Google Voice Introduces Paid Tiers for Individual Users
Google Voice is undergoing its most significant changes in a decade, introducing paid subscription plans for individual users starting at $10 per month. This marks a shift from its previously free-for-personal-use model.
Google Voice, Google's cloud-based telephony service, is introducing paid subscription plans for individual users for the first time. This move represents a major overhaul to a service that has historically been free for personal use.
The new plans, Voice Starter and Voice Standard, offer enhanced features beyond the existing free tier. Voice Starter, priced at $10 per month, includes 24/7 customer support, three-way calling, and a guarantee that Google Voice numbers will not be recycled due to inactivity. It also supports desk phones and analog telephone adapters (ATAs), along with on-demand call recording.
The higher-tier Voice Standard plan costs $20 per month. It encompasses all Starter features and adds an automated attendant for call routing, as well as the Gemini AI call summarization capability. This AI feature can record, transcribe, and generate summaries of calls, highlighting key points and action items.
Google is offering a promotional discount of 50% on the Voice Standard plan for the first six months, bringing its price down to $10 per month. These new personal subscription plans are currently available only in the United States, with plans to roll out to other regions later. The existing free tier of Google Voice, offering unlimited calls and texts within the US, remains available.