Wow, I'm so excited.
In one of my last posts, I asked about making and receiving phone calls on my new Android phone. And today I figured out how to do it! I can't promise that my instructions will work for in all situations, but this is what I did.
1. Get a google voice phone number. I had to do this while I was in the states, because I needed to have a physical phone line to register the number. Don't ask me how to do this. I just found the directions on the Google Voice website.
2. Download Groove IP on your Android phone. You can also google information on how this works. I actually downloaded Groove IP Light from the Amazon.com App store for free! The "normal" app is about USD $5
3. You have to make sure that your Google Voice settings are set to "chat." Again, if this doesn't make sense, do a google search.
4. Log into Groove IP on your phone. As long as you have a data connection (WiFi with Groove IP light, or if you pay the USD $5 I think you can do it over your mobile data network) you should be able to make and receive phone calls.
And I still love technology...
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I'm glad it works for you but it sounds like a complicated alternative to downloading skype, buying credit and making a phone call.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, you are right. It~s way more complicated. But as I've mentioned before, I love cheap/free so much, that I have done all sorts of complicated things...
DeleteIs it free to call regular phones in the US on Google Voice? Because Skype is incredibly cheap (a few cents a minute) and if the other person also has Skype it's free.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's free. I have Skype, and I've used Skype credit before. I have Skype on my smart phone, but I'd rather not pay for something I can get for free.
DeleteAlternatively you can download Viber and text and talk for free with friends in the States that have also downloaded it. So far it is working pretty well for us here, though sometimes the calls are touch and go if you don't have a wireless connection.
ReplyDeleteI looked at Viber, but it seemed kinda like Skype to me. And there are few people in my life who can't do anything except phone calls, so I really did it so they could call me and reach me.
DeleteHi everyone. Yes, google voice is 100% totally free for all US calls. I use it at home.
ReplyDeleteIf you make calls from your PC, you don't need to install any apps. When you open up gmail, you will see a chat menu on the left-hand side. Click on the telephone icon that says "call phone". It will prompt you to install the software from google and you only have to do this once. From then on, you can make as many calls as you'd like for free to the US from anywhere in the world. I tried it myself from Brazil to call my parents and it worked!
If you want to make international calls, I think the rate is something really cheap like 6 cents a minute to Costa Rica, etc.