Google Voice is a program in the Google Suite & app for your phone that you can use to make phone calls, send text messages.
Good to use if you don't want to use your personal cell phone number to make contact with parents.
You're assigned a phone number that is unassigned and that becomes your Google Voice phone number.
To set up Google Voice, you have to have a personal Google account (unable to use your school email to sign in).
Sign in using your PERSONAL Google account, or click Create Account if you don't have one.
Click Continue
Enter the area code you want to use and it will generate a list of phone numbers that are unassigned.
Click Select next to the one you want to use.
Click Verify to complete the setup and verify your existing phone number.
Enter your phone number that you have and click Send Code to receive a verification code for the next step.
Enter the code you receive as a text message on your cell phone and click Verify
Your cell phone number is now verified and linked to your Google Voice number and you can begin using.
Phone icon to make phone calls.
Enter the number you're calling on the keypad to make a call.
The first time it will prompt you to allow access to the microphone and click Accept.
Message icon for text messages.
Voicemail icon.
If someone calls you and leaves a voicemail, it will be transcribed into text and can view it that way (can also listen to the message as well). The transcription is pretty good but will not always get the words correct.
Setup on an iPhone or Android device follows the same steps as above. Just download the app first.
Same button and functions, just laid out differently as it's via the app and not on a computer.
When you make a phone call, a box like this will appear
This is just a relay that is being used to make your phone call in Google Voice. Click Call to begin your phone call.
The number you chose as your Google Voice number will be the one to appear on the phone you are calling.