I use my Google Voice number for everything because I can't trust I will have the same number if I change carriers (I have found the porting numbers between MVNOs can be hit and miss) and because I sometimes travel internationaly. Now, stupid companies are demanding a phone number, and blocking Google Voice from being used...
Google Voice (the free service) has its own pitfalls, which I believe make it a very poor choice to use for online accounts. I’m speaking from personal experience. If you happen to not use it for a little while, Google Voice will send an email with minimal notice (with Murphy’s Law, this will be during a vacation break) that the number will be deactivated. Once that happens, you cannot reclaim that Google Voice number using the same linked phone number. You have to get a new phone number that has never ever been used with Google Voice and then try to link it. Even then, Google Voice will send the OTP and make it seem as if the linking worked but will show as unlinked (and the Google Voice number unavailable) after just a minute or two. You’ll have to retry with another number over and over again until you start banging your head against the wall. After maybe a few weeks or several weeks, that Google Voice number will not even show up for reclamation.
Google Voice is a total mess, and as a “free” consumer service that Google has shown little interest in maintaining and supporting, you don’t get any kind of support or help whatsoever.
My sincere advice (if you’re a free Voice user) would be to delink your Google Voice number from all critical services. Get a real phone number for which you have the ability to get customer support.
Yes, I am aware of these pitfalls. I only use SMS based auth for things that demand it, and if it is a thing that is truly critical, I find an alternative that doesn't demand it. At the very least, I ensure that I have a way of physically showing up and getting my account recovered in a worst case scenario.
Google Voice is probably my favorite Google service... I have looked at alternatives many times in the past and have never found anything that compares that isn't super expensive (and usually not as good). I really hope Google keeps it. But I am prepared to migrate if Google shuts it down (and I really hope they provide a seamless number porting experience if they ever do...).
Trusting Google for anything is a lot riskier than trusting a carrier once in many years.
Their own internal teams as well as game studios didn't know about Stadia's end until the day it happened, what makes you think they'll treat you better with an unpaid service?
I only use SMS based auth for services that demand it, and I find alternative services if they are really critical. All though lately, more services are forcing it without any advanced warning...
I understand the feeling! I would love to find an alternative, but I haven't yet. I only use Google Voice for services that demand it, and I try to find alternative services when possible. I never use SMS auth for anything truly critical.
They may re quire a phone number now... but I am not so much worried about using my temporary carrier number to sign up, because Google doesn't force me to login with SMS (I now use Google's Passkey support, with two passkeys- my phone, and my Bitwarden account).
