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I am relocating to a new area and the apartment complex I am moving to has a gate to enter. In order for me to be able to open the gate from my apartment I need a "local" phone #. I don't want to change my cell # - I've had it too many years to change. The Leasing agent said to get a Google Voice #.
Stupid questions to follow:
DO I set up and "forward" all calls to my cell #?
Are there any fees?
If I enter the gate code from my phone will it register with the local # or my cell #?
I'm on a tight timeframe and getting overwhelmed with the packing, moving and starting a new job.
First create a GV account and get a number. They will assign you a number, but I think you have to pay $20? for a number you want. You can link your cell phone to your GV. Your phone will ring when the GV is called.
Install the GV app on your phone. Any call made from the GV app will be seen as the GV number.
I recently moved to Arizona from Colorado and asked Verizon for a local number for my smart phone. I didn't have to pay for that.
This is Google Voice though and not Verizon (or ATT, T-Mobile etc.). The person wants a local number but also to keep their old number so the Google Voice service is a good, low cost option (one time fee of $20 to pick your area code).
oh my goodness, Thank you! one less task to worry over.
I assume you understand that Google Voice is "Voice over Internet protocol" so you need Internet Service in your home to work which can't usually be procured for less than $40 a month. If you already have an ISP then you are OK.
The other problem with Google Voice is you can't make a phone call from your car to open the gate since there is internet service. It is unclear if you would ever need to do that.
If you are not going to get Internet, then PAGE PLUS sells cell 120 day plans for $50 with 833 minutes (7 minutes per day). That should be enough to operate a door. https://www.pagepluscellular.com/plans/
Paco, I think this is same issue I had when I moved into my condo. The condo required a local phone number to be set up in a call box that is on the outside of my condo building. Visitors could find my name in this call box, hit a button and that would ring my phone so I could unlock the front door from my phone.
I didn't have them do this since I didn't want to change my cell number. What is a pain is when Amazon delivers something, the driver can't enter my condo building so I have to wait at the front door on the 1st floor (my condo is on the 6th floor) for the delivery. UPS and USPS know how to get into the building so it's not an issue with them. I have a local google voice number so I'm wondering if that would work in the call box? I only care about this when I'm home, awaiting an Amazon delivery and I have internet when I'm home.
OP, is this similar to your situation with the gate?
I didn't have them do this since I didn't want to change my cell number. What is a pain is when Amazon delivers something, the driver can't enter my condo building so I have to wait at the front door on the 1st floor (my condo is on the 6th floor) for the delivery. UPS and USPS know how to get into the building so it's not an issue with them. I have a local google voice number so I'm wondering if that would work in the call box? I only care about this when I'm home, awaiting an Amazon delivery and I have internet when I'm home.
I don't see why it wouldn't work. You can use Google Voice to forward your calls from the condo call box to your cell phone. I do it every day. You don't even have to be home as you will still get your calls forwarded.
The problem is outgoing calls on Google Voice if you don't have WiFi or wired internet.
Before it became Google Voice the software was called "Grand Central". The idea was you give out one phone number to everyone, and then you set up the software to forward certain calls to voice mail, to home phones, work phones, or cell phones. In some cases you can send calls to oblivion. Also you could set up schedules so you are not bothered when asleep or meditating.
After it was sold to Google, the software became commonly used as a stand alone product to allow free domestic and cheap international calls (in competition with Skype). They still require a fixed regular phone number to set up Google Voice as they don't want to make it easy for drug dealers to cycle through different phone numbers every week.
Hushed or similar programs could be used for this. I paid $20 for a lifetime Hushed number. Like Google Voice, wifi is required, which is available pretty much everywhere these days.
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