Table of contents
- To conduct a conference call via Google Voice
- Notify participants to call you at the agreed time
- Accept a call from one of the callers, then press 5 to add other callers
- Press 4 to turn conference recording on and off
Conference calls have become an hourly necessity with more and more companies having employees working remotely and hiring workers from different parts of the country or abroad. Conference calls are just another form of meeting. No matter if you work from home, have a business or want to stay in touch with friends or relatives, you can use the free service available in the market.
Currently, the world is going through the worst period as the corona virus has caused damage in different parts of the world. To limit the spread, most workers, officials, students,… have been advised to work from home. For now, you’ll need the software to call every minute.
Now, if you are wondering which free service you should use, then Google Voice is the answer. When you need to talk to many people at once, or even just one, Google Voice conference calls are a great choice. Using this program, configuring and managing audio conference calls is simple and easy. Google Voice is useful even for business purposes when you need to hold meetings with many people.
Highlight Google Voice conference call features
Let’s first learn about the outstanding features of Google Voice conference calls:
1. Unlimited conference calls and SMS
Google Voice is an inexpensive conference calling solution as subscription plans start at as little as $10 per user per month. You can make unlimited free calls to the US from anywhere or even from the US to Canada. US citizens also get unlimited free text messages. Google Voice is much cheaper than standard landline and mobile plans, and also has no minute limits or overage. However, you will need Google Meets or Google Hangouts to use Google voice conferencing.
2. Check and filter calls
Just as 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 spam call, or any other unwanted call, you can set Google Voice to send those calls to voicemail or block them entirely. You can also set a voicemail message to a specific number if you want.
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. Various types of plans
Google Voice offers different plans:
- The $10 starter plan is best for conference calls for groups of up to 10 members.
- Upgrading to the standard plan at $20 per user per month will allow unlimited users and home locations along with some extras like ring groups, eDiscovery for calls, SMS and voicemail recording as well as multi-level autoresponders.
- The Premier plan starts at $30 per month and is best for those working abroad. This plan supports international locations along with all the features you get in the standard package.
You must choose the plan that best suits your business requirements.
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 computer, you can use it through web.
- stable network
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 conference call on Google, you must have a Google Account, and 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 over 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’ or ‘For Business’.
- By clicking ‘For Personal’ you will be asked to choose between the following three choices – Android, iOS or Web. If you’re using it on your phone, you’ll be redirected to the app link, otherwise 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 region number to get the phone number for that area.
- Browse through the available numbers and choose one for yourself as your Google Voice number, click ‘Select’.
- Then confirm your current phone number with the ‘Confirm’ button.
- Enter the number to link to the Google Voice account your incoming calls will be forwarded to, then tap ‘Send Code’.
- Enter the code you received on your phone and press ‘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 Business’ will take you to the ‘Getting Started’ page.
Google Voice – How to start an audio conference call?
Before we get into conference calling, learn how to use Google Voice to call one person for free, 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 have Google dial the number.
- Google Voice will call that number and connect you to that number.
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 using Google Voice, here’s what you need to do:
- Remember to notify all participants in advance so that they call you at a pre-arranged time. The first step is to make a Google Voice call to any person or have one of them call you.
- Once the call is activated, start adding other participants as they dial. You will receive a notification about an incoming call and to accept the call, press 5 after hearing the message to set up a conference call.
- You can even record a conference call, for example, if it’s for a business purpose, but you must enable the option in the settings under Incoming Call Options.
- All participants will then be added to the conference call. Press 4 to start recording the call and all participants will be notified when the recording begins and ends.
What is the Google Voice conference call participant limit?
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 a conference call.
25 may not be enough for a large company, and in this case, for conference calls, you can use Google Hangouts Meet (the video conferencing service included in your G Suite license) that allows You include up to 250 participants in a regular video call or conference call.
Tips for making the best use of Google Voice conference calls To ensure you get the most out of your Google Voice conference calls, here are some quick tips for you:
1. Notice before time
Conference calls take a lot of time, so make sure to notify everyone who will be on the call in advance so that they are ready at the designated time. This will notify participants when they can call you; you just need to press 5 key to add each subsequent call.
To schedule calls, you can create an invitation on Google Calendar and add a Google Voice conference call as an event before sending the invitation to your guests, or you can simply send an email.
2. Routine Workflow Management
Google Voice can be a great tool for managing your daily workflow with scheduled conference calls. Through the admin control center, you can customize number assignment, transfer, automatic timekeeping, call forwarding, etc. Additionally, you can also assign one of your Google Voice numbers to people different use.
Note – Google Voice is not compatible with third-party software so you cannot 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 to make conference calls. It uses AI technology to filter spam calls and even lets you view spam calls, messages, and voicemails from the Google Voice app.
4. Call Recording
Google Voice even lets you record calls with one click. All participants have joined the call, you can start recording by pressing 4 on the dial pad. This will broadcast an automatic notification to all participants that the call is being recorded. To stop recording you will have to press 4 again or simply end the call. The voicemail card will contain all the call recordings that can be used for future reference.
Google Voice for Free Conference Calls – Yes or No?
Google Voice is not essentially a conferencing service, so you can’t expect much. However, it works well when it comes to a group phone call. You can only add 10 people with the free account, which is also a limitation.
What makes it great is the ability to hook up participants’ calls from any type of phone, such as Android, iPhone, Skype number, or some other Google Voice.
There are no tools available to manage call participants, and you cannot send invitations like you can with other video conferencing services. Skype conference calls have some extra features compared to Google Voice.
Another limitation is that free Google Voice calls can be made for up to three hours in a row, after which they will be disconnected. You will need to call this number again. Also, calls are only free if you call someone in the US or Canada, otherwise it will cost you a few dollars. Overall, Google Voice has essential conferencing features that anyone with basic equipment can use. It integrates well with smartphones and iPhones, so please support me.
Categories: How to
Source: tiengtrunghaato.edu.vn