Google Voice now open to the American public
Tired of waiting for the invite that'll never arrive? Not so eager to snap up an Android phone just to automatically get ushered into the party? Good news: Google Voice is now open to the US public at large (sorry, everyone else!), enabling everyone who wishes to get a single number to ring all of their phones, have voicemail that acts more like email and send / receive free calls and texts within the US. Currently, Google has over a million active Voice users, and we suspect that figure will skyrocket after today. If you've been ignoring this hoopla until the invite barrier was crushed, feel free to hop on past the break for a video demonstration of what's on offer. Then hit that source link to sign up. Happy calling... callers.
See more video at our hub!


























I love google voice! Been using it for the past several months on my droid. Does the job great (and the voicemail feature on it is amazing)
@BobStewart
Agreed, a few things have greatly improved since its original launch imho, which is great. You can actually use it to completely replace Unlimited Texting plans via Unlimited Internet plans too.
So you can save yourself a few bucks if you buy an Android phone and get the Google Voice App.
I wonder how many iPhone people would sign up for this if Apple didn't block it's release to the app store?
@BobStewart Agree. been using it since grand central. I thas saved me 20 bucks for unlimited text messages every month.
Thats 960 bucks in savings during the course of 4 years.
I cant live without google voice. Is awesome to know that even if you dont have your phone for whatever reason you can still contact people.
@BobStewart DROID DOESSSSS!
@treats GV mobile is in Cydia for iphoners. I used it before switching to my Droid.
@BobStewart I've also been enjoying GV for roughly 6 months now. I use my GV number as a work phone and it is great for business. I can keep track of incoming and outgoing calls and messages very easily.
@BobStewart
i got a droid and have been using google voice for a few months now. i love it, except it keeps spelling my girlfriend's name wrong. but on the plus, it can decipher my drunk brother's messages!
Is this available in CANADA YET??????
@BobStewart : Who leaves voice-mail anymore? :)
@Plazmic Flame Nope, just tried -_-
@Plazmic Flame Of course not! Sucks.
@Plazmic Flame Yup!
@tiuk Or.. not. Sorry, misread. :(
@BobStewart
Dang, I wanted to sign up for this but I have a prepaid phone... looks really cool, though.
@BobStewart
i set my droid to always use googel voice and i dont like the pressing 1 to accept the calls and i also hate that if i use it for messaging, that i get duplicates to my messaging app (in addition to my voice app)
@owen66
Read up on how to use it... You can eliminate all those multiple notifications by messing with the settings.
@BobStewart
Nooo!!
I'm in the UK, and I want!!
@One Love my parents.... haha
@Plazmic Flame Proof Canadians think they are part of the US
@BobStewart I'm kinda surprised. I've had it for a couple months thanks to a friends invite, while waiting to get an invite for my wife. But I gotta say... I still think thier interface is VERY beta. It's not very user friendly in my experience. I've had a heck of a time trying to get all my contacts set up with the proper forwarding and voicemail settings. It's hard to argue with unlimited free texting though. Just wish the Android App would allow texting to multiple persons at the same time (the online interface allows this).
@treats
No one would care....
I for one don't know what the big deal is about this? Is Google voice another bullshit "free" service of googles? If I already have a cell phone why do I need this?
@One Love
Exactly. I got my carrier to turn off voicemail completely for my service 3 years ago. If I call and get voicemail I just hang up.
It's rude to have voicemail I reckon, it's like a trap. Can imagine it being sold to telcos back in the day. "so if no one picks up you can't charge for a connect, now you can pick up for them and make sure they always pay"
@Plazmic Flame
oddly i got a invite for google voice even though i live in canada...i went on their site and i got a sorry your region isnt supported message...
@BobStewart
Have had Google Voice for nearly a year but am mostly using it to transcribe voicemail. Can't be bothered to give out GV# for calls and text, but give out another number for MMS (has that been fixed yet?). Also am still waiting for number porting, so I won't have to ask anyone and everyone to update their contact info for me.
@treats
I use google voice and I have an iPhone....
@BobStewart this also works with windows phone 5 - 6 and soon 7. just go to the site. google.com/voice/m and login. u can send text there and its free. since i dont have unlmtd txt, i can save by texting thru there. woo!
This sounds most intriguing.
@MagnetMan I just got mine last week...i waited 5 months for an invite...although I resigned up for it when I got my Incredible last month...Google voice is the bomb!!!!!
Roadmap for Europe?
@Yoshi1080 This map contains no roads in Europe.
@Yoshi1080
From what I am told, due to the way that europe handles its call charges...its too expensive for google to do
@Warzone Any info on Asia?
@Yoshi1080 as with all google products they like to start small and roll out gradually...it would be kind of pointless for them to launch a product like this and not to launch it in europe aswell. I am guessing they are in the process of disscusing deals with european carriers (which will be quite frosty im sure) but even if they can not reach a deal there is nothing stopping them rolling it out without the free calls and texts option as certainly where i live (ireland) you can get your hands on free texts to anyone very very cheaply but i am hopefull as they must already have some deals due to their very very low international rates :-)
@Yoshi1080 it's not going to happen in Europe 'cause it's too expensive for Google. Blame the EU and network providers.
@Yoshi1080 combining with gizmo people have success overseas, unfortunately Google bought out gizmo and isn't accepting new members. There might be another SIP solution you can find if you can manage to activate a GV account.
@tracdoor Hooray for socialism!
/s
@tracdoor Expensive? AFAIK, Europe prices are much smaller than those in the USA.. We don't even pay for incoming SMS or calls like you do..
@Warzone
What are you talking about? I've been comparing iPhone plan prices to the ones we have in the Netherlands and you guys pay almost DOUBLE.
The same thing with internet prices. Europe is not expensive. That's a myth.
@Xylias I think you and the guy above are comparing wireless services, while Google's payments wouldn't have much correlation to a price comparison to wireless services between continents.
@Johanu
It's not the overall price of calling that is more expensive. It is more likely related to how calls are priced when they go across different providers networks. This makes it prohibitively expensive for Google to do it there.
@Warzone I'd pay for it! I travel between different countries with different numbers, such a hassle.
This changes everything. Again.
Nerd rage!
Still locked to US only, gaaah!
This has no use for people outside the US, right?
Like not even for calling people who are in the US?
Let it begin...
Bwahaha... Watch the vid, Topolsky? You've been blocked!
Jokes, of course...
My gmail still says invite only. :|
And the date of that article is for June 24th... Thursday...
@DefusedHero
The Google article? It says :
"Tuesday, June 22, 2010" above .
@DefusedHero
If you get to the Google Voice homepage and click on the Home link above it, you will get to your login page for your Google account and once you log in it immediately starts setting you up with a number.