Google Voice Not Working: 14 Common Issues and Fixes

Google Voice users commonly experience issues with phone number porting, account setup, accessing the service, sending or receiving calls and messages, call quality, voicemail, call recording, and number management.

To resolve most of these problems, review and adjust your app, device, and permission settings to ensure calls, messages, and notifications function properly. If the issues persist after troubleshooting, reaching out to Google Voice support or your Workspace administrator can help you restore full service.

Google Voice lets you port your number from another provider. However, you may run into issues that can stop you from successfully porting your number.

Reasons:

1. Google Voice’s carrier partner cannot port your specific number because it is assigned to a telephone exchange (rate center) that they do not support.
2. Porting is not possible due to limitations determined by the original Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC – Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier or CLEC – Competitive Local Exchange Carrier), which controls the number block.

Solutions:

1. Check your number’s portability status at voice.google.com; if Google displays the message “Sorry, Voice doesn’t port from your carrier or your number’s exchange,” the number cannot currently be ported.
2. Select a new Google Voice number that is supported within the serviceable area.
3. Contact your mobile carrier to confirm there are no account-level blocks. However, understand this will not change Google’s carrier limitations.

If you're a new user trying to sign up for Google Voice, you may encounter issues during the setup or verification process. In some cases, you might see the message “Your account isn't ready for Google Voice yet.” These problems often occur for the following reasons:

For Individual Users:

1. The Google (Gmail) account you’re using is newly created, and Google may require a waiting period to prevent misuse of temporary or “throw-away” accounts.
2. The phone number you’re using has previously been registered with Google Voice.
3. The verification number provided is not a US-based phone number.
4. The carrier of the phone number you're trying to use is not eligible for Google Voice.

For Business Users:

1. Your Google Workspace administrator has not assigned a Google Voice license to your account.
2. Your account has not been activated for Google Voice services.

Solutions:

1. If your Google account is new, it's recommended to wait at least 24–48 hours before trying to claim a Google Voice number.
2. Ensure you're using a valid US-based phone number that hasn't been registered with Google Voice and is from an eligible carrier.
3. For business accounts, contact your Google Workspace administrator to assign a Google Voice license and activate Voice services on your account.

Receiving the error message “Something went wrong. We had a problem with this. Please try again” while trying to claim a Google Voice number can be frustrating. Here are some common reasons and solutions:

Reasons:

1. The number is outside the 48 contiguous United States.
2. Your Google account may have been flagged for violations of Google’s Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy.
3. Temporary system errors or glitches on Google’s end.

Solutions:

1. Use a different phone number from an eligible carrier within the 48 contiguous US states.
2. Wait at least 24 hours before retrying if you’ve made multiple attempts.

The error message “Can’t access Google Voice” occurs when Google Voice cannot allow your Google account to open or use the service.

Reasons:

1. You may have entered the wrong Gmail address.
2. Your internet connection is unstable or offline.
3. You’re using a browser that Google Voice does not support.

Solutions:

1. Verify that you’re using the correct email address linked to your Google Voice account.
2. Check your internet connection and make sure other Google services (Gmail, Drive, etc.) load as usual.
3. Use a supported browser such as Chrome, Firefox (Windows/Mac), Microsoft Edge, or Safari.

Sometimes, Google Voice allows you to make local calls but fails when attempting to place international calls.

Reasons:

1. The phone number is incorrectly formatted.
2. You don’t have enough calling credit for international calls.
3. Calls to specific countries, such as China, may be restricted.
4. Google Voice calling is not supported in certain countries or regions (Crimea, Cuba, India, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria).
5. Your Workspace Voice license may have expired or been removed.

Solutions:

1. Re-enter the correct international phone number format.
2. Check your Google Voice calling credit and add credits if needed.
3. Review Google Voice calling supported regions.
4. If you hear an error like “Could not complete your call,” contact your administrator to confirm your Voice license is active.

When using Google Voice, you may sometimes experience issues with receiving incoming calls.

Reasons:

1. Your internet connection may be weak or unstable.
2. Your computer or mobile device is not correctly set up to receive calls.
3. Temporary browser or app glitches are preventing call delivery.

Solutions:

1. Switch to a stronger Wi-Fi or mobile data connection.
2. On Your Computer:
   • Keep voice.google.com open.
   • Ensure your microphone and notifications are enabled.
   • Reload your browser.
3. On Your Mobile Phone:
   • Verify that your phone is correctly configured to receive Google Voice calls.

When using Google Voice, you may face issues like incoming calls appearing in your call history but never ringing on your device.

Reasons:

1. Your device may be set to silent, vibrate, or Do Not Disturb mode.
2. A linked number may be outdated, preventing the phone from ringing even though Voice logs the call.
3. The Google Voice tab or app has been inactive for a while, causing the tab to enter sleep mode.
4. Notifications or sound permissions on your device are disabled or restricted.

Solutions:

1. Switch your device out of silent or Do Not Disturb mode, and ensure sound is enabled.
2. Keep the Google Voice tab or app active by interacting with it periodically.
3. Re-register or update your linked number in Google Voice settings to ensure it's properly registered and active.
4. Allow the Google Voice app to send notifications even when iPhone/iPad Focus mode is on.

Experiencing issues with sending SMS (Short Message Service) or MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) through Google Voice can result in messages being stuck in the “Sending…:” status, failing to deliver, or triggering error notifications.

