Google Voice question

[AC Question]

I've installed Hangouts Dialer so I can make calls over WiFi, partiularly while I'm in a foreign country. I just added an international plan to my cell phone. I don't want to give up the cell number I just had, and I've already ported my number from Sprint to Verizon and am still under contract.

Perhaps I didn't fully understand the purpose of Google Voice, but I thought I could have my existing number and add a new Google Voice number so that I can receive calls while travelling internationally with the hope that I don't actually need an International plan for my cell phone.

 

[Crashdamage]

Google Voice does effectively give your phone a second number for free. And you can make international calls at a very low cost. But that's calling TO another country. Google Voice is available in the US only, so you can't use it to call FROM another country.

There is another way. Make cheap calls from other countries using Gmail Chat:

https://support.google.com/chat/answer/3379791?rd=1

Don't get down on Google Voice. I've used it heavily for years and it really is a very capable, reliable - and free - service.

Android since v1.0. Linux since 2001.