table of Contents
- To make a conference call via Google Voice
- Inform the participants to call you at the agreed time
- Accept the call from one of the callers, then press 5 to add the other callers
- Press 4 to turn conference recording on and off
Conference calls have become the necessity of the hour with more and more companies having remote employees and hiring labor from different parts of the country or abroad. Conference calls are just another form of meeting. No problem if you work from home, have a business or want to stay in touch with friends or family, you can take advantage of the free service on the market.
Currently, the world is going through the worst moments since the coronavirus has wreaked havoc in different parts of the world. To reduce the spread, most workers, employees, students, etc. have been advised. that they work from home. For now, you’ll need the software to call every two minutes.
Now, if you’re wondering which free service you should use, Google Voice is the answer. When you need to talk to multiple people at the same time or even just one person, Google Voice conference calling is a great option. With this program, it is very simple and easy to set up and manage an audio conference call. Google Voice is useful even for business purposes where you need to hold a meeting with more than one person.
Highlighting Google Voice conference call features
Let’s first learn about the featured features of Google Voice conference call:
1. Unlimited conference calls and SMS
Google Voice is inexpensive as a conference calling solution, with subscription plans starting at just $10 per user per month. You can make unlimited free calls to the United States from anywhere or even from the US to Canada. US citizens also get unlimited free text messages. Google Voice is much cheaper than standard mobile and landline packages, and there are no minute limits or overages either. However, you will need Google Meets or Google Hangouts to use Google’s voice conference calling feature.
2. Call screening and filtering
Just like you can filter email, Google Voice allows you to filter incoming calls so you can manage them more efficiently and increase productivity.
Whether it’s a call from someone you don’t want to talk to, a unwanted call, or any unwanted call, you can set Google Voice to send such calls to voicemail or block them entirely. You can also set up a voicemail message for a specific number if you wish.
3. Compatibility with all devices
Google Voice gives you a free phone number for unlimited access from any device. You can use your Google Voice number on any device like Android, iOS, and web apps.
4. Variety of plans
Google Voice offers several plans:
- The $10 starter plan is best for conference calling for teams of up to 10 members.
- Upgrading to the standard plan at $20 per user per month will allow unlimited users and residential locations along with a few extra features like ring groups, eDiscovery for calls, voicemail and SMS logs, and multi-tiered auto attendants.
- The Premier plan starts at $30 per month and is best for people working abroad. This plan supports international locations along with all the features you get in the standard plan.
You must choose the plan that best suits the requirements of your business.
Requirements to set up a Google Voice conference call
To start a Google conference call, you will need:-
- google account,
- a computer, smartphone, or tablet with the Google Voice app installed; for computers, you can use it through the web.
- stable internet
If you have a Gmail account, you can start using Google Voice right away.
How do I set up a Google conference call?
To start a Google conference call, you must have a Google account, a computer, smartphone, or tablet with the Google Voice app installed. If you have an Android or iOS device, you can install the app, and for a computer, you can use it via the web.
If you have a Gmail account, you can start using Google Voice right away.
Get started with Google Voice
- Go to the Google Voice website and click on one of the available options: ‘For personal use’ or ‘For business’.
- When you click ‘For personal use’, you will be asked to choose from the following three options: Android, iOS or Web. If you’re using it on your phone, you’ll be directed to the app link; otherwise, you will be directed to the “Sign up for Google Voice” page.
- After clicking ‘Web for personal use’, press ‘Continue’ if you agree to the terms of service and privacy policy.
- On the next page, enter the city or area number to get the phone number for that region.
- Browse the available numbers and choose one for yourself as your Google Voice number, click ‘Select’.
- Then confirm your existing phone number using the ‘Confirm’ button.
- Enter the number to associate with your Google Voice account to which your incoming calls will be forwarded, then press ‘Send Code’.
- Enter the code you received on your phone and tap ‘Confirm’ to confirm.
- Click “Request” to confirm call forwarding to that number and press the “Finish” button to complete the Google Voice setup process.
