Why all those free app-style USA numbers cannot receive Google Voice code?

[TTCP]

Hi, I am not sure whether this is the correct place to ask the following question. So please pardon my ignorance.

I am in Canada, and I would like to get a Google voice number. So I applied for a free USA phone number from those apps, like TextNow, TextFree, NextPlus, etc, as Google requires you to have a US mobile number in order to apply for a Google Voice number.

But the problem is that none of those free app-style USA numbers can receive Google Voice verification code. Does somebody know why?

Is it that Google knows this trick so that they deliberately block this kind of numbers, and only a real fee-paying cell phone number can receive such code?

Or is it that that all these free app-style US number providers subscribe to the same low-cost budget telecom carrier like Sprint and the Sprint network is unable to receive Google Voice verification code?

[SteveInWA]

Is it that Google knows this trick so that they deliberately block this kind of numbers, and only a real fee-paying cell phone number can receive such code?

Yes.  You can't game the system.  Google Voice is intended to be a USA-only service.

[vtsnaab]

Why not get a free DID from Callcentric ??
They give away free NY numbers.

[SteveInWA]

If that was an option, I would have said so.

You cannot use a Callcentric DID as eligibility to claim a Google Voice number.  As I've said before, Google has had to tighten its eligibility requirements, due to people abusing the service (e.g. using it as a source of multiple free VoIP trunks, or using it for robocalling, telemarketing, and other illegal activities).

[vtsnaab]

I'm sure they have expended great efforts to enforce their own rules; after all, the big G is about the most powerful corporate entity currently existing and its will is made to resemble a force of law these days in many ways.

All the same (and yes, I am within US boundaries):
I did have to re-verify GV recently when changing wifi-only devices around.
The phone it wanted to 'verify' is not activated on a provider, has no number of its own and is used with Textnow, SIP and GV only.

The verification was done by carefully examining the options offered - one worked fine.
Also, there are many posts - some even recent, to be found by searching, about how folks outside of the US can get & verify for a GV number.
The big G has not yet made it totally impossible from what I can see.

[TTCP]

Why not get a free DID from Callcentric ??
They give away free NY numbers.

CallCentric free DID can only receive voice calls. It is not capable of receiving text messages.

If some Google employees can come out and tell us the real reason why these free app-style phone numbers not working, and show us the source code/algorithm how Google does it, that would be great. Hope Google will not treat it as trade secret.

I think Google has plug the hole, and ****All**** the hacks/articles on the Internet on how to get GV numbers from outside USA is outdated and not working.

[SteveInWA]

Why not get a free DID from Callcentric ??
They give away free NY numbers.

CallCentric free DID can only receive voice calls. It is not capable of receiving text messages.

If some Google employees can come out and tell us the real reason why these free app-style phone numbers not working, and show us the source code/algorithm how Google does it, that would be great. Hope Google will not treat it as trade secret.

I think Google has plug the hole, and ****All**** the hacks/articles on the Internet on how to get GV numbers from outside USA is outdated and not working.

Google has put in place various tools to minimize fraud and abuse of the service.  They're not going to publish their methods.  Does your credit card company publish documentation on how their fraud detection systems work?

The point is:  Google Voice is intended to be a comprehensive inbound call forwarding, voicemail and text message management service.  It was never intended to be a substitute for legitimate US telephone service, as doing so would run afoul of US telecom regulations requiring carriers to provide E911 service, and to pay Federal, state and local taxes and USF fees.  Google had to implement stricter eligibility requirements to protect that legal and regulatory distinction, and to minimize abuse of the service by people grabbing multiple numbers.

Here are a few actual, (documented on the Google Voice Help Forum) examples of abuse that will help illustrate why this is a big deal:

Online "escort services" (prostitutes) have published Google Voice numbers obtained fraudulently, and published them on their "backpage.com" or craigslist listings.

Predators have been using multiple GV numbers to call and text their victims with violent and/or sexually abusive messages, then deleting and changing their numbers to do it again.

Companies that prey on the families of prison inmates were snatching up multiple Google Voice numbers near various Federal or state prisons, and selling these numbers to the inmates' contacts, as a cheaper, local call for the inmate.  In some cases, every single number in the podunk town near the prison was taken.

If all you are looking for is VoIP telephone service, with none of the other features Google Voice offers, then there are plenty of other alternatives.