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Forum Thread

Cheapest voice and SMS over wifi for iphone? WePhone?

148 33 March 3, 2016 at 06:27 PM
I have an iphone 5s that is basically an ipod Touch -- it's not on a voice or data plan.

I'd like to use it at home to make voice calls within US (no video calls, no international at this time), to cell and landline phones over my wifi. Receiving calls is not as important -- primarily, it's outbound long distance within US.

(I'd also like to send and receive SMS messages.)

Facetime won't work because it requires a data plan. Same with Google Voice.

Skype works but it's a little expensive ($0.023 per minute plus $0.049 connection charge per call). Does anyone have any suggestions for less expensive VOIP apps for iphone? How about WePhone?

Any suggestions for SMS?
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crabpaws
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hoser83
03-03-2016 at 08:30 PM.
03-03-2016 at 08:30 PM.
Quote from crabpaws :
I have an iphone 5s that is basically an ipod Touch -- it's not on a voice or data plan.

I'd like to use it at home to make voice calls within US (no video calls, no international at this time), to cell and landline phones over my wifi. Receiving calls is not as important -- primarily, it's outbound long distance within US.

(I'd also like to send and receive SMS messages.)

Facetime won't work because it requires a data plan. Same with Google Voice.

Skype works but it's a little expensive ($0.023 per minute plus $0.049 connection charge per call). Does anyone have any suggestions for less expensive VOIP apps for iphone? How about WePhone?

Any suggestions for SMS?
Google voice does not require a data plan. You get a google voice number and then use it in the hangouts app. Works awesome for sms and voice. I have an unactivated phone with no data that I use it from all the time. Use it from my tablet also a lot. Works for making and receiving calls. Just spent the last several weeks working abroad and it even worked there for dialing or receiving US numbers.
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User339811
03-04-2016 at 05:28 AM.
03-04-2016 at 05:28 AM.
Quote from hoser83 :
Google voice does not require a data plan. You get a google voice number and then use it in the hangouts app. Works awesome for sms and voice. I have an unactivated phone with no data that I use it from all the time. Use it from my tablet also a lot. Works for making and receiving calls. Just spent the last several weeks working abroad and it even worked there for dialing or receiving US numbers.
How do you use hangouts app with out Internet? It needs internet to make calls.
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teenbean
03-04-2016 at 08:42 AM.
03-04-2016 at 08:42 AM.
Quote from xxxHolic :
How do you use hangouts app with out Internet? It needs internet to make calls.

Using WIFI for internet. Hoser83 just said you don't need a data plan.
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crabpaws
03-04-2016 at 04:11 PM.
03-04-2016 at 04:11 PM.
I couldn't get Google Voice to work at all. And if you use Hangouts, aren't you limited to only those people in your Google Contacts?

How about Magic Jack's MagicApp?
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hoser83
03-04-2016 at 10:04 PM.
03-04-2016 at 10:04 PM.
Quote from crabpaws :
I couldn't get Google Voice to work at all. And if you use Hangouts, aren't you limited to only those people in your Google Contacts?

How about Magic Jack's MagicApp?
No, you add your google voice number in hangouts settings and it allows full dialing to any contacts number, or any US number for that matter. If you have a google voice number, sign into hangouts using the gmail account the Google voice number is under. In the settings in Hangouts, select 'Phone Number', then turn on 'Incoming phone calls' and 'messages'. Then any calls, sms, or voicemail will come into hangouts.
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crabpaws
03-18-2016 at 12:39 PM.
03-18-2016 at 12:39 PM.
Thanks, hoser.

I'm using Google Hangouts app to make wifi calls within US -- works great!

No Google Voice or Google Voice number needed, I'm using my other cell phone number.

All you need is the Google Hangouts app.

This is hands-down the cheapest. bounce
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