Back in March, Sprint announced that it would be working with Google to bring its users an advanced, web-based voicemail services through Google Voice. This month, this integration went live for all Sprint customers. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Google Voice, Google Voice brings a number of convenient features to your calling and voicemail. Google Voice features voicemail-to-text transcriptions, call forwarding rules, archiving of voicemails and low-cost international calls. Prior to the Sprint/Google Voice integration, you could use Google Voice by signing p for a Google Voice number and having it forward to your cell phone, or by forwarding your missed calls to your Google Voice number from your Sprint phone. But with the new integration, you can use just a single number that automatically wires in to your Google Voice account.

Currently, Google Voice/Sprint integration is only available for U.S. Sprint customers. If you already have a Google Voice account, you have three options:

1. Replace your Google Voice number with your Sprint number. You will essentially forfeit your Google Voice number, and all calls to your existing Sprint number will be routed to your existing Google Voice account.
2. Replace your Sprint number with your Google Voice number. After doing this, all calls to your Google Voice number will ring your Sprint phone without having to forward it from the web interface. You will lose your Sprint phone number.
3. Do not integrate at this time. You can keep your existing Sprint voicemail service, or you can keep your Google Voice and Sprint numbers seperate.
To add or integrate Google Voice with your Sprint account, visit google.com/voice and sign-in or register a new account.

Next, click the Gear in the top-right hand corner and choose Voice Settings.

Scroll down to the area where your mobile number appears. Look for a link that reads “Check eligibility for Sprint integration.” Click it.

You'll be presented with the option to enable Sprint integration with your Sprint number or your Google Voice number. Note that if you choose to enable with your Sprint phone number, your Google Voice number will be deleted after 90 days. You can cancel the integration at any time to get it back. With both options, your Sprint voicemail will be replaced with Google Voice. You'll lose all of your existing voicemails.

Click one of the options to complete the integration. Now, you can access your missed calls, received calls and voicemail messages from your web browser, or by calling your own Google Voice number. Furthermore, you can use the Google Voice Extension in Google Chrome for quick notifications of new voicemail messages and for one-click calling from the web browser.

To undo the integration, go back to Voice Settings and click the Disable button next to your phone number. Note that you can do this within 90 days and get your Google Voice number back. You will have to wait 15 minutes after activating in order to cancel your Google Voice integration. But its definitely worth it to try the service out for a couple of weeks before you go back to the default Sprint voicemail.