US Virtual Number | Imamother

amother

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 3:27 am

I pay something like $5 per month for a US number to be routed to my Israel cell phone. The company is called Sonetel. Then I theoretically pay nothing for incoming calls (but lately they do charge 45 cents) and I call back US people to speak to them through my Israeli phone plan. I am looking for another option around the same price or less. The reason is because I am supposed to also get text messages forwarded to my email and that hasn't been working, and I need that option urgently for my work. Does anyone know another call forwarding company like this for approximately the same price? Is there another way to get text messages sent to email (as well as to the phone theoretically would be fine).

amother

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 6:39 am

Iymnok wrote:

Does it work with google voice?

I just looked into Google Voice and I don't understand what it is.

I'm in Israel and don't have a smartphone. I have an Israel 054... number and I want a US 212... number forwarded to it. I also want text messages sent to my 212 number forwarded to my email. Right now I'm paying a monthly fee and a per-minute incoming call fee for this service. But it's not working well so I'm looking for other options.

It looks like Google Voice is for people in the US to make international calls. Is that not so? Does it have this as well? Is there another way to get text messages sent to my current 212 number forwarded to my email? (That's all that's not working, and what I need now for work.)

amother

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 6:49 am

I think Google Voice actually would work! But I tried to set up an account and they said it's not supported in Israel. If I have someone in the US set up an account for me, and put my email, would that work? Can someone set up an account in the US and use it when they're overseas? Or does it know somehow?

I just need a US number that others could call and I need text messages sent to that number sent to my email. Sounds like this wouldn't forward calls to my Israel cell phone, but I don't actually need that. I can call the people back from my phone if I see they called via email. Will this work for me if someone in the US sets it up?

amother

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 7:00 am

juggling wrote:

I believe once you set up google voice in the US, you can use it anywhere.

Great, and do you know how much I need to pay for a number and if there's a charge for incoming calls and incoming texts? I see they are mostly publicizing using it for outgoing, so they posted international rates for making calls.

amother

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 7:38 am

essie14 wrote:

We use www.jivetel.com

Thanks. And you get calls and texts forwarded? (Is texts to email an option?) Do you know how much you pay? I'm checking the site, but there's a lot there...

essie14

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 8:01 am

amother OP wrote:

Thanks. And you get calls and texts forwarded? (Is texts to email an option?) Do you know how much you pay? I'm checking the site, but there's a lot there...

They have an option for texts to email.
My husband is grandfathered in at a very low rate. But you can call and talk to them. Staff all speak English.

rabshi

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 8:52 am

amother OP wrote:

You don't need a smartphone to use Google Voice. You can set it up to receive sms and voice messages and notifications for missed calls by email.

Using your browser you can send and receive text and voice messages. You can even call to the US for free.

You need someone in the US to subscribe for a Google Voice account either with your Google credentials or with their account and then forward the GV account to your account.

Good luck!

amother

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 8:56 am

rabshi wrote:

Thanks very much, I'm going to try it. I just have to wait for those chutzniks to finish yom tov! Thanks all!

amother

Steelblue

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 1:31 pm

You can set up a Google voice account from Israel, you just need to have a code sent to an American number so you can ask anyone with an American number if you can have the code sent to them

amother

Thu, Apr 13 2023, 1:50 pm

amother Steelblue wrote:

You can set up a Google voice account from Israel, you just need to have a code sent to an American number so you can ask anyone with an American number if you can have the code sent to them

When I go to "Personal account" and "Web," it says "Sorry, Google Voice isn't supported in your country yet" Sad

amother

Fri, Apr 14 2023, 7:45 am

Okay, my dad tried to sign me up for Google Voice. He managed to get a phone number forwarded to my US number, but didn't see a way to link it to an email. He said he'll look it up later. Does anyone know how to do that? Also, how will I in Israel be able to sign into this Google Voice account? Don't you need to see/change settings sometimes? All of you who set up an account in the US and then came to Israel, can you access that account from here, or do you just get the calls and texts and nothing goes wrong?

rabshi

Fri, Apr 14 2023, 10:01 am

amother OP wrote:

He needs to go to Google Voice Settings where he'll find that option. Here's what it says in the Hebrew version:
העברת המספר שלך לחשבון אחר ב-Voice
יש לך אפשרות להעביר את המספר שלך ב-Voice מהחשבון הזה לחשבון אחר ב-Voice, כדי להשתמש בו בחשבון השני

amother

Fri, Apr 14 2023, 10:16 am

rabshi wrote:

Thanks. How did you see that? Does that mean once you have a Google Voice account from the US you can get into it here without seeing the wrong country error page?