How to Port Your Phone Number to Google Voice

Most mobile phone numbers form the larger carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile) can be ported to Google Voice, while it seems that only some prepaid phone numbers are portable.

The porting process took me 24 hours with AT&T, but I suspect other carriers such as Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile will be just as quick.

[ronwigington]

So after checking my AT&T prepaid cell number, i read that this number is not supported!! Why? Searches online states a prepaid cell plan can be used. So what could the problem be?

[pippinschupbach]

We're moving to finland for two years and want to keep our cell numbers and communicate with family in the U.S. This is exactly the information I need to make this work!

[sethjuris]

Hi Tony, great straightforward tutorial! If I am traveling internationally (to Mexico) when I make a call to the US will it show up on the other end as an incoming call from my US number even if I have a data plan from Mexico?

[sfaznpinoy]

Thanks for this video. My husband and I plan to move next year to Portugal so I'm looking at this as well as Google Voice. I do have a few questions:

1. I gather that we should do this BEFORE we leave the US, correct?

2. Both of our numbers are on my T-mobile account and I'm the primary account holder. Once I port my number, do I follow the same steps for my husband's number OR will there be an issue because of me porting my number (primary account holder).

3. For the new number to "forward" our old US number, we will then replace the old t-mobile sim card with a Portugal physical card once we arrive in Portugal...find out the number associated with that PT sim card and add that in Google voice? This will now allow 2-factor authentication from the US?

4. In the iPlum FAQ, it talks about needing the PIN from my carrier and also asking the carrier to make sure the porting capability is unlocked. So there is no need for me to contact T-mobile at all during this process?

Thanks!

[jemueljr.garcia]

Hi. Thank you for this! I have a situation: My AT&T number is an additional plan to that of my Uncle’s main account. I will be travelling outside the US for a long time and I wanted to make sure that I keep my number as it is associated with a lot of my accounts (school, bank, etc). He suggested that I process phone unlocking and he is thinking about stopping the services on my number so I won’t be charged internationally once I get out of the US. How do I approach this? Should I process phone unlocking first, followed by porting my number to Google Voice before telling my Uncle that he can now request to stop my services? If so, can I now use Google Voice to be my psuedo phone even if my Uncle cancels its services after I process the porting? If not, how can I best keep my number and receive texts/notifications while I am outside the US? Would getting a new prepaid number while in the US allow me to just tell my uncle, ok you can stop my number’s services, and ill make use of my new prepaid number for porting? Thank you so much.

[janicebondar]

Thanks for all this info! Here are my questions: can I port my existing US number (I'm on Verizon) to someone else's Google Voice account, then just get a SIM card here (in Portugal) for my iPhone and not have to get another cell phone service plan? Where would calls to the old, ported number be received? My phone has dual SIM capability (E-SIM and a regular SIM) - so, I'm wondering if I used one more step to port my old number back to the number associated with the Portugal SIM, could I use my phone with two lines and no cell service carrier? Obrigada!

[threeshipsmgmt]

Hi Tony, thanks for the video and the info here. You replied to Zack below that you cancelled your AT&T plan since one only needs a number with a carrier to get going with Google Voice. I'm curious about what actually changes when you cancel the plan for that linked' number - as in what specific capabilities go away. I'm trying to test this by deleting the number from my device in the GV app. It seems that texting still works over wifi and that while calls don't go through to the phone, they still register as missed calls afterwards and I still get the voicemails. And it looks like I can still make and receive calls to on the GV web app. Can you confirm?

[noammichelson]

Hi, thanks for the video.
Can porting be done through my Google voice app on my smartphone or just through the computer app? I can't find the porting option on my smartphone. Thanks again!

[angelaschulz]

Thank you for this. I have two mobile phones and numbers on a family plan. One is for business and the phone never leaves the building and zero data gets used, so I'm like hey, I only need a wifi phone! But I gotta keep the phone number or my customers won't be able to find me. This solution will work. My number was actually an old magic jack number, but the quality was soooo awful we ported the magic jack number to a cell carrier, and now will be porting to google voice when my contract is up. Yay!!!! I"ll be Saving so much money.

[arie]

I plan to Google port my number because I am moving abroad. I understand that one needs to port PRIOR TO LEAVING the USA. Question: if I haven’t established a phone service/number in the country that I will be living, how can the porting be done prior to me leaving?
Thank you in advance!

[harrycha]

Hi Tony! Great video with thorough step by step information!!
Question - I am currently using a secondary GV #(B) from other email on my Google Voice App. The secondary GV # (B) forwards to my primary Verizon # (A). I believe, Google's policy was that one cannot forward from one GV # to another GV #.
If I port my Verizon # (A) to GV, not sure if my secondary GV # (B) will still forward calls to the new GV #(A). Would you happen to know?

[llllllll]

Thanks Tony for the video. Helped me out a lot. However, I don't understand the part where you must setup a new line and new number. I understand that Google doesn't provide cell service - but if I'm porting my (old) number to Google voice and plan on using that number to an existing Verizon line, do I still need to change my number? Does this existing Verizon line count as 'setup a new mobile phone service plan' I appreciate the help - liked and subscribed.

[jbrice]

Thanks for the vid, T-man. I'm planning on moving nomadically mostly around SE Asia for a few months, then around the rest of the world. I figure I should get my new number and sim card once I get to SE Asia. But I have heard that you should port your number to GV before you leave America. But how do I do that if I'm still in America and don't have the foreign service yet?

[ksobiesiak]

Thanks for your video! Question: Do I get my e SIM card for Europe first and then port my US phone number?

Or do I port my US number first and then get my eSIM.

I currently have prepaid Verizon and want to use Orange eSIM prepaid.

All and any advice appreciated.

[robingrossfeld]

I'm moving to London end of month and want to port my current personal number (I'm using t-mobile; month to month contract). I also will be having a UK phone number for business and looking at a carrier once i get to London. However when I port my phone number, will it go to my personal phone and will i be charged for it as a long distance number?

[sebswiggles]

This is so helpful! We recently moved to London and trying to get my T-Mobile numbers ported. Had the account for over 10 years and not pre paid so I dont forsee problems there. Besides being able to pick up calls/messages from the google voice app in our phones...could we have three separate phone numbers set up in our one personal computer? meaning, teenage son has a IPad, I have a personal computer and hubby has a work computer. Could all of our three (3) lines be enabled in our personal computer if we need them to? does this make sense? Thanks

[markengelskirch]

Thanks for the information. I just want to confirm, I have a business landline with an 800 feature. I want to forward the landline number only to my cell phone but also keep my cell phone number. Will that work or do I need two cell phone lines? In other words my landline 410 number and my cell 443 number both going to my cell 443 number. Will that work?

[khanhchanto]

could you still receive verification codes from banks/ whatsapp while you were using google voice oversea?

[miriamfmarvin]

how i should do this when im on my iphone? does it make a difference to do this on phone/pc?

[maryfrakes]

Hi Tony. Thanks for the informative video. I already ported my number. Now is there a way to differentiate between callers? I mean, I have the Google Voice # for my business and want to answer the phone w/ my business name when I rcv a call. Problem is that I don't know how to tell if the caller is trying to reach my personal # or my business # since I only have one phone now.