Reasons:

1. You have sent too many messages or large attachments in a short period of time, or texted too many numbers without receiving replies.
2. Your Google Voice account may be blocked or suspended due to violating messaging policies.

Solutions:

1. Wait at least 24 hours before trying to send messages again if you were temporarily blocked.
2. Check for account suspension by signing in at voice.google.com using an incognito browser window. If suspended, click the Contact us link displayed on the suspension page and file an appeal.

Poor audio quality during Google Voice calls can appear in many ways, including difficulty hearing the other person, unexpected echoes, choppy audio, or delays in conversation.

Reasons:

1. Incorrect or faulty audio devices (speakers, microphones, or headsets).
2. Browser settings that block sound or prevent Google Voice from functioning correctly.
3. Improper app settings on mobile devices.
4. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) can slow or interfere with network performance.
5. Security software or firewalls restricting Voice services.
6. Weak, unstable, or congested internet connections.

Solutions:

1. Ensure you have a stable, high-speed internet connection to support clear call audio.
2. Verify that your microphone, speaker, or headset is properly functioning.
3. Turn off your VPN if it slows your connection or disrupts Google Voice performance.
4. Remove or disable third-party apps that may block or interfere with calling features.

Microphone problems in Google Voice can prevent callers from hearing you during conversations or stop the system from detecting audio input entirely.

Reasons:

1. Chrome or other browsers may not have Google Voice listed as allowed for microphone access.
2. Browser updates, ad-blocking extensions, script blockers, or cookie restrictions may interfere with microphone access.
3. Sometimes the problem occurs only in one browser (e.g., Chrome), while it works in others, like Firefox or Safari.

Solutions:

1. Ensure your browser has microphone access enabled and that Google Voice is listed as an allowed site in your browser’s microphone settings.
2. Temporarily turn off ad blockers, privacy extensions, or scripts that may block microphone access.
3. If the microphone does not work in one browser, test on another supported browser like Firefox or Safari.

Voicemail problems in Google Voice include new messages not showing up, recordings failing to save, or transcriptions not appearing for recent voicemails.

Reasons:

1. The voicemail transcription feature may not be fully enabled or may not apply to older voicemails.
2. Background noise, loud environments, or echo can distort the message so much that Google cannot generate a transcription.
3. A temporary glitch in the Google Voice app or web interface may prevent transcriptions from appearing.

Solutions:

1. Confirm that Voicemail Transcripts is turned on in Google Voice settings.
2. Record a clearer voicemail by moving to a quiet location and speaking directly into your microphone.
3. Toggle the transcription setting off and on again to refresh it.
4. If the issue persists, send feedback through the Google Voice app or website to report the problem.

If you're experiencing issues with Google Voice call recording, you may notice that the recording tone never plays, the call doesn’t indicate that recording has started, or no recording appears in your voicemail after the call ends.

Reasons:

1. You may not have Call Recording enabled in Google Voice settings.
2. Recording works only on a linked carrier phone or a supported VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) device.
3. Recording is attempted on outgoing calls (Google Voice only records incoming calls)

Solutions:

1. Enable Call Recording in Google Voice settings.
2. Answer the call on a supported device (Google Voice app, linked carrier phone, or web).
3. Press 4 during the incoming call to begin recording.

A linked number is removed from your Google Voice account if it gets verified or used on another Google Voice account. When this happens, the number is marked as claimed elsewhere, but you can add it back if you still own the number.

Reasons:

1. You or someone else with access to the phone number linked it to their own Google Voice profile.

Solutions:

1. Go to voice.google.com → Settings → Linked numbers and add the number again.
2. Complete the verification process by entering the 6-digit code sent by text or phone call.
3. If Google notifies you that the number is being used on another account, select Claim to move it back to your current account.

A Google Voice number may become unavailable if it hasn't been used for an extended period. When this happens, the number no longer appears in your account, but Google provides a limited window of time during which you can restore it. Reclaiming your number allows you to continue using it for calls, messages, and voicemail without needing to choose a new one.

Reasons:

1. If you do not make calls, send texts, or receive voicemails for a long time, Google marks the number as inactive.

Solutions:

1. To keep your Google Voice number from being reclaimed, simply make a call, send a text, or listen to a voicemail using your Google Voice number before the reclaim date.
2. After the reclaim date, you have 45 days to get your Google Voice number back.
   • Go to voice.google.com on your computer.
   • Sign in to the Google Account.
   • Accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy if prompted.
   • Search for your number by entering its city or area code.
   • When your number appears, click Select.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your number.

Note: If you have tried all the troubleshooting steps and the issue still persists, contact Google Voice support or your Google Workspace administrator for further assistance.

If your Google Voice isn’t working or you're looking for more features, you have several options. Providers like Calilio, RingCentral, and Dialpad offer reliable and effective communication services with advanced features. These Google Voice alternatives provide improved functionalities, such as auto attendant, audio and video conferencing, call monitoring, voicemail, and more, with the added benefit of artificial intelligence (AI).

While Google Voice offers free personal use and business features, it has limitations. For example, the Starter plan lacks call recording, doesn't support toll-free numbers, and has limited integration with non-Google apps.

Google Voice is a popular communication tool, but like any service, it has certain limitations that may impact your workflow or business communication. While troubleshooting can resolve many issues, it might not always deliver the reliability or advanced features you require.

If your current phone service no longer aligns with your communication needs, it may be worth exploring a more flexible and feature-rich alternative like Calilio.