One of the most stressful thoughts about moving to Germany for a year two years and counting was losing my American cell phone number. How would people ever contact me again? I am from Houston-proper, I can't just give up the coveted 713 area code only to move back and risk and obtaining an 832, or worse, a 281. This may sound dramatic, but my phone number is damn good (even if I rarely use it these days).
Keep Your Cell Phone Number When Moving Abroad with Google Voice
Thanks to my best friend in the world, technology, specifically, Google, there is a pretty viable solution to keep you connected to (albeit also heavily spied on by) the USA while abroad. Google Voice provides the option to "port" your current cell phone number on their system. Porting transfers the rights to the phone number from the phone company to Google Voice.
With Google Voice, you can text message and call local numbers from your number via their web and mobile apps in cooperation with Google Talk. It also provides low tariffs for calling international numbers, too.
If you are still within your contract period, you can still port your number on Google Voice, but it will cancel your contract and you will likely pay a hefty contract termination fee. My advice if you are moving abroad it to provide proof to the phone company that you are moving internationally and have no use for this plan anymore, if you are lucky, you may get to avoid paying the termination fee.
If you are not attached to your number, I still recommend creating a Google Voice account to stay in touch with the US. You can also claim one of the available Google Voice numbers and share it with your friends and family to call and text for free abroad.
Setting Up Your Ported Google Voice Number
Google charges a one-time fee of $20 to port your number.
Once your number is ported, you will need to go into your Google Voice settings and check the box to "Forward calls to Google Chat". When someone calls you, a Google Chat box will pop up, revealing the phone number and answering options.
You can also take this time to set up a new voicemail and the other features like call forwarding (only to other US numbers), call screening, and voicemail transcribing. Call forwarding is perfect for trips home. When I travel home, I buy a pay-as-you-go SIM Card (lately, Wal*Mart StraightTalk Wireless), and then forward my Google Voice number to my temporary number so that I can receive and make calls easily in the USA without having to provide my friends and family with a temporary number.
Calling and Texting with Your Google Voice Number
I usually perform all of my Google Voice activity directly from my Gmail account. I use the Google Voice Chrome extension to text message from my browser's toolbar and I use Google Chat to call numbers directly at home. However, when I am out and about I use the Google Voice app to SMS anyone who I have not convinced to adopt the more user-friendly likes of WhatsApp or Viber.
The Google Voice mobile phone app does not allow calling from it with an international number, but some third-party apps like GV Phone (iPhone, Android) do allow this option and are viable options when you have a strong data or internet connection.
Moving Home
If you are moving home and you want to transfer your number back to a mobile provider, you will need to port your number out of Google Voice. It's that simple!
What did you do with your number when moving abroad?
UPDATE 15 June 2014: Do not upgrade your Google Chat to Google Hangouts within Gmail on your computer. If you do upgrade to Hangouts, you will no longer be able to dial numbers from your Google Voice number. Google apparently will fix this, but for the time being it's best to stick with the old Google Chat/Talk.
UPDATE 7 October 2014: Google is doing great things with your Google Voice options. It now integrates well with Hangouts and with the Hangouts Dialer app on Android you can make calls and texts over data to +1 numbers without a problem. Google Voice now also integrates MMS, which never functioned before. Thanks for stopping by and please continue to share your experiences with Google Voice to help out other readers seeking answers.
55 comments
This is AWESOME but I am so upset I didn't think to look into this before I started moving around everywhere! My friends in England have like 4 phone numbers for me, it's ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteGreat information! I was just dealing with my phone company back home last week so these are some great things to keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with the 281??? Lol. I'm 281 but my sister is 713. 832 just makes me cringe.
ReplyDeleteIf you do decide to go the Google Voice route, since you are already overseas you will probably need to do it in the US or over a US VPN since Google Voice is only available in the US.
ReplyDeleteIt's just Houston city limits versus Houston suburbs :)
ReplyDeleteWow that's good to know , but sadly too late for me. I had to let mine go :(
ReplyDeletei honestly did not know this is possible, pretty freaking amazing!
ReplyDeletethis actually is amazing, because i didn't know that this was possible either. now all i need is to figure out how to move abroad! ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd the ever constant battle between the two ;)
ReplyDeleteum WHAT. how did i not know this?? thank you alex!!
ReplyDeleteThat's definitely good to know!
ReplyDeleteI did not know about this! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI struggled with this decision- I knew that my time in Europe was finite, only a three year contract, and I didn't want to give up my existing phone number. I had two other variables though- my phone was still under contract for my first eight months in Germany, and I've still got AT&T's grandfathered unlimited data plan- once you drop that, it can never be gotten back.
ReplyDeleteWhen I arrived, my company assigned me a smartphone with a German number, so I didn't need to get myself a phone here- one less headache for me when I leave, to be honest.
I keep the US phone in a drawer at my apartment here unless I'm actually traveling to the US. Here's what I did to handle my phone stuff:
1) Forwarded my US phone to my Google Voice account so that any voice calls will be transcribed and I won't have international charges.
