In 2010, Google Voice was launched, giving users a free virtual number that could send and receive texts and phone calls, plus help people with multiple phones simplify their lives. If you’re a Google Voice user, perhaps you’ve considered porting your virtual Google Voice number over to your wireless carrier, but you don’t want to lose the phone number that’s associated with your SIM either. Ideally, you’d like to swap the two, but how? There’s plenty of information about how to port a carrier number to Google Voice, or how to port a Google Voice number to a carrier, but I couldn’t find any resources for how to do both at the same time. Getting the steps and order right is critically important, so you don’t accidentally lose one of your long-used phone numbers along the way. So, here’s how to do it the right way.
Backstory
Once upon a time, I was the lead Android device reviewer for a prominent tech blog. That gig meant I was testing a new phone with a new SIM card every one to two weeks. I couldn’t ask my friends and family to keep up with my ever-changing phone number, so I went ahead and signed up for Google Voice and just gave everybody that number. My carrier number became something I only used occasionally, and my Google Voice became my main number, even after I moved on from the phone review grind.
The thing is, despite being made by Google itself, Google Voice (GV from here on out) has never integrated as deeply with android phones as carrier numbers. If you use Android Auto or a WearOS smartwatch, you can respond to a GV text with your voice, but if you try to send a new text, it will come from your carrier number, confusing your recipient. Meanwhile, while Android’s Messages app has gotten more features and polish, Google Voice has received fewer and fewer meaningful updates over the years. Eventually, Messages got RCS support, with greater security and media support, while GV still hasn’t.
Late this summer, Apple finally bowed to regulatory pressure and added RCS support to iOS 18, which promised to finally make messaging between iPhones and Android phones suck much less, giving cross-platform texts higher quality images, read receipts, and better group messaging. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and I decided it was finally time to swap my Google Voice number for my carrier number.
The thing was, I didn’t want to lose either number, because I still get calls on both. Plus, I had nearly 15 years of voice and text messages saved in Google Voice, including some from loved ones who have passed away, and I didn’t want to lose those either. So, I had to figure out how to port my Google Voice number to my carrier, and my carrier number to Google Voice without losing any of the precious data. So, I worked with both the Google Voice team and with my carrier (T-Mobile) to put this tutorial together.
Prepare
First, be aware of is that this process may take a few days to complete. That will depend on your carrier to some extent, but there are some built-in safeguards to help prevent people from taking over numbers that don’t belong to them, so plan on that.
Second, I would recommend backing up all of your messaging data before you start this process, just in case. Your messages will NOT transfer from one service to the other. Following this guide will ensure you won’t lose any of your messages, but they will stay siloed in their respective original apps. To download your data from both, go to your Google Takeout Page and look under Products. Check the box next to Messages and Voice, then click Next Step and choose which format you’d like to download them in, then click Export.
Third, while it’s not absolutely necessary, it will be handy to have a spare device that is eSIM capable. This will just be temporary, but early into the process, you’re going to need to have your carrier add an additional line to your account, and some may require you have a phone for that line. An old phone you don’t use anymore should be fine (Android or iPhone will both work), but if it doesn’t work with eSIMs, then you’ll have to go to a store and get a physical SIM card. Alternatively, if you’re getting a new phone, then that’s the perfect time to make this switch, as you can keep using your old phone during this transition.
How To Do It
Step 1
Call your carrier’s technical support number and have them set up an additional temporary number on your account. If you have a temporary phone (mentioned above) with an eSIM, have them assign the temporary number to that device (or go to a carrier store and get a physical SIM for it). For me, that was T-Mobile. I called tech support and they activated the new line immediately. This incurred a one-time setup fee of $10 (different carriers vary). You then have to wait 24 hours before moving on, because this new number will have a temporary lock on it.
Step 2
After waiting 24 hours, call your carrier back and tell them to switch the numbers between your phones. In other words, ask them to associate your new, temporary number with your main phone, and ask them to switch your normal carrier number to your temporary phone. This should take just a few minutes to complete. You’ll have to restart both devices once it’s complete. Again, this can only be done remotely if you’re using eSIMs. If you have physical SIM cards, you can just power down and swap them between phones.
Note: You may have to carry both phones around with you for a day or two until the full process is complete.
Credit: Brent Rose
Step 3
Go to the Google Voice website at voice.google.com. Go to Settings, and then under Account, you’ll see your GV number. Click Unlock. It will charge you $3 to do this. WRITE DOWN THE PIN that GV will give you, because you’ll need to give it to your carrier in a second.
Step 4
Call your carrier technical support back and have them port your Google Voice number to replace your TEMPORARY number. They will need your GV phone number as well as the PIN number that GV just gave you. Once you’ve done that, congrats! Your Google Voice number should now be associated with your main phone. It should be more or less instant on the carrier end, but it took me restarting the phone a few times before it appeared on my phone. You can confirm that it’s worked by looking at the About section under your phone’s settings. Have a friend text you to see if you’re receiving texts as expected.
Credit: Brent Rose
Step 5
Now that you’ve got your GV number on your main phone, it’s time to move your old carrier number to your Google Voice. Go back to the GV website, open Settings, and scroll down to “Port your number to Google Voice.” Enter the number you want to port (your original carrier number, which should be on your temporary phone).
Credit: Brent Rose
Step 6
GV will send a text message to that temporary phone/original number, containing a 6-digit PIN. Enter that PIN on the Google Voice page that’s requesting it, and hit Confirm. This will cost you $20, payable through Google Pay. Once you’ve paid, you should be all done. It may take a little time to transfer but you can confirm that your old carrier number is now your GV number by looking at Settings on the Google Voice site.
Step 7
At this point, you’re effectively done! You can retire your old/temporary phone now, as it shouldn’t have a phone number associated with it anymore. Make sure you have the Google Voice app installed on your main phone so you’ll still get texts or calls that go to that phone number. Go to the Google Voice site, and under Linked Numbers, click “+New linked number,” and add the new number for your main phone (i.e. your former Google Voice number).
And that’s how you do the swaparoo. If you’re just looking for how to port your carrier number to Google Voice, or how to port your Google Voice number to your carrier, Google details those separate processes here. Again, this article includes the extra steps needed if you’re trying to do both of those things at the same time (i.e. trade your carrier and GV numbers for each other). Follow the steps above to ensure you don’t accidentally lose one of your precious phone numbers or any of your saved texts or voicemails. Hope it helps!
