Google tells us that this is currently just a test available to some users and is not rolling out to everyone yet. However, it seems likely that a wide scale launch is coming soon.

Here’s a statement from Google:

“We’re continually testing new features to enhance the user experience. For a limited amount of time, we’re making the Google Voice number porting process available to users. We don’t have any additional details to share at this time, but plan to offer this feature to all users in the near future.”

Anyone who’s ever ported a number before knows that it’s generally a pretty simple and quick process. But, to leave themselves some wiggle-room, Google says the process could take up to 3 business days.

For those of you who are still confused about the number porting feature with Google Voice, here’s a few things you need to know:

• Let’s say your old favorite number that all your friends know is 212 555-1212.
• You port this number to Google Voice, which means your cell phone has to get a new number, which is now 646-123-4567.
• You set up forwarding from Google Voice to number 646 123-4567, and now:
  • everyone who calls your favorite 212 555-1212 number can still reach you
  • Google Voice handles and transcribes your SMS for free
  • you don’t ever have to deal with porting a number again or potentially losing it while moving (your new carrier will only let you port a number if the old area code matches your current one)
  • life is good
• You can now set your Google Voice setting on your Android phone to always use Voice for dialing, which means everyone you call will still see your old number 212 555-1212. This is not possible on a non-Android phone, like iPhone, as far as I know – Android’s flexibility rocks quite hard in this case.

You can see screenshots of the process below:

Are you going to port your number to Google Voice? Please share your thought about the new service in the comments section below.

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[Source: Google Voice via Engadget]

Authors: _GadgetNews

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