2) Got a Skype-In number with a 561 area code so that my family and friends in South Florida can call me easily. I use Skype for all my transatlantic telephone needs.
I'm still paying my US phone bill, which is kind of a pain, but when I get back to the US, I'll have the same phone number I've had for ages and I can just pick up where i left off, telephonically speaking.
I have prepaid phones for both the US and Europe (and sim cards for Italy and Germany). That way no matter where I am, I'm not paying a monthly bill for the phone I don't use! But, this only works because I don't use a smartphone, so no data plans involved....
ReplyDeleteGreat article! I am moving to France tomorrow and have ported my cell number to google voice. It was successful, however, under settings, I do not have the option to forward calls/sms to e-mails.... It did say that in order to port to make sure you open another line with a carrier which doesn't work for me since I am leaving. Can you help?
ReplyDeleteYou can only forward calls to a US number, unfortunately, not your french number. The forwarding is great for when you go home and get a temporary SIM or so. Otherwise, you're left to calling/texting from Gmail.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, thanks. I am moving to England in about 4 weeks. Should I port my number to google voice a few days before the move and temporarily get a new number with my cell phone carrier as my "main number." I will probably need this phone when I first get over there, and then when I ultimately report to work, get a new, local cell phone. Would I then download the google voice app on that phone, and activate it with me US number?
ReplyDeleteActually I just saw your comment below from about 5 months ago:
ReplyDelete"If you do decide to go the Google Voice route, since you are already
overseas you will probably need to do it in the US or over a US VPN
since Google Voice is only available in the US."
Does this mean I can't even download the app on the local phone there? I would have to do it here? Or is this for the porting process only, that it has to be done while still in the US
I lost my number last time and actually TODAY am planning on calling Tmobile about this very issue. I'm glad you posted that you can port it back to a mobile number when you return, because I will be back for Christmas and again in March. Glad to see that this is possible!!! (Seriously, a load off my back because the whole losing my phone number thing was not a pro this time around. haha)
ReplyDeleteQuick question after watching the video, it says that you will have to get a new service provider so when someone calls your current phone number, it will ring all your phones including google, does that mean you are paying the monthly fee for your US phone number? or......? Confused a little!
ReplyDeleteI am just writing to thank you for the advice. I'm already a Google Voice user, but I didn't know I could port an existing number to their service. This will be super convenient as I will be moving to the UK for a few years and don't want to lose my US number. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHanley, I think the point is that you will have a new service provider in Europe but will no longer have an American service provider. So when someone texts your Google number, for example, from the USA, your phone in Europe will receive it via the Google Voice app. I assume the same is true for phone calls. They'll be routed via your Google Voice app. I know that you can add money to your Google Voice account to make long distance phone calls--their rates are super low--so perhaps when you receive a call from the USA to your Google Voice account, your phone will answer it using the Google Voice app and just use those low calling rates.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that you can use your Google Voice number in the USA. I don't think you need to port it back and forth like that. If you're coming back to the USA, it might be easier to to port your number to a pre-paid T-Mobile SIM card.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you get a new data plan with T-Mobile in the USA, they provide unlimited texting and unlimited 3G data internationally. It's very convenient and you should look into that if you plan on returning to the USA very often.
Really glad I could help!
ReplyDeleteWhoa, unlimited 3G data internationally is an insale good perk! Thanks for all your help Kazem!
ReplyDeleteSome apps are only available on US mode. If your phone is still set to the original US app store with a US sim, it should not (have been) a problem.
ReplyDeleteCan you update me on what you ended up doing to help out others? Apologies for my delayed response.
So just to add another option to the mix, I took a totally different approach -- I moved my number to a pay-as-you-go plan with AT&T (they have a $2/day you use it option) and added automatically reloaded every quarter before my balance expires... So now whenever I go home, I use my old number on a dinky "dumb" phone. (And I use my German-plan smart phone only on WiFi.) But I got to keep my number and I can make and receive calls freely when I'm in the states. (Initially I had a whole complicated forwarded thing set up with Google voice and Skype so that I could receive calls from my old cell number via Skype, but right now that's off and I don't miss it.)
ReplyDeleteI had a contract with ATT. There was a year left on the contract. They stated that the contract is linked to the phone number so if you port the phone number it automatically cancels your contract and termination fees will apply. They said that there is no way to reassign a number to the 'contract' so that you can still have service with ATT, maintain your contract and avoid termination fees. It seems silly to me but that's the way ATT does it. I ended up porting my number anyway. I use GV and G Hangouts. Hangouts is great because once you port your number any calls you make on Hangouts will show up as you on Caller ID.
ReplyDeleteI had to do the same with T-Mobile, but since I was moving abroad for an undetermined amount of time I would still say the termination fee is worth it.Thanks for sharing your experience!
ReplyDeleteIs your experience still working out well for you? I read on the Google Voice forums that Google may recapture your number if you don't use it properly (and that something about using it abroad is improper, I guess)???
