A few weeks ago we launched the ability to use Google Voice with your existing number. This option gives you all the voicemail features of Google Voice, like transcriptions and email/SMS notifications, without needing to ask people to call you on a new number.

Google Voice automatically transcribes voicemail messages so you can get a sense of what messages are about without needing to listen to them. The automated process sometimes works great, sometimes not so well. But we're committed to making it better.

When someone sends you an SMS to your Google Voice number, that message not only goes into your inbox online, but we also forward it out to all of your mobile phones (assuming you told us you wanted to receive SMS messages on those phones).

Today we're pleased to announce we've acquired Gizmo5, a company that provides Internet-based calling software for mobile phones and computers.

Military families face dozens of challenges every day. The life of a military spouse and a military family is never easy. It's a life of sacrifice and patience, but it's also one of pride and patriotism.

Google Voice is all about enabling choice: which phone you pick up your calls on, where to review your voicemail messages, how to send and reply to text messages, etc.  So when it comes to your phone number, it was logical for us to also offer a choice of which number to use with Google Voice.

Voicemail transcription is, in my opinion, one of Google Voice's coolest features.  That's why I've saved it for my last Google Voice tip.  When someone leaves you a voicemail, Google Voice transcribes the message and gives you a variety of ways to access it.

There were some conflicting reports yesterday about Google Voice voicemails being searchable online, so we wanted to clarify how Google Voice works.

Google Voice lets you access your voicemails online from your inbox.

(Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog)

Since the debut of Google Voice, our early users have shared lots of feedback that has led to some exciting new features, like the ability to receive SMS messages via email and the option to change your Google Voice number.

When we launched Google Voice, we offered free calling to the continental US. We've just expanded this to all 50 states by adding free calling to Alaska and Hawaii.

This week, I'd like to talk about a Google Voice feature some of you may not have heard about: custom greetings. With custom greetings, you're able to record personalized voicemail greetings that only play to a specific group of people or to an individual.

I spend a lot of time in Gmail and love how Google Voice email notifications let me see voicemails in my email inbox. I can scan the transcript quickly, and when I want to hear the voicemail, it is just a click away on my computer.

With Google Voice, you receive SMS messages on your phones AND in your Google Voice inbox, which means you can send SMS replies from either from your mobile phone or your computer. Today, we're going one step further by allowing you to get text messages by email.

A few days ago, I decided to spend some quality time poking around the Google Voice Settings page. I'm glad I did, because I found a Voice feature I never knew existed! It's the "ring schedule" feature.

In our last post, Heather learned how to make calls through the Google Voice homepage. Today, I want to explore why someone would link multiple phones to their Google Voice number.

In addition to making free long distance calls within the continental US, you can now call Canada for free through Google Voice.

In our last post, Carol and I signed up for our Google Voice numbers, and read the Google Voice Getting Started Guide for information. Today, I'd like to share my first experience with the Google Voice website and the "Click to call" feature.

Hi there! Heather and I work at Google, but are new to Google Voice. Over the next couple months, we'll be exploring this service and sharing our experiences on the Google Voice blog.

Voicemail transcription is a popular feature of Google Voice. Having the ability to receive a transcript of a new voicemail by email or SMS and get a quick idea of what a voicemail is about, saves you time in deciding which voicemails are worth listening to.

It is hard enough to keep in touch with family and friends, but imagine being half-way around the world in a place like Iraq with limited access to telephones…or having to move and change your phone number every couple years.

Want to share your new Google number with family, friends and co-workers? To help spread the word (or should we say, the number), get your Google number printed on cards that you can hand out.

Thanks to some great work by the Google Mobile team, we now have a Google Voice mobile app for Blackberry and Android-powered phones. The mobile application makes using Google Voice with your cell phone simpler by letting you place calls and send SMS messages directly from your Google Voice number.

Your Google Voice number is tied to you rather than a device or a location, so it stays with you as you move, change jobs, or switch phone companies.

Numbers are important.  Whether it is a time to meet, a phone number to call, or an amount of money, catching a number correctly is a big deal.

In an effort to help you spend more time with your family and friends, we have recently released two features designed to help you be productive when using Google Voice:

1. Keyboard shortcuts.

Since Google Voice is about letting you easily manage your communications, we wanted to give you various ways to organize your inbox. Besides the option to only display unread messages, you now have the ability to archive messages.

Among the GrandCentral features that we have carried over to Google Voice, is the ability to tag a caller as spam.

We have received several questions about what happens to GrandCentral accounts after upgrading to Google Voice.

Although no new call/voicemail will show up in the GrandCentral account, you can keep accessing your GrandCentral voicemails, call log and address book even after you have upgraded.

Hello GrandCentral (and soon to be Google Voice) users:

We have started the upgrade process, and are rolling the service out to new users on an ongoing basis. When your account is ready to upgrade, you will notice an "Upgrade" message at the top of your GrandCentral inbox.

GrandCentral users,

We are happy to announce that we have made a number of improvements to GrandCentral and are relaunching the service as Google Voice. GrandCentral users have the first opportunity to start using Google Voice, which is a private beta.

All things Google Voice!
All things Google Voice!
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