Can You Use A Phone Without Service

Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, and carriers know it—so they charge a lot of money for something they know you're going to pay. But what if I told you that you could use your phone, including calls and texts, with nothing but Wi-Fi?

It's truthful—information technology definitely comes with some caveats, but if you're looking to ditch your cellphone bill altogether (or you never had 1 to brainstorm with), yous tin can even so brand calls and texts on your smartphone.

(Note: If yous're only struggling with poor reception in your house or office, this solution may be overkill—first, give Wi-Fi calling a try on your iPhone or Android device, if your carrier supports it. Between that and services like iMessage, which can send text messages over Wi-Fi, you lot may be pretty well covered. If not, you lot can come back here and endeavor this setup.)

How This Works

By using this guide, you'll exist able to make and receive calls, equally well equally send and receive text messages—all without a SIM card or cellular service. And of course yous'll be able to practise however stuff you already use your smartphone for, too.

RELATED: How to Use Android's Wi-Fi Assistant to Safely Connect to Public Wi-Fi Networks (and Salvage Data)

Basically, nosotros're going to set up your phone with Google Voice and Google Hangouts, which permit you to practice all these things over Wi-Fi. That ways, of course, that in order for everything to work, you'll demand to exist connected to Wi-Fi any fourth dimension you want to use your phone. That's definitely a downside, just if Wi-Fi is ubiquitous where you live, you might be able to make information technology piece of work. Android's Wi-Fi Assistant characteristic can brand this easier by automatically connecting to trusted networks, and if y'all have internet at home, you may too take free admission to Wi-Fi hotspots around town from the same provider. Comcast and AT&T, for example, have Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere.

In addition, all calls in/to the U.s.a. and Canada are costless using the post-obit methods, just you'll have to pay actress for international calling.

Lastly, let'southward talk about 911 emergency services. As long equally yous're doing this from a phone (not a tablet or iPod touch-similar device), 911 serviceswill ever work, but y'all have to use the stock dialer (non the apps we're going to use in this guide). All phones are required to support 911 services—even without a SIM card—so you lot'll never take to worry during an emergency. Your phone volition however have your back.

With that, permit'southward become started.

What You'll Need

This should piece of work on both Android phones and iPhones, both with the aforementioned tools. I'll be primarily using Android in this guide, but will also try to mention if something is different on iOS. Here are the tools yous'll need:

• A Google Account
• A Google Phonation number and the Google Vox app for Android or iOS
• The Google Hangouts app for Android or iOS
• Hangouts Dialer for Android (this is integrated into the Hangouts app on iOS)

These are going to be the courage of our carrier-free setup.

Step One: Prepare Your Google Vox Account

The first thing y'all'll demand is a Google Vocalism business relationship and number. If you already have that, skip this pace!

RELATED: How (and Why) to Port Your Old Telephone Number to Google Voice

If you're not familiar with Google Voice, here's the quick and dirty caption of what it is: Google Vox is a completely free phone number provided to you past Google. It can brand calls in the US over the internet and send and receive text messages, without y'all having to pay for any telephone service. Still, those calls and texts will appear to people as coming from your Google Voice number, so you lot'll need to give it to all your friends and family as your "new number"—unless y'all port your current number to Google Vocalism (which is a bit more of a semi-permanent solution, just doesn't come with the hassle of giving out a new number).

To set it up, head over to the Google Vox homepage on your estimator and click on "Become Google Voice" to go started. When the dropdown shows upwards, click on "Spider web" (assuming you're doing this from a computer, of course).

Click through the beginning prompt, then enter your city or expanse code to get a nearby number. Go on in mind that Google doesn't offering numbers for all locations, and so you may accept to cull something shut by instead of your bodily boondocks.

Choice a number that suits yous and click "Select."

During the initial setup process, yous'll have to link an existing number to Google Vocalisation (don't worry, if you're getting rid of cell service birthday, y'all can unlink it later). Click on Next, then enter your phone number. You'll get a text message with a half dozen-digit lawmaking to ostend.

Ane you're finished with that, it'll let you know your number is confirmed. Nice!

If yous don't desire your main number to ring when you get a call on Google Vocalization (which is what happens when you link your number in the in a higher place step), You'll need to then unlink your number. Start, spring into Phonation's Settings menu by clicking the the dots in the left pane, then choose "Settings."

In the Linked Numbers section, click the X next to your primary telephone number.

It'll inquire if you're sure that's what you want to it. If it is, click the Delete button.

Smash, done. Now you don't have to worry about getting calls onboth numbers.

Footstep Ii: Gear up Up Your Phone

With all the tools in hand and everything installed, you're pretty much prepare to roll. It's a relatively straightforward setup, then hopefully y'all won't hit whatever snags forth the way.