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to the Google forum post I talked about. Should have included it from the start:
ReplyDeletehttps://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/voice/voice/VT6HTH_X2bw
It has been wonderful for me, in fact it has only gotten better with the integration into Hangouts and the app updates make things smoother and smoother. My only complaint is that some telemarketers somehow got a hold of my number. I am not sure if this is Google's fault or my own, but it is also very simple to block numbers through the app so I just do that.
ReplyDeleteOk, I seem to be able to follow everything here so far but I do have a question. Once we move to the UK and purchase a pay as you go SIM to use, I will NOT be able to forward my US number to the new UK number as I understand... Will Calls made from the US to my US number that I am forwarding to Google Voice come through either Hangout or Google Voice (using the App)??
ReplyDeleteSorry, meant US number that I will be PORTING to GV, not forwarded.
ReplyDeleteWait, please explain more slowly for the back of the class. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm moving to Brazil from NYC next month. I have ATT and would love to keep my number. I travel frequently between Brazil and NYC and occasionally to Tokyo.
T-mobile international data sounds amazing. I don't use my phone to make calls but want to be able to use SMS or What app as all my friends and colleagues for the past ten years have my current number.
Oh. One last thing. I'll keep my ATT account as my fiancé is staying in New York until the end of the year. But I don't want to keep my current number on their, just hers.
Go!
You can't keep an account while changing the number. At least, I've never heard of this.
ReplyDeleteYou mean keeping ATT? I have two wireless lines. I was going to remove my number and leave hers.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering mostly about the other part. Would it be possible to just switch my number over to t-mobile in the US with this international data plan thing and use only data (WhatsApp, etc.) when I'm in Brazil/Tokyo rather than going the google voice route?
Yeah, why not?
ReplyDeleteDoes t mobile data work well overseas? I will be moving to dubai soon and hate to lose my US number?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. But as long as you keep paying your t-mobile bill, you won't lose the number. You don't have to keep using it to keep it.
ReplyDeleteTmobile data works fine abroad, but it's painfully slow. Better than nothing, but it's a hard transition from LTE, etc.
ReplyDeletegoogle voice uses cellular network. So you need a US cellular company phone plan for google voice to use. How did you maintain your US cell phone plane while living outside US? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Shan,
ReplyDeleteGoogle Voice is over internet or data connections. It automatically terminated my contract when I opted for that options. I do not forward it to another US number and rather use it online.
Thank you so much! I'll use this service! I wanted to stay with AT&T with $100 deposit, the only problem with this option is it's good only for 12 months with prepaid rates. As I'm not sure when I'm going to be back, Google Voice is the best option for me. 20 bucks is pretty moderate price.
ReplyDelete2 questions..
ReplyDelete1) I'm assuming I want to port my number first before canceling my service right?
2) can I still text with imessage/whatsapp/viber over wifi using my original cell phone with my original number?
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteThis post came up first on my Google search regarding this matter, so I hope I can get some help! :) I am moving to the UK and wanted to get some clarification on porting my US number to Google Voice. It seems that I would still need to have a US based mobile phone plan while I am abroad, in order to maintain my US number. So basically, while living abroad, I'll still need to pay for a US mobile service? Is there any way to avoid this and still maintain a US number? Thanks!!
Hi David, it has been a long time since I ported my number, but no it cancels your phone plan when porting your number on Google Voice, so you do not have a plan with it.
ReplyDeleteYou can use your number on Google, not elsewhere as far as I know. That is then for SMS and calling. I do not think you can use it on Whatsapp. Maybe Viber works
ReplyDeleteNever Drop Your Cell Phone Keep
ReplyDelete[...] atures like call forwarding (only to other US numbers), call screening, and voic [...]
Hi, I'm having the same issue at the moment. I want to port my US number to google voice but I'm already overseas (AU). Has anyone ever tried porting outside US? Do we really need to connect via VPN?
ReplyDeleteAny guide on this process very much appreciated. I don't want to loose my current US number.
Thanks y'all..
Hi I'm moving to Sweden soon for a few years and I'm confused by the video. If I port my number to google voice, my contract with Verizon will be cancelled but I still have to get a provider? Like if someone calls my number and I don't have a contract with any provider will my google voice still get the call? Thank you
ReplyDeleteThere is a provider called US Mobile, the monthly cost is $9 for the cheapest plan. Can I forward the google voice to that number whenever I visit the States?
ReplyDelete[…] they will be easier to top up and easier to get help if there’s something broken. Because I use a Google Voice and Skype Number setup, I also go ahead and forward my Skype number to my local SIM card so that I always can receive […]
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteHow did you end up keeping your US number? I am in your shoes at the moment.
Hey, I am in china right now! I did not port my number to GV cuz I thought I would return to the US in a timely manner.. but changes happen faster than plans. I want to cancel my sprint account cuz the fees and their seasonal standby policy are awful! But porting number to Gv requires me to receive a security code from my US number.. which I can't get while being in China! What other ways can I still keep my US number??
ReplyDelete