Google’s handy service for using a phone number other than your own personal number is going through a major shakeup. The legacy Google Voice website is shutting down in February for personal accounts and some of its long-time features are going away with it.
In an email to the few remaining users of the legacy Voice, he search giant detailed the web features that will be phased out as it transitions consumers to the new experience (via 9to5Google). A standout feature that will bite the dust is the carrier call forwarding capability.
“Carrier-forwarded calls from your linked number automatically go to your Google Voice voicemail,” Google stated, adding that carrier-forwarded calls from a linked number will no longer ring on your devices. That said, you can port your number to Voice if you want your devices to ring from a number provided by the best wireless carriers in the U.S.
The latest announcement means that Google has finished migrating all the features slated for transition to the new web experience. Google started disabling portions of the legacy web user interface in August 2020 as part of a phased shutdown. The first set of removal included the old Inbox function and the ability to add notes to call logs (you must download your notes before March 31 if you want to save that data).
In addition to call notes and carrier call forwarding, Google is removing additional features from Voice, such as the Do Not Disturb timer and ring scheduling. You’ll also need to upgrade your voicemail-only account to a full-numbered Voice account in order to keep using the service.
Finally, Google will prevent you from purchasing calling credits with non-USD currencies. “Since consumer (personal) Google Voice is only available to U.S. users, by the summer of 2022 all non-USD credit balances will be automatically converted to USD when their account balance goes below 0.50 in your current non-USD currency,” Google said.
It should be noted that the shutdown only affects personal accounts and does not apply to legacy Voice accounts via Google Workspace. If you are one of the former, it is recommended that you migrate to Voice’s new UI before the forced migration, though many of the platform’s best features will still be lost.
