Food delivery in the modern day is very convenient, and in 2020, more are now choosing to get meals delivered than ever before. However, if you’ve used one of the food delivery apps, you probably already know how much they like to blow up your phone with text messages.
Luckily, if you have a Google account, you can use Google’s Voice service to sign up for a virtual phone number you can use for food delivery services. This way, all their text messages will get sent to your Google Voice account, and you won’t even have to download the Google Voice app to give them a shot at bothering you. Read on to learn everything you’ll need to know so you can start ordering in peace today!
How to use Google Voice
Google Voice is an incredibly simple service: use your Google account to create a virtual phone number to make calls and texts to other cell phones entirely over Wi-Fi or cellular data and not over actual SMS text. All you’ll need is a U.S. phone number to link to your Google Voice account, and you can get started immediately.
Head over to the Google Voice site and sign in with your Google account of your choosing. Once you’re signed in, click the Settings wheel at the top right of your screen. This will bring you to your Google Voice account settings. The first entry will read: You don’t have a Google Voice number, and below this will be a button with the words “Get a number” on it. Click this button and follow the onscreen prompts to create your new Google Voice phone number. That’s it. Though, there a few things to keep in mind as go through this process:
- You can choose your phone number by area code, so if you care about where you will appear to be calling from, it’s best to pick an appropriate number rather than winging it and picking something completely random.
- You will need an existing U.S. phone number you have access to. You’re getting a second, free virtual number because it’s tied to an actual phone number on Google’s back-end.
- Make sure to return to the initial Settings page and go down through the tabs on the left side to make sure notifications and call forwarding are set up to your preferences. You won’t be avoiding the annoyance if all messages are forwarded to your actual phone!
Once you have your Google Voice number all squared away, all you have to do next is make sure to sign up for an account for a food delivery service with your Google Voice number. If you aren’t using the app to track your order and maintain contact with the delivery driver, it may be useful to forward calls from your Google Voice number to your actual phone number, so you can avoid any needless text messages but still get calls from your delivery driver if need be.
Lastly, it’s also important to note that some services won’t allow you to sign up for an account with a virtual phone number. You can get around some of these types of accounts by making an account with one number and then changing it after the fact, but your mileage may vary.
Do also check out some other things you can do with a Google Voice number.
Image credit: courier with thermo bag giving food container to businesswoman by DepositPhotos
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