Voice tab in your browser: If you’re using Google Voice on your desktop, pin voice.google.com in your Chrome browser so you can still receive calls even when working on other tabs.
- Link phone numbers: You can link up to six phone numbers to forward calls to if you don’t want to answer using Google Voice.
- Use custom call forwarding: Custom call forwarding lets you route calls from an individual or group of contacts to a specific phone number.
- Use Google Contacts: Manage your contact list at contacts.google.com. Make sure to update your rules for the new number if you change someone’s phone number.
Bottom Line
Using Google Voice for business is easy if you have a Google account and a U.S.-based phone number. It is a great business phone solution for solopreneurs and small business owners with basic communication needs. It integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace apps and comes with a free phone number, a user-friendly interface, and a host of calling features.
