Like Google Hangouts, Google Docs, or any number of new Google apps and softwares, Google Voice is Google’s answer to text and voice messaging – the same which would typically be provided by your service provider. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using Google Voice instead of your phone/tablet/computer’s standard messaging capabilities, and there may well come a time when you seek to delete Google Voice.
Whilst you may not be able to permanently delete the app, in some situations (and remember that deleting the app does not also delete your account), you can always deactivate your Google Voice number and delete your account. To do so, follow the below tutorial. For more information, see the FAQs at the end of this article.
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How to deactivate your Google Voice number and delete your account
- Open up your preferred web browser, and navigate to the official Google Voice website
- When prompted, sign-in to your existing Google Voice account
- Locate the Menu icon (three vertical grey dots) in the top-left of the page, click on it
- From the sidebar, locate and click on ‘Settings’
- First, you’re going to want to disable your voicemail for your Google numbers, so that your contacts can’t continue to leave you messages once you’re gone. To do so, click ‘Voicemail’ from the Settings menu
- Untick the box next to ‘Get voicemail via message’
- Next, navigate back to the Settings menu, and click on ‘Phone numbers’
- Beneath your listed Google Voice number(s), click ‘Delete’
- To confirm your deletion, you must now click ‘Proceed’
- You have successfully deactivated your voicemail and deleted your Google Voice account. If you wish to now delete the app from your phone, tablet, or computer, you should now do so (provided your OS allows it)
And there you have it! As simple as following the ten easy steps listed above, you can permanently delete your Google Voice account and deactivate your voicemail. For more information, see the FAQs below.
Note: If you paid to transfer your regular number to Google Voice, or use the app with an existing Sprint account, you will not be able to delete your Google Voice account.
Frequently asked questions
What is Google Voice?
Like Google Hangouts, an instant messaging cloud-based platform, Google Voice is an app, primarily used by US Google account holders, which provides a variety of call and text services, including call-forwarding, voicemail, international call termination, and voice and text messaging. For many users, it comes preinstalled on their mobile phone, tablet, or PC (especially Chromebooks, or Google phones, for example). For others, it is a service they choose to engage with in order to consolidate their various messaging needs under one roof, and with a company they’ve used before and trust. Note: Google Voice is not to be confused with Google Assistant – a voice based AI assistant, like Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri.
Why would I want to delete Google Voice?
There are many reasons why you might want to delete Google Voice, especially if you are a mobile phone user whose telecommunications/SIM company already provides all of the necessary faculties which Google Voice also covers. Perhaps you no longer want to have your information stored in Google’s database, or simply have no need nor use for the app any longer. You may well simply have discovered another app which you find easier or otherwise preferable to use.
Can I recover Google Voice if I change my mind?
Google Voice retains access to your Google Voice account for 90 days following deletion, meaning that if within 90 days you change your mind, or if you deleted your account by accident in the first place, then you can recover it quite easily. To do so, simply head back to the Google Voice website, as suggested above. From the website’s homepage, navigate to Menu > Legacy Google Voice > Get your old number back. Follow the on-screen instructions to recover your old Google Voice number, regain access to your Google Voice voicemails and messages, and begin using the service once again.
What happens when I delete Google Voice?
When you delete Google Voice, your number is deactivated (meaning that any of your previous contacts will no longer be able to contact you via the app), and your account is put on temporary deletion, only permanently deleted after 90 days. Your information, and previous messages, etc., however, are not permanently deleted. Google has a right to these, as per its terms and conditions, and so will retain them indefinitely.
If I delete my Google Voice account, can I also delete the app?
You should always delete your account with Google Voice before attempting to delete the app, as deleting the app on its own will not simultaneously delete your account. You may well find, however, that you are unable to delete the Google Voice app, as it may come as an ingrained part of your phone’s software or OS, or may have been installed on your phone during your latest OS upgrade, part of which being an inability to delete it. What you should be able to do, however, is to deactivate it, and essentially resign it to the inactive regions of your phone. To do so, head to your phone, tablet, or PC’s settings > apps > Google Voice settings > deactivate.
