I have a Google Voice number ggg-ggg-gggg and a cell phone number ccc-ccc-cccc that I configured (in my phone's voice mail settings) to use Google Voice as voicemail. Works great. (Note that I besides voice mail, nothing else is set to call my Google Voice number ggg-ggg-gggg and no one calls me there.)
Now I want to start using my Google Voice number and have it ring my home number hhh-hhh-hhhh. When people call my Google Voice number it rings my home phone and then goes into Google Voice voice mail as expected. Works great here too.
Here's the problem – when people call my cell phone directly at ccc-ccc-cccc, it then rings my Google Voice number. As I said before, my cell phone is set to use Google Voice, so why is it ringing my phone phone after my cell phone?
Best Answer
Google Voice voicemail works on your cell phone by setting up conditional call forwarding. All the settings you put in your phone made your cell phone carrier forward any calls you do not answer for any reason, (phone turned off, you hit ignore, or you just let it ring) to your Google Voice Number.
When this happens Google Voice treats that call like anyone else calling. It will ring all of the phones you have listed and checked under "forwards to:" on the phones tab in your Google Voice settings.
If those phones go unanswered it then sends them to voicemail.
The main problem I have with that is when someone calls your cell phone it rings say 4 times, then forwards the call to GV which rings your home phone 4 times, so your caller hears a lot of ringing, and at least in my case hang up before actually getting to my voicemail a lot of the time.
It is nice on one hand, if someone calls you on your cell when you are home you can just hit ignore on your cell, and it will automatically ring your home phone, and you can take the call there.