• Navigation
+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 3 of 3
  1. #1
    The Optimistic Asshole
    Sweaty Dick Punching Enthusiast

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    27,518
    BG Level
    10
    FFXIV Character
    Tyche Six
    FFXIV Server
    Tonberry

    Cell phones, VOIP, making calls/texts without service plan

    My daughter wanted an iPod touch for Christmas, however being its apple, it's too expensive for what it is. So, I thought about getting her a LeEco S3 (android cellphone). It's a much better unit and has full access to the android App Store. Had me thinking though, could we somehow manage to use google voice and hangouts or some combination to make calls and SMS text over wifi. I did some cursory googling, but I'm coming up a bit short in information and options. Didn't know if someone else had experience in this.

  2. #2
    Salvage Bans
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    811
    BG Level
    5
    FFXIV Character
    Orinthia Warsong
    FFXIV Server
    Excalibur
    FFXI Server
    Bahamut

    Yeah, make a google account and you can then sign up for a google voice phone number. It has integration with hangouts as well, allowing you to use it without any phone plan. You just install the hangouts app and the hangouts dialer (uses data, any data). On android, google voice app is for integrating your voice number with your phone's number, so that when you dial on the native phone app, it connects through google and places your call using your minutes instead of data (the other end sees your google number, subtracts from your phone plan's minutes).

    On ios, it's a similar deal: google voice app lets you use minutes, hangouts uses data. IOS hangouts has hangouts dialer built in. You have to use the hangouts' dialer to make the call over data, it is not automatic.

    In both versions, to receive calls you just enable incoming calls from within hangouts apps, and as long as you have a consistent data connection (wifi, 3g, lte, etc), you should receive calls from the google number. You can also set up call forwarding in your google account, so that any other number will be called whenever your google number is called (so that you can answer calls with a dumb phone). It can sometimes be inconsistent though since if the forwarded-to number is in a dead zone or its phone is turned off, it'll go directly to that number's voicemail instead of google's voicemail and not ring any other phone you have enabled.


    It takes a little finangling but it's been a huge money saver for me over the years. Using free service providers like freedompop and ringplus allowed me to have a bunch of data lines to use hangouts with for free calling (I never use my fpop/rp numbers, only give out my google voice number and it can ring any of my phones thanks to the hangouts app).

  3. #3
    The Optimistic Asshole
    Sweaty Dick Punching Enthusiast

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    27,518
    BG Level
    10
    FFXIV Character
    Tyche Six
    FFXIV Server
    Tonberry

    Got my daughter a Google account. Signed up for a Google voice number. Got google hangouts and dialer. Works. Fucking. Perfectly. Thank you!

Similar Threads

  1. Texting w/ AIM to cell phone?
    By Cream Soda in forum Tech
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 2009-12-31, 14:44
  2. Questions about cell phone
    By Tanish in forum Tech
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 2009-02-09, 12:08
  3. Replies: 17
    Last Post: 2008-10-25, 16:31