It's likewise worth mentioning that while you could technically do most of this stuffmerely using the Google Voice app, I had problems getting notifications for calls and whatnot with just Voice. Switching everything over to Hangouts fixed that, then I recommend using that instead of simply Voice.

Kickoff, fire upwards Hangouts. This volition ultimately be the hub that handles all of your settings.

If you've used Hangouts earlier, then you already know the interface. On Android, there are two tabs: one for letters, and ane for the calls (which is simply present once the Hangouts Dialer is installed). On iOS, the tabs are along the lesser, and there are iv: Contacts, Favorites, Messages, and Calls.

Ultimately, these piece of work the same way, and yous really only need to worry well-nigh the Letters and Calls tabs on both platforms.

Go ahead and slide open the menu on the left side by pressing the iii lines in the meridian corner (or merely sliding in from left to right), so choose Settings.

On Android, choose your account, then observe the Google Voice section. On iOS, scroll downwards to the "Phone Number" entry and tap into this bill of fare.

The first thing you'll want to enable is the "Incoming Phone Calls" choice, which means it will ring on this phone when you get a call.

If y'all'd like to use Hangouts instead of Google Voice for text messages every bit well, toggle the "Messages" option here, likewise. Information technology's nice to exist able to handle everything from the aforementioned app, plus SMS in Hangouts is slightly nicer than the Vocalization app. Likewise, I found GIF support to exist better in Hangouts than Voice, so take that into consideration besides.

Keep in mind that if you choose to use Hangouts for SMS, yous'll go notifications on every device that has Hangouts installed—including computers.

On iOS, there'due south one other setting you'll want to make certain is enabled. Back in the chief Settings menu, toggle "Answer on lock screen" to on, which volition permit you to answer calls directly from the lock screen, just similar a native call.

From at present on, you can text and call like you commonly would, but instead of using the stock dialer and messaging applications, you'll just use Hangouts (unless, of course, you lot opted to use the Google Voice app for messaging).

Stride Three: Tweak Your Google Voice Settings (Optional)

Google Voice settings are synced across devices (and the web), then in that location are a few things you may desire to tweak.

Link Your Main Number

Start off, if y'all don't programme on using this equally your main telephone (which I really suggest against doing anyhow), you can set all calls to forward to your main number. In Google Vocalization, open up Settings, then choose "Linked Numbers" to add your chief number. If you did this when setting up your Vox number and didn't unlink it, and so you're already good here.

Go on in heed that all calls and whatnot will also ring your main telephone after that, so yous'll become calls on both. If you lot programme on using your new carrier-less setup as a standalone system, I wouldn't worry about linking numbers.

Enable Missed Call Notifications and Messages Over E-mail

When you get a missed call on your Google Voice number, y'all can become email notifications. I personally find these abrasive every bit hell, merely y'all practice you.

To enable this feature, open the Voice app, then become to Settings.

To enable SMS over electronic mail, enable the "Forward messages to…" option.

To get missed call notifications over e-mail, enable the "Go electronic mail alerts for missed calls" option.

Prepare for the overflowing in your inbox.

Go Voicemail Transcripts

Since yous're using Google Voice to receive calls, you can also let Google transcribe your voicemails, which is keen.

In the Voice app, open the Setting carte and curlicue to the Voicemail section. Enable the "Voicemail Transcript Analysis" option to make it happen.

Also, you tin can enable the "Become voicemail via electronic mail" option to become these transcriptions in your email, which I really like.

Other Apps

To say that Google Voice/Hangouts is the simply fashion to do this would be lightheaded, because at that place are a lot of other apps out at that place that exercise the aforementioned things. The thing is, the combination of Hangouts and Voice is easily the most universal style to use your telephone without the need for a carrier, and information technology'due south the best pick for an all-in-one solution that will handle both calls and texts. All others just fall flat in this regard.

But! There are some other options for staying in touch with people:

• Facebook Messenger:This is a slap-up way to make calls and send messages to people yous know, merely the problem hither is that everything is handled through your Facebook business relationship—pregnant you don't have an actual phone number to give out in this example.
• WhatsApp:Pretty much the same as Facebook Messenger, only with a WhatsApp account.
• Other Instant Messaging Clients: The story is going to be same across the board here—y'all can talk to people y'all know over pretty much any IM customer you're both on, but y'all'll be lacking the robustness and versatility of having an bodily phone number to use.

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This is a dandy mode to use an onetime phone as a 2d line if y'all demand one. And because how ubiquitous public Wi-Fi is now, you tin can get coveragealmostanywhere—the main exception is going to exist when travelling. If you're in the car, you're pretty much out of luck. As soon as yous re-connect, still, yous're back in business.

Can You Use A Phone Without Service,

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/229643/how-to-use-a-cellphone-without-any-service/

Posted by: wahltheak1945.blogspot.com

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