Google Voice - info please!

So there are a lot of comments about google voice. I was hoping someone could explain the whole thing as it seems to do so much. Free texts, chat, etc. I can't say I understand the whole "use a different phone number and it will ring all your phones" what? Can someone explain it's uses and benefits and maybe about getting it going?

Thanks,
Ignorant and confused.:icon_ banana:

 

Www.google.com/voice has a bunch of videos.

Think of it as a forwarding service. You select a google voice number. When people call the number, it rings whichever phones you have tied to it ie: cell, home, etc. First one to answer takes the call.

If no one answers, it goes to voice mail.

The videos do it more justice in explaining it.