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Google Voice Now Offers Custom Rules for Incoming Calls

You decide what happens for specific contacts and groups

By Rob Rich Rob Rich News Reporter College for Creative Studies Rob is a freelance tech reporter with experience writing for a variety of outlets, including IGN, Unwinnable, 148Apps, Gamezebo, Pocket Gamer, Fanbolt, Zam, and more. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on December 22, 2021 11:35AM EST Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Software & Apps Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming Google Voice is making custom rules available for incoming calls, allowing users to decide how to handle groups or even specific individual contacts. New tools are available for Google Voice users that allow for more direct control over how incoming calls from contacts are received. Google's aim is to help provide a better workflow and help with productivity by reducing possible distractions. Essentially you'll be able to redirect calls from non-essential contacts while still letting through calls that are more likely to be important. Westend61 / Getty Images If you use Google Voice, you now have several new options for dealing with calls from your contacts. You can set it up to forward specific contact calls to voicemail or to a different linked phone number. You can also set up custom voicemails for individual contacts. And you can screen calls from individual contacts, too. Or you can apply the rules you've created to all contacts or designated groups within your contacts. fizkes / Getty Images All of this can be managed in the Calls menu in Google Voice, where you'll find two new buttons under Call Forwarding: Create a rule and Manage rules. From there, you can adjust settings for individual contacts or groups, assign specific voicemails or forwarding numbers, etc. The new custom rules feature is live now for all Google Voice users. It's Off by default, but you can activate it in Google Voice settings. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Best Free Internet Phone Calls Apps (October 2022) How to Record a Phone Call on iPhone How to Use Your iPad or iPad Mini as a Phone How to Block Political Robocalls How to Record a Call With Google Voice How to Block Cell Phone Numbers On Android or iPhone (iOS) How Google Voice Works The 5 Best Apps to Make Free International Calls (2022) How to Use One Phone Number on Multiple Devices How to Make a Conference Call With Google Voice How to Set up and Use the Google Duo Chat App How to Set up a Skype Conference Call How to Get Full-Screen Pictures for iPhone Calls How to Block No Caller ID Calls on iPhone Forward Multiple Emails Individually in Outlook How to Make Phone Calls With the Apple Watch Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies