Disable google voice voice mail

[helpful55]

Got my Obi all set up with Google Voice and it works great. Only one problem I have. Google with their control thing or whatever, have their built in voice mail that seems to have very few options to modify it at all. It goes to their voice mail after a set amount of time, which is about 4 rings. I would like to be able to let my home phone answering machine answer my missed calls, since I like the 6 rings before it answers and it is more convenient to use for message retrieval. I can set my answering machine to answer before the GV VM answers, but I would like to be able to go back to my 6 rings setting on it. So far the only remedy I have found is for the people who forward to their cell phones, where some companies have a code to remove the GV voice mail operation. It sounds like maybe that disengages GV VM totally from the account. Does anyone know if I forwarded to a cell phone temporarily, then used that to disconnect GV VM,  could I then remove that cell # and then have my home answering machine have control of the incoming calls again? Or is there any other solution to this. Doesn't sound like Google is going to change this in the near future as it has been this way for years. Thanks to anyone who has a solution.

[Rick]

When you remove the cell it would be normal operation, so no.

[SteveInWA]

Google Voice is intended to be a call forwarding and management service, not simply a free version of a standard VoIP telephone service provider.  As such, GV's voice mail is a mandatory part of the service, and it can't be disabled.  Google has no reason, nor intention, to change this.  GV voice mail will answer calls after approximately 25 seconds of ring time, and this period is not adjustable.  If you don't want to use GV voice mail, then your alternative answering device must answer before GV voice mail grabs the call.  Otherwise, use a SIP VoIP service provider that offers the flexibility you want, such as Callcentric.