- Click ‘Finish’ again to open your Google Voice account.
Clicking ‘For Businesses’ will take you to the ‘Get Started’ page.
Google Voice – How to start an audio conference call?
Before learning about conference calling, let’s learn how to use Google Voice to make free phone calls to one person, here are the steps:
- Sign in to your Google Voice account and click the “Make a Call” button on the left.
- In the “Call” section, enter a name or number and tap the green phone icon to allow Google to dial the number.
- Google Voice will call the number and connect you to it.
You can even use Google Voice to make free calls from your computer to your phone by installing the free Google Voice and Video Chat plugin, also known as the Hangout Plugin.
Now, to set up a conference call with Google Voice, here’s what you need to do:
- Be sure to inform all participants in advance so that they call you at an agreed time. The first step is to make a Google Voice call to either person or let one of them call you.
- Once the call is active, start adding other participants when they dial. You will be alerted to an incoming call, and to accept the call, press 5 after hearing the conference call setup message.
- You can even record a conference call, for example, if it’s for business purposes, but you need to turn the option on in settings under Incoming Call Options.
- All participants will be added to the conference call. Press 4 to start recording the call and all participants will receive an alert when recording begins and ends.
What is the participant limit for a Google Voice conference call?
With a free Google Voice account, only 10 participants are allowed, while with a paid Google Voice account, you can add up to 25 people to the conference call.
25 may not be enough for a large company and in this case, for a conference call, you can use Google Hangouts Meet (a video conferencing service included in your G Suite license) which allows you to include up to 250 participants in a video. or regular conference call.
Tips to get the most out of Google Voice conference calls To ensure you get the most benefit and the best experience from Google Voice conference calls, here are some quick tips for you:
1. Communicate the time in advance
Conference calls take a long time, so be sure to notify everyone who will be on the call ahead of time so they are ready at the designated time. This will let participants know when they can call you; you just need to press 5 to add each subsequent call.
To organize your call schedule, you can create a Google Calendar invitation and add a Google Voice conference call as an event before sending the invitations to your invitees, or you can simply send an email.
2. Manage routine workflows
Google Voice can be a great tool for managing daily workflows with scheduled conference calls. Through the administrative control center, you can customize number assignment, forwarding, auto-attendance, call forwarding, and more. Furthermore, you can also assign one of your Google Voice numbers to different users.
Note: Google Voice isn’t compatible with third-party software, so you can’t integrate it with CRM, help desk, or other apps.
3. Say NO to spam
Receiving unwanted calls can easily ruin your day and also put your personal information at risk. The good news is that Google Voice takes care of unwanted calls when you use it for conference calling. It uses artificial intelligence technology to filter spam calls and even lets you view spam calls, text messages, and voicemails from the Google Voice app.
4. Call recording
Google Voice even allows you to record calls with just one click. All participants have joined the call, you can start recording by pressing 4 on the dial pad. This will play a push notification to all participants that the call is being recorded. To stop recording, you will need to press 4 again or just end the call. The voicemail card will contain all call recordings that can be used for future reference.
Google Voice for free conference calls: yes or no?
Basically, Google Voice isn’t a conferencing service, so you can’t expect much. However, it behaves decently when it comes to a group phone call. You can only add 10 people with a free account, that’s also a limitation.
What makes it great is its ability to connect the calls of the participants from any type of phone such as Android, iPhone, Skype number or other Google Voice number.
There are no tools available to manage the people on the call, and you can’t send an invite like you can with other video conferencing services. Skype conference calls have some additional features compared to Google Voice.
Another limitation is that free Google Voice calls can be made for up to three hours at a time, after which they will be disconnected. You will have to call the number again. Also, the calls are only free if you are calling someone in the US or Canada or it will cost you a few dollars. Overall, Google Voice has the necessary conferencing features that anyone with basic devices can use. It integrates well with smartphones and iPhones, so a round of applause from me.
Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education