Google Voice in Canada

In this post I will teach you how I got an American Google Voice number while living in Toronto.

First off, why would you even want that?

  1. It's a free phone number as long as you have an internet connection
  2. If you have a foreign data plan with good roaming options and don't want to buy an expensive Canadian one. (Lot's of places require phone numbers with +1 country code in Canada)

So know that you are convinced let's head straight to the step-by-step guide.

Getting a phone number

You want to get a regular US phone number first. This prevents google from ever deactivating your voice account. You could try without (I didn't so try at your own risk), but if you get a regular phone number you must research:

  1. Does the carrier have coverage near the border where you live?
  2. Is it cheap, and can I cancel it without penalty?
  3. Do they offer eSim and does my phone support that? This avoids the need for them to ship it to you. And you'd need a US postal address

I got myself a plan from Tello. You can choose a plan with no data and minimal minutes, just enough for receiving text messages, or opt for a minimal data plan if you need to use your phone as a hotspot to set up the google voice account. You need to enter a US address if you want to create a Tello account. You can just pick a random one or I picked one of these parcel holding services for Canadians, that I used in the past.

Now just google how to set up an eSim for your particular phone and you are good to go.

Getting your voice account

Now we need to go where there is coverage for our new phone plan. you actually have to set foot into America. I just crossed the rainbow bridge by foot and went somewhere with free wifi (eg Niagara Falls Public Library). Once you are there you want to create a new American Google account, again using the same fake address. If they require a phone number just use your new one. You also need to know the porting pin number. This reddit post helped me find it.

Sorry if anything is unclear but I'm writing this post half a year after I created my account. I still hope it's useful and have fun with your Google voice account! :)