Google Voice now lets you use your existing phone number

Google Voice is an innovative phone service that provides a rich array of features including the ability to access your voicemail via your computer, sharing and transcription of your voicemail messages, custom greetings based on the caller, and low-cost international calling. Until this week, this free service from Google, required that you choose a new phone number to gain access to these great features.

Now Google has announced that users can get most Google Voice features while using an existing mobile number, saving users the hassle of giving out a new number to all their contacts. This video explains some of the benefits of Google Voice with your existing number:

The Official Google Blog explains how to get started:

If you already have a Google Voice account, you can add Google voicemail to any mobile phone you've linked to your account. If you're not yet using Google Voice, you can request an invite or ask a friend with a Google Voice account to send you an invitation. When you receive the invitation to sign up, you can choose to use Google Voice with your existing number—or to get a Google number for additional features.

Google Voice was already a powerful tool, but this additional functionality should make it appealing to even more consumers. --Dirk Klingner