Can I change the caller ID that goes with Google Voice #...?
rggg:
Hello,
I just got a Google Voice # and finished set-up of my OBi200. All works just fine. However when I entered a local area code (360) in the box for that, I got the message no numbers were available there. So I put the name of my city in the other box (calls for "phrase" ??... I have no idea what's going on here...!). Then it gives me an area code of 361 and choice of 5 available numbers in Ingleside TX.
I am in WA state, but 361 is close enough to 360 for me, so I complete the process.
Then I test the results by calling my existing landline, and to my surprise my phone rings just like it should...! Great... but the Caller ID shows "Ingleside TX"...!
Anybody know how to get my real location in there...?
Thanks much,
Gerry
SteveInWA:
Hi Gerry:
You can't. Google Voice does not allow caller ID spoofing.
If you want a number that is actually in your city, then you have two choices:
Get a prepaid cell phone SIM and number, and then port that number into GV.Don't use GV. Get a local number from a SIP VoIP service provider, like Callcentric, voip.ms or Phonepower, etc.
Taoman:
Quote from: rggg on January 24, 2017, 06:51:03 pm
Anybody know how to get my real location in there...?
Highly unlikely you will get a number from your exact location. The best you can hope for is any 360 area code number. I just checked and there were several 360 area code numbers available in Aberdeen, Port Angeles, Stanwood, etc.
If you can accept any 360 area code number then go to your Google Voice settings page and click on Change/Port and then the button "I want a new number." This will cost you $10. Search for a number in the 360 area code. If one isn't available when you try it come back at a later time and try it.
I just now tried changing my number again and there are well over 50 (I stopped counting) 360 area code numbers available.
rggg:
Hi guys,
Thanks for the responses. If I cannot change the location, is it possible to get GV to just blank it out...? Seems that would not be "spoofing" (not really sure what spoofing means...).
What I'm concerned with is having my calls go unanswered due to being mistaken for "spam". Probably half the calls we get on our home phone now are spam, and we mostly don't pick up if we don't recognize the calling number or location. So if I got a call from Texas, I likely wouldn't answer it...!
I was quite confused with the GV web page on which I requested a number. It offered 2 boxes, with the instructions to enter an area code in the first box and/or a "phrase" in the second. I entered area code 360 as that's my home code. I left the second box empty. GV came back with "no numbers available in area code 360", then put up some option (which I don't recall) of selecting another area code, which I did, and GV offered 5 numbers in Texas in area code 361. That's close enough for me, and I was actually impressed with Google's smarts in offering one close to my selection. So I picked one.
Now I'm wondering, if I had left the first box blank and entered the city name "Lynden" in the second box, would GV have offered some random area code with "Lynden" as the text that appears as the calling location...? Do you know what text GV actually wants in that second box... or what they would do with it...?
I do have a cell number I could sacrifice if need be. However I wouldn't want the cell phone accumulating "missed calls" as it would if it rings along with the GV number on the OBi phone. It would be annoying having to clear all the missed calls out of the cell phone.
Taoman, can you explain how to search for available numbers...?
Thanks again,
Gerry.
yosif:
Quote from: rggg on January 25, 2017, 12:51:34 pm
I do have a cell number I could sacrifice if need be.
There is no need to pay $10 or sacrifice your mobile number. Get yourself another randomly generated gmail account and get a new Google Voice number for that account. Search for a number in the 360 area code until you find one.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page