how can an ipad or android tablet to use a generic phone number incoming?

[Steven Avery]

"how can an ipad or android tablet to use a generic phone number incoming?"

By a generic number I mean either:

a) your normal home number, e.g. as part of a cable system, or from the phone company.

b) your normal clamshell cell phone number  (yes, I still like those things)

c) a special number created and sued for this purpose

This could be using:
Facetime, Viber, GoogleHangouts, Skype or something else.

Is there a way to let people call you, and get through to your iPad or Android, without the specialty of an iphone style device?

Thanks!

Steven

[wraith808]

I'm not totally sure I understand what you're saying, but I can give a stab and you can let me know.  (This is for iOS)

On your iDevice, Open the settings app, and scroll down to messages (or facetime to use it for that).  Click on that, and then scroll down to Send & Receive.  Click on that, and click add e-mail.  Note that on iOS, you can only add e-mails.  There's a way around it for some carriers.

To derive the e-mail address, use the first part of the e-mail address as the your cell phone number you want to add, and following the "@" symbol, you type the carrier's domain name. For example, texts to AT&T customers should be sent to "txt.att.net" – so if you have service with AT&T and your cell phone number is 1-222-222-2222, you would use the e-mail address "12222222222@txt.att.net".

All of this is only theory- I've not done it.  But, I do use my e-mail on my device in this manner, and it works.  So I'd think it would.

The last line of your OP is the reason I think that I might be barking up the wrong tree, but I figured I'd post it just in case I wasn't.

HTH!

[Deozaan]

Google Hangouts with Google Voice (USA & Canada? only) allows you to send & receive calls to/from a tablet.

Similarly, I think a Skype subscription will allow you to have a phone number people can call (or you can call from), which will ring on the Skype app on any device you've set up.

[Stoic Joker]

For example, texts to AT&T customers should be sent to "txt.att.net" – so if you have service with AT&T and your cell phone number is 1-222-222-2222, you would use the e-mail address "12222222222@txt.att.net".All of this is only theory- I've not done it.  But, I do use my e-mail on my device in this manner, and it works.

We do the same thing here to text work orders to the techs in the field. The functionality came built into our business software. Only thing to remember is that there are usually two different addresses for a given carrier. One for straight text only messages, and one for larger - with pictures - media messages.