Hacker News Reader

Google Voice is amazing, but requires a US phone number to set up.

I wonder if an American friend could set it up for me. My gmail mailbox but their US phone number. (Thanks for the recommendation!)

It should, but they've recently been somewhat picky about which phone numbers they accept for the initial setup.

Once you get it, you don't need access to that US number afterwards – very useful when traveling; everything just works via VoIP, including texting, which is a lifesaver for 2FA when traveling without US roaming.

Of course, it's a Google service, so expect it to be discontinued without warning at the exact moment you've totally integrated it into your daily life.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com