Main Area and Open Discussion > Non-Windows Software
Wanted - Free (or cheap) wifi calling app for Android
app103:
This article on How-to-geek, might prove to be useful as well.
-Shades (May 20, 2018, 06:16 PM)
--- End quote ---
From the first line of the article:
If you’re on a carrier that supports it,
--- End quote ---
Which means your phone has to have existing service, and a number, which this phone doesn't have.
Basically, any of those apps will let you make calls over Wi-Fi, but they won’t use your actual phone number, nor will they call out to a traditional phone in most cases. Instead, you’ll actually place calls from account to account; for example, if you use Facebook Messenger, you actually just “call” the person on their Facebook account instead of putting in a phone number. The same goes for free Skype accounts, though you can pay money to call normal phone numbers.
--- End quote ---
That's not what I need. I want to make & receive real phone calls, with a real phone number. I don't want instant messaging. And Skype makes you prepay for minute credits, which is required for making/receiving normal calls. If you run out in the middle of a call, you get cut off.
Google Hangouts and Voice are other exceptions—they essentially work together to make calls. You’ll need a Google Voice number, as well as the Hangouts Dialer to make calls, in which case you should be able to call out to any traditional phone number. The problem will come when you want to receive calls using these tools—you’ll have to do quite a bit of extra setup for that.
--- End quote ---
But they don't explain the setup process or link to any instructions. :(
@Deozaan, how do you receive normal phone calls without a number for Google Voice to forward your calls to? And how do you make normal phone calls without cell service that it can use its minutes for? How do you call a business? Or how do you receive calls from your doctor?
From the Google Voice app page:
Keep in mind:
• Google Voice is currently only available in the US
• All calls made using Google Voice for Android use the standard minutes from your cell phone plan
• Calls are placed through a US-based Google Voice access number, which may incur costs (e.g. when traveling internationally)
--- End quote ---
4wd:
CSIPSimple from the Play Store and a number from a VoIP provider, I use Twilio.
app103:
CSIPSimple from the Play Store and a number from a VoIP provider, I use Twilio.
-4wd (May 20, 2018, 08:05 PM)
--- End quote ---
Can you tell me a little more about the Twilio side of things? Exactly what do I need to sign up for or buy, and roughly how much would it all cost (monthly, yearly?)
4wd:
Can you tell me a little more about the Twilio side of things? Exactly what do I need to sign up for or buy, and roughly how much would it all cost (monthly, yearly?)-app103 (May 20, 2018, 10:37 PM)
--- End quote ---
I've got it mostly for a presence in the USA for verification but the simple costs are shown here Pay-as-you-go Phone Number pricing
Local Number: $1/month
Call costs are based on the terminating/orignating number location, there's two CSV files at that link that pretty comprehensively list all locations, (including overseas), by phone prefix.
Originating (outgoing): Generally USA Zone 1 seems to be $0.007/min
Terminating (incoming): $0.0085/min Voice, $0.0075/SMS, $0.01/MMS
By default the numbers are enabled for Voice, Fax, SMS, MMS, and outgoing calls to USA numbers only.
I just created an account and deposited $20 which gives me a phone number for 20 months, (less if I use it for calls/SMS naturally, since costs will be deducted from that $20).
SMS logs are kept in your account so you can view any received/replies, for example:
Wanted - Free (or cheap) wifi calling app for Android
Note: Haven't had it long, I'm still playing around with it to see what I can do. Used to have an Australian VoIP but they were a little expensive in comparison. Short version, it was cheap enough so that I'd have 20 months to work out what I wanted it for ;D
They have free trial accounts if you want to have a play: Try Twilio
There's also comprehensive API docs available if you want to create your own application.
Deozaan:
@Deozaan, how do you receive normal phone calls without a number for Google Voice to forward your calls to? And how do you make normal phone calls without cell service that it can use its minutes for? How do you call a business? Or how do you receive calls from your doctor?
-app103 (May 20, 2018, 07:38 PM)
--- End quote ---
I haven't actually used Google Voice (the app or website) in a long time. It's all done through Hangouts.
Anybody who dials my Google Voice number just rings straight to Hangouts on my PC or on my Tablet (or Wi-Fi connected phone back when I had one). And when I make a call using Hangouts it shows on caller ID as coming from my Google Voice number. I can also send and receive texts on Hangouts using my Google Voice number.
Of course, this means I need to have an internet connection to make and receive calls/texts. But if I am not at my PC or otherwise don't have a connection, it will still ring to voicemail which Google Voice (the service) will transcribe and email me and it will also show up in Hangouts for me once I'm connected again.
It has been a long time since I set it all up, so I can't remember the exact process. But it goes something like this:
* Go to Google Voice and get a number. Note that this will probably require an actual working phone number for the initial setup.
* Get Hangouts on Android and/or as a Chrome Extension on PC. On Android you may also need the Hangouts Dialer.
* From there, make sure to run everything once and if it doesn't just work or guide you through the process, then just look through the settings/options for a way to link Google Voice and Hangouts.
After initial setup, you never really have to use Google Voice (the app) or Hangouts Dialer ever again. In fact, I don't think installing the Google Voice app is even required at all. You just need to use the same Google account for both Google Voice and Hangouts.
This is what it looks like on my PC when I want to make a call:
Wanted - Free (or cheap) wifi calling app for Android
Clicking "New conversation" on the left panel will show what you see on the right panel. Clicking the phone icon will show the image below:
Wanted - Free (or cheap) wifi calling app for Android
Here you can type in the name or number of anyone in your contacts list or just the number you want to dial (even if it's not in your contact list) and it will give you the option to call or SMS that number.
Or if you already have sent/received calls/texts from a number before, you can open it from the left panel just like an IM conversation and just write stuff to send SMS or click a phone icon to make a call.
P.S. Sorry about the huge ugly black borders on those images. I forgot that JPG doesn't handle transparency and I added drop shadows to the images in Screenshot Captor before converting to JPG.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version