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Question

Send/Receive Texts Without Your Phone

Mar 19, 2015 2:11AM PDT

Hi, I've looked all over for an answer to this...

I live in the U.S. but will be going home to Canada for a few months. While there I want to still get my calls and text messages without paying a fortune for roaming.

For phone calls I should be fine. I'll just check my VM from another phone. But I can't figure out a way to send and receive text messages with having my phone on me. Does anyone know a way to do this?

Thanks so much!!!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
While I'm using ring.to for that.
Mar 19, 2015 2:14AM PDT

I'm also using a smart phone with Google Hangouts Dialer for outbound calls. WiFi only.
Bob

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Answer
I agree with Bob
Mar 19, 2015 3:32AM PDT

Hangouts can be really useful when travellng internationally if you can find wifi. I believe on the Android side now you get the most bang for your buck as far as inbound/outbound calling is concerned. They haven't added inbound calling yet to the iOS version AFAIK.

https://support.google.com/hangouts/answer/6079064?hl=en

Why not unlock your phone and use prepaid in Canada(?) How about adding a modest international plan as a backup, then take it off when you return? This way you are not completely restricted to wifi.

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Thanks
Mar 19, 2015 7:38AM PDT

I really appreciate the responses. Sorry if I wasn't clear. What I really need is a way to send and receive texts from my American number. For calls I will just check my VM remotely. I'm not able to change numbers as I use my American number for business. Could I forward my text messages to the American number to a different number? Or is there an online service that allows you to send and receive your text messages? I'm planning on just leaving my phone in the U.S.

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Just checking. Did you google that?
Mar 19, 2015 7:43AM PDT
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I did
Mar 19, 2015 10:23AM PDT

Sorry, should have mentioned. I have an iPhone. Most of those solutions are for android and the ones for iPhone require a Mac or iPad with Yosemite... which I don't have.

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Next stop? Your carrier
Mar 19, 2015 10:42AM PDT

To see what forwarding or web access they have.

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(NT) That's what I was afraid of...
Mar 19, 2015 12:11PM PDT
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More links about
Mar 19, 2015 1:36PM PDT
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Who *is* your carrier?
Mar 20, 2015 1:19AM PDT

Might be helpful for us to know.

You might actually sit down and calculate what the actual costs would be in simply adding a month's worth of international texting to your plan. No write off of a business expense for you(?)

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ATT
Mar 20, 2015 4:05AM PDT

I called AT&T today and they did not have anything as far as SMS forwarding. Still have to do a bit of research on some apps in the app store, but it looks lie what I may do is buy a cheap android phone and then use the forwarding options listed earlier in this chain

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Answer
what's wrong with email instead?
Mar 20, 2015 10:16AM PDT

I use my computer's email to send text messages to phones. As for receiving, someone mentioned forwarding.

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It still requires wifi at least
Mar 21, 2015 5:46AM PDT

That's the crux. He doesn't seem to want to absorb any additional cost for roaming data (or maybe SMS too). Having to wait until you are on wifi just to send SMS via email would be more of a pain since SMS is 'on the fly' and more in real time than email.

Since he already has a (mostly free) method of checking VM while in Canada, I would keep it simple and add the $30 ATT passport service to his current ATT plan in order to take advantage of unlimited international texting. That way only outbound calling would be the problem and nothing else. {that would be $1/day for 30 days} This way the work colleagues don't have to use an unknown incoming phone number/etc. Been there, done that. I actually stopped griping about high cost of cellular service in the US once I learned how expensive it is north of the border Wink

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True!
Mar 25, 2015 5:37AM PDT

Thanks for the responses! I am looking at either adding the passport package to my phone or switching to android so I can text through gmail (per the links earlier in this thread).

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You wouldn't necessarily need to switch to android
Mar 25, 2015 10:48AM PDT

The Google Hangouts App for iOS works swimmingly. It just won't accept *incoming* calls yet on the Apple side, that feature is currently only available w/ Android. If you absolutely needed incoming VoIP calling, there are a plethora of other choices for the iOS side. Way too many to count. And adding an ATT Passport plan for a month wouldn't require you to unlock your handset either in order to use a prepaid canadian SIM.

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Answer
Text from Computer to Cell phone
Apr 7, 2015 7:41AM PDT