Legacy Google Voice, including answerable ‘Carrier Call Forwarding,’ shutting down next month

A little over three and a half years after Voice was massively redesigned, Google started telling original users that the legacy web version would stop receiving updates and encouraged them to migrate over. Legacy Google Voice is now set to be “phased out” from next month.

You are receiving this email because you have a consumer (personal) Google Voice account and are one of the few remaining users using a legacy web feature that may be impacted as we complete the migration of all Voice users to the modern experience (which launched in 2017).

This change does not apply to paying Google Voice for Workspace users and comes as the company says, in a notification email to users, that it has spent the last few years migrating over “key features from the legacy web version.” However, in the email, Google highlighted seven “features that will not carry over to the new experience” at voice.google.com or on the mobile app (though the last change is just a tweak):

• Do Not Disturb Timer
• Ring Scheduling
• Settings for Carrier Call Forwarding: Carrier Call Forwarding will no longer have a setting. It will still be possible to forward calls from another carrier to your Google Voice number, however, all carrier forwarded calls from your linked number will go directly to voicemail.
• Call Notes: Call Notes were removed from the legacy web version in 2020 and will be deleted and no longer accessible through Account Takeout after March 31st, 2022. If you want to preserve the notes you have, you must download your data before March 31st 2022. To learn more, read Remove notes from Legacy Voice.
• Voicemail-only accounts: Users with Voicemail-only accounts will need to update to a Full numbered Voice account and update your carrier forwarding to use your new Google Voice number. To learn more, read Upgrade from legacy Google Voice (voicemail only).
• Purchasing calling credits in non-USD currencies: Since consumer (personal) Google Voice is only available to U.S. users, by the summer of 2022 all non-USD credit balances will be automatically converted to USD when their account balance goes below 0.50 in your current non-USD currency. It will only be possible to purchase new credits in USD and auto-recharging in non-USD will be disabled. To learn more, read Buy credit to make calls.
• Additionally, Call-to-Listen Voicemail Access, when turned on will require pressing “*” once your Voicemail recording starts playing. This will trigger the audio prompt that asks for your voicemail PIN which must be entered in order to listen to your voicemails.

Legacy users are taking particular issue with the removal of Carrier Call Forwarding. The feature will continue to “forward calls from another carrier to your Google Voice number.” However, “all carrier forwarded calls from your linked number will go directly to voicemail.”

It isn’t possible to have carrier-forwarded calls from a linked number ring on all your devices. If you want your devices to ring from your carrier number, port your number to Google Voice. 

Google instead points to porting or the recent Custom call forwarding update from last month. It adds that these changes are meant to “simplify the product by removing seldom-used features and allow our teams to focus on providing the best product experience.”

Full details of the upcoming changes, including all legacy features carried over to the new experience, are available on the FAQ with a brief summary below.

Legacy Google Voice is shutting down starting mid-February 2022.

Thanks Yitz