Edit: Please see comments for latest updates and settings for different phones

- Image by marcopako via Flickr
I recently figured out a cool hack that lets you use Google Voice and all the features it offers that are superior to most systems, without the hassle of giving out a new phone number owned by Google.
I discovered this via a post about using SkyDeck to also sync. contacts and have other functionality – all things I did not need, so I took them out of the equation. If you are interested in even more functions, syncing, and worry about GV going down checkout SkyDeck.
To make this work you need a Google Voice account
1. Login to your Google Voice account and go to Settings
a. Make sure your settings (time Zone) and Greeting is setup – I setup a custom greeting so it operates like a standard VM system on a cell phone.
b. Enable Screening should not be checked (if checked it makes callers say their name before putting the call through to you)
c. Call Presentation > OFF (while off it directly connects calls that come through)
d. Caller ID – Display Caller’s Number (again, your choice but displaying your GV number is confusing)
e. make sure you have a pin setup
f. Transcribe Voicemails should be checked
2. Click Phones in settings
Make sure none of your numbers are checked. If they are, GV will try to ring other numbers when you do not answer your cell phone, or send calls to VM.
3. Modify settings on your cell phone to change the default VM settings – a big thank you to SkyDeck for supplying this information:
Alltel *71your-10-digit-Google-Voice-number
AT&T *004*1your-10-digit-Google-Voice-number#
Sprint Call Sprint Technical Support at 888 211 4727 and ask to turn on “call forward busy” and “call forward no answer” for your cell phone. This means that your phone will ring as usual when you receive a call, but if you are busy or do not answer the call will go to Google Voice. When they ask what number to forward to, tell them your-10-digit-Google-Voice-number. (Do not ask for “regular”, “normal”, or “immediate” call forwarding, or all of your calls will go to voicemail.)
T-Mobile *004*1your-10-digit-Google-Voice-number#
Verizon *711your-10-digit-Google-Voice-number
US Cellular *74your-10-digit-Google-Voice-number
If you want to unforward your number do one of the following:
Alltel *74##your 10-digit cell-phone number
AT&T #002#
Sprint Call Sprint Technical Support at 888 211 4727. Ask them to turn off “call forward busy” and “call forward no answer” for your cell phone.
US Cellular *740
Verizon *73
T-Mobile #002#
4. Test out your new automatically FREE transcribed voicemail system! Google Voice will text and email you a message (you can turn this off) when you get a VM and give you a transcription of the voicemail
For me this is a killer way to get the best of Google Voice features, without having to give out a new number to anyone. Google has my trust with email, and I do not have problems letting them archive my voicemails either. It also provides a great record of missed calls and documents numbers so that I can look them up later.

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May 14, 2009
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