GFiber Phone FAQs

General phone information

Is GFiber Phone available to everyone?

GFiber Phone is only available in select areas. During the GFiber sign up process, you'll be able to see whether GFiber Phone is available at your address.

Is GFiber Phone a VoIP service?

Yes. GFiber Phone services on your phone operate on a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology that transmits and receives communications over the public Internet. This means that your GFiber Phone services will not work on your phone if you do not have an Internet connection. For example, if you are talking on your phone and you reboot your router, your phone call will be interrupted. To offset a service interruption during an outage, you may want to consider installing a battery backup or another UPS (Universal Power Supply).

How does GFiber Phone differ from Google Voice?

GFiber Phone and Google Voice work together on your phone. GFiber Phone and Google Voice share the same phone number, so calls you receive on your GFiber Phone number will ring your phone, and calls made from GFiber Phone will come from your Google Voice number.

If I already have a phone number on my phone service, can I use that number?

Yes, you can bring your current phone number with you to GFiber Phone. If you later decide to cancel GFiber Phone service and want to transfer your number to another provider, you will need to follow the Google Voice transfer process.

I already have a Google Voice number. Can I use that?

Yes, when you sign up for GFiber Phone you’ll have the option to use your current Google Voice number. Settings for your Google Voice number won’t be changed.

If you want to keep your existing Google Voice number and have a different number for GFiber Phone, we recommend that you activate GFiber Phone with a different Google Account than the one associated with your Google Voice number. You can also transfer your Google Voice number to a different Google Account.

How long does it take to transfer my phone number to Google Fiber, and what happens to my current phone service?

After you provide us your transfer information, it typically takes 3-5 business days to complete the transfer of your phone number to GFiber Phone. When you transfer your phone number to GFiber Phone, your carrier will cancel your current service at the time the transfer completes. Please don't cancel your service before that time.

Can I get a new GFiber Phone number for my phone service?

Yes, when you sign up for GFiber Phone you'll have the option to get a new phone number. If you choose a new GFiber Phone number for your phone service, and later decide to transfer back to your previous phone provider, you might not be able to get back your old (original) number.

Calling features

Does call waiting work with GFiber Phone?

Yes; here's how call waiting works with GFiber Phone.

Does caller ID work with GFiber Phone?

Yes, unlike other services, callers' names and phone numbers are pulled from your Google contacts and Google business listings if caller ID is available.

Can I block my caller ID from people I call?

Yes, you can block your caller ID by dialing *67 on your phone before dialing a number.

Can I use my answering machine to listen to messages instead of using GFiber Phone's voicemail service?

Yes. Because GFiber Phone picks up calls after 25 seconds, you'll need to set your answering machine to pick up calls within two, three, or four rings, which are typically 10, 16, and 20 seconds. If you choose to have your answering machine pick up your calls, you won't be able to use GFiber Phone's voicemail features, such as sending a transcription of voicemails, along with an audio file, to your email address.

Can I make long distance calls?

Yes. You can make long distance calls from your GFiber Phone service, your mobile phone, and your computer. Calls made on phone will be added to your next GFiber bill.

My phone is programmed to dial *99 for direct access to voicemail. Do I need to change that?

No, you can continue to use *99 for direct access to your voicemail. Learn more about voicemail basics and options

Does GFiber Phone support additional users?

No, GFiber Phone and Google Voice no longer offer the option to invite other (secondary) users to share your phone service. If you already have secondary users on your GFiber Phone service and would like to make changes, please contact GFiber customer support.

GFiber Phone hardware

Can I use my existing phone hardware with GFiber Phone?

Yes. GFiber Phone comes with a Phone Box that includes a phone jack. We recommend you use a cordless phone so you can have handsets throughout your space. (Some push-button phones, and rotary-dial phones, may not work with GFiber Phone.)

Do I need a handset?

Yes, you'll need at least one handset at the time GFiber Phone is installed. Here are the pre-installation requirements.

Will GFiber Phone work during a power outage?

Like most VoIP services, GFiber Phone requires an Internet connection and power. Your phone service will be interrupted during a power outage unless you set up phone battery backup.

Does a power outage affect my 911 service?

Yes. If you don't have a phone backup battery to power your service during an outage, 911 emergency service is unavailable.

Will GFiber Phone work with a fax machine?

Yes. Performance varies based on the fax manufacturer and the length (in pages) of the transmission; faxes under 20 pages are typically the most successful. You can connect a fax machine through your phone wiring or directly to the Phone Box.

Will GFiber Phone work with a security system?

Please check with your security or alarm provider, as some providers don't support GFiber Phone or other voice over IP phone systems.

Will my intercom system continue to work with GFiber Phone?

In most cases, intercoms don't rely on your phone wiring and will continue to work. If your intercom depends on your phone wiring, we cannot support both GFiber Phone and your intercom on the same line.

Can I use GFiber Phone with Project Fi?

At this time you cannot use Project Fi and GFiber Phone on the same Google Account. If you want to use Project Fi, please consider using or creating a different Google Account for GFiber Phone.

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