Two Google Voice Accounts, One Forwarding Phone?

[restamp]

This is probably a Steve-type question, although I would appreciate a response from anyone who *knows* the answer.  No speculation, please.  And, yes, I realize this is more about Google Voice than OBi devices, but I suspect the brain-trust needed to answer the question resides in this forum.

I have two GV accounts, and two GV phone numbers.  I use them both regularly.  The first was created many years ago using my landline as its forwarding phone.  The landline was later converted to VoIP.  The second was created more recently using a second VoIP number (before Google clamped down on such things).

Already possessing these numbers, I suppose I am grandfathered, even if I couldn't use these VoIP numbers as forwarding phones to create the account today.  The first number, the former landline, is still in wide use.  I only keep the second number around because it is linked to the GV account.

I read here:  https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115105?hl=en
that it is possible to share a forwarding phone between two GV numbers, and I'm wondering if I could do that with my old landline number and drop the second VoIP line.  I have not tried doing this to date out of a concern that I would wind up causing problems with one, or both, GV accounts.

My question:
Is the above GV support comment, to the effect that you can share a home or work number between two GV numbers as a common forwarding phone, still valid today, or will attempting to do so cause problems, either immediately or down the road.  (FWIW, I already have the two GV numbers linked, in that each is the "recovery phone" for the other in the event one of the accounts is ever compromised.)

Inquiring minds want to know.  Thanks in advance.

[SteveInWA]

Hi:

I'm unclear as to what, exactly, you are asking, so I'll just throw some factoids out here and see if it answers your question(s).  If not, please clarify.

You now have two Google Voice numbers (meaning, two inbound phone numbers, one on each of two separate Google/Gmail/GV accounts).  It doesn't matter that you obtained one of them in the past by submitting a VoIP forwarding number; the two GV numbers are yours to keep, as long as you use them periodically (every few months) to receive a forwarded call, or make a call via your OBi or via a forwarding phone.

The current anti-abuse rules are intentionally vague, so as to not make life any easier for the sleazeballs who are grabbing up thousands of numbers for robocalling and spam.  However, it's now public knowledge that you can't submit a number from a pure-play VoIP carrier to claim a GV number.  *pure-play, meaning a company whose only business is as an ITSP, and isn't also a regulated ILEC or CLEC.  In other words, Comcast Digital Phone number:  OK.  "SuperDuperCheapo VoIP company", not OK.  I can't get into any deeper details.

However:  once you have obtained a GV phone number by submitting an acceptable forwarding phone number, then you can, if you wish, add whatever other forwarding numbers you wish -- POTS landline, VoIP landline, or mobile.  The key point is that Google is using the "qualified forwarding number" as a gate -- if you can't offer up an acceptable number, then no GV number for you.

So, in your case, you can add or move around your forwarding numbers between GV accounts, within reason.  Delete the number off of one account before adding it to the other account.

And yes, you can use the same forwarding number on a maximum of two existing GV accounts, with one caveat:  a number with type = work or type = home can be a forwarding phone on two accounts, but a phone number with type = mobile can only be used on one account.  This is because of the way GV handles text message forwarding.

Finally, the "recovery" number designation is independent of Google Voice...it's used to recover your password if you forget it.

[LTN1]

I read here:  https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115105?hl=en
that it is possible to share a forwarding phone between two GV numbers, and I'm wondering if I could do that with my old landline number and drop the second VoIP line.  I have not tried doing this to date out of a concern that I would wind up causing problems with one, or both, GV accounts.

Steve provided a detailed and thorough answer--but to succinctly answer your question...yes you can. This is from recent experience.

I would first add the forwarding number from your GV 1 account to your GV 2 account as home or work. Confirm that it works. After that, delete your original forwarding number on your GV 2 account. Then you can cancel that second VoIP line.

[SteveInWA]

I read here:  https://support.google.com/voice/answer/115105?hl=en
that it is possible to share a forwarding phone between two GV numbers, and I'm wondering if I could do that with my old landline number and drop the second VoIP line.  I have not tried doing this to date out of a concern that I would wind up causing problems with one, or both, GV accounts.

Steve provided a detailed and thorough answer--but to succinctly answer your question...yes you can. This is from recent experience.

I would first add the forwarding number from your GV 1 account to your GV 2 account as home or work. Confirm that it works. After that, delete your original forwarding number on your GV 2 account. Then you can cancel that second VoIP line.

The catch is:  if the forwarding phone number is a mobile phone number, it cannot be a forwarding phone on two accounts, because this screws up text message forwarding.   However, if you don't use text messaging on that phone, you can arbitrarily change the "type" field to "work" or "home" on both GV accounts, which will disable text messaging, but allow the phone to be used on both accounts.  "Work" vs. "home" are treated the same (landline); it's just to help people keep track.

[restamp]

Thanks, Steve and LTN1 (Reports of prior empirical success are always good to have!),

Yes, the VoIP (previous landline) number I plan to use for a forwarding phone is classified as a Home line (even though it is theoretically capable of receiving text messages).  I'll have to bite the bullet and give it a try.  Thanks for the info and explanation!