How I Use Google Voice Voicemail on AT&T and Verizon Phones
Managing multiple phones across different carriers brought some challenges for me—especially when voicemails were scattered between devices. Google Voice offers a great way to unify voicemail, even if your devices are split between AT&T and Verizon.
My Experience
I was having issues where the native voicemail from my AT&T and Verizon phone numbers would sometimes pick up if I did not answer or rejected the call. This fragmented my voicemail and made tracking missed messages difficult. I only wanted Google Voice voicemail to pick up so I could have a centralized inbox.
Additionally, I set Google Voice to prefer Wi-Fi and mobile data for seamless calls and visual voicemail access. However, on my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on AT&T, the ringtone was only using notification alerts and could not be changed, which made it hard to distinguish incoming calls. I also found better cellular reception with the regular AT&T service, which improved call quality.
Setting up call forwarding from my AT&T and Verizon numbers to Google Voice resolved both the voicemail and ringtone issues, allowing me to manage Google Voice across all my devices—computers, tablets, laptops, and multiple phones—with ease and better call handling.
Why I Use Google Voice for Voicemail Unification
If you juggle two phones—one with AT&T and one with Verizon—Google Voice lets you consolidate your voicemails into one inbox. This is especially useful for professionals, consultants, and frequent travelers who manage multiple lines.
How I Set Up Conditional Call Forwarding on AT&T
To make sure all missed calls route to my Google Voice voicemail, I activated conditional call forwarding on my AT&T phone by dialing these codes (substitute GVNUMBER with your full Google Voice number):
- Unanswered calls: *61*GVNUMBER#
- Phone unreachable: *62*GVNUMBER#
- Busy line: *67*GVNUMBER#
Each code needs to be dialed separately with confirmation tones following. This setup ensures only my Google Voice voicemail picks up under these conditions.
How I Set Up Single-Step Forwarding on Verizon
On my Verizon phone, setup was simpler—I dialed *71 plus my Google Voice number, which activates conditional forwarding for unanswered, busy, or unreachable calls.
After dialing, I tested forwarding by calling my Verizon number from another device to ensure voicemail routed correctly. If I ever need to disable forwarding, I can dial *73 or adjust settings on my Verizon account portal.
How I Manage Data Use and Troubleshoot
- I make sure my Google Voice number isn’t linked in the app to avoid call routing loops or conflicts.
- I set Google Voice to prefer Wi-Fi and mobile data for calls and visual voicemail access.
- If calls don’t route correctly, I check my carrier app or contact support to confirm forwarding is active.
Summary Table of How I Use Forwarding
| Carrier |
Forwarding Code(s) |
What It Does |
| AT&T |
*61*GVNUMBER# (Unanswered)
*62*GVNUMBER# (Unreachable)
*67*GVNUMBER# (Busy)
|
Forwards missed calls to Google Voice voicemail |
| Verizon |
*71GVNUMBER (All missed calls)
|
Forwards missed calls to Google Voice voicemail |
Using Google Voice with these forwarding setups means all my missed calls from both AT&T and Verizon go directly to my Google Voice voicemail, making call and message management seamless and simple.
How to Turn Off Google Voice Call Forwarding Features
Note: This describes how I turned off forwarding for my Google Voice number. The instructions below should work to turn off call forwarding for any phone number on AT&T or Verizon networks.
- AT&T: Dial
##21# and press Call. You should hear a confirmation tone indicating all call forwarding is disabled.
- Verizon: Dial
*73 and press Call. Wait for the confirmation tone to know that forwarding is turned off.
These codes deactivate all conditional and unconditional call forwarding, stopping calls from being forwarded to Google Voice or any other number.
