How To Make Calls With A Disconnected Phone

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

It's true—it definitely comes with some caveats, but if you're looking to ditch your cellphone neb altogether (or you lot never had ane to brainstorm with), y'all tin still make calls and texts on your smartphone.

(Note: If you're simply 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. Betwixt that and services similar iMessage, which can send text messages over Wi-Fi, you lot may be pretty well covered. If non, y'all tin can come back here and effort this setup.)

How This Works

Past using this guide, you'll be able to make and receive calls, as well as send and receive text messages—all without a SIM menu or cellular service. And of grade you'll be able to practise all the same stuff yous already apply your smartphone for, too.

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

Basically, nosotros're going to set up your phone with Google Voice and Google Hangouts, which let you to do all these things over Wi-Fi. That means, of course, that in order for everything to work, you'll need to be connected to Wi-Fi any time you lot want to apply your phone. That's definitely a downside, but if Wi-Fi is ubiquitous where you live, you might exist able to make information technology work. Android's Wi-Fi Assistant characteristic can make this easier by automatically connecting to trusted networks, and if y'all have internet at dwelling, you may as well take free access to Wi-Fi hotspots around boondocks from the same provider. Comcast and AT&T, for example, have Wi-Fi hotspots everywhere.

In add-on, all calls in/to