I have used Google Voice for a couple of years now from overseas. I need it for banking , primarily. In the past, I was able to use a VPN showing a US connection/IP address and then make the GV call as if I were in the States. That has changed.
Now, GV prompts me when I try to make a WiFi call. It says “International Network Detected”. Then it gives me the option of placing the call over GV, my carrier number or to cancel the call. If I choose GV, it dials the number for a few seconds, then I hear a recording that states, “unable to place the call” and the country I am calling from is listed below the number. How is GV able to detect the specific country I am calling from, even though I am using a VPN that has a USA IP address? How do I turn this off?
Edit: I’m using an Android phone, if that makes any difference…
Just to be sure everything is set correctly and you’re using it properly, you know you have to use the Google Voice dialer to make a Wi-Fi call, correct? You can’t use the phone’s native dialer. Also, Prefer WiFi and mobile data must be selected in Making and receiving calls in the Google Voice settings.
To be sure that your SIM card isn’t interfering (unless you’re using mobile data for the WiFi call), put the phone in airplane mode to turn off the cellular radio and then manually enable WiFi.
You shouldn’t need a VPN. Google Voice doesn’t care if you’re in another country. That’s one of Google Voice’s primary benefits, being able to make Wi-Fi calls from anywhere in the world.
Edit: Depending on what country you’re in and what ISP or cellular carrier you’re using, it’s possible that the ISP/carrier is interfering. Korea seems to be a country where people often have issues.
What country are you trying to use it from? Many countries block VOIP and they can detect it even with a VPN.
To block VoIP, you don’t need to know what the content is. VoIP packets do have certain characteristics/behavior (length, frequency) that are identifiable with or without encryption, also known as Heuristic Classification.
A company might not know you are overseas but they know you are using a VPN. VPN IP’s are not unknown. some companies block VPN IPs’ in general from being used. Not saying GV is doing this. But just saying some will.
Not sure about GV, but YouTubeTV also seems to detect your location using GPS. I can VPN to the US and YTTV rejects me unless I spoof my location using the Fake GPS app.
Disclaimer: I haven’t tried this in about a year, so things may have change.
VPN can only hide your IP from the Google server side, it won’t stop the Android system (you are using) figuring out where you are, there are some other location services such as GPS, etc.
The IP address doesn’t matter when making calls, only when signing up.
As deleted comment probably clarified for you “International Network Detected” means you weren’t making a wifi call for some reason. That’s why GV does the check, to prevent people from ending up with huge roaming bills.
Thank you! This worked. I already had the GV setting to “Prefer WiFi…” I tried the airplaine mode/manual WiFi and it worked right away.
I still used VPN, by the way. Just my preference with all internet use. This is off-topic, but I thought I read somewhere that the service was exclusively for US and Canadian based customers (SIM card holders). My Android does not currently have a US/Canadian SIM. I assumed all callers outside the US/Canada were excluded.
That’s very interesting about being able to identify VOIP calls regardless of encryption or VPN status. I would say that nearly 100% of the spam calls I receive on my android cell phone number are obviously VOIP calls. There must be some way these VOIP calls could be blocked. Like with a toggle on / off switch in the android phone settings to accept or reject all VOIP calls. That way you could turn it off when you are not expecting any VOIP calls and you could avoid most of the spam calls that day.
As u/MotownMan646 stated, Google Voice is only available for U.S.-based Google accounts, but you can use Google Voice to call U.S. and Canadian numbers from anywhere in the world via WiFi or mobile data (even from the mobile data of a foreign SIM card).
That said, Google Voice has nothing to do with US/Canadian based SIM cards. In fact, you don’t need a SIM card at all. That’s why you can utilize Google Voice on a mobile phone, tablet or PC with nothing more than a Wi-Fi connection.
GV is only available to U.S. Google users. Canadians and all other countries do not have access to the free GV service, but a business version is available as a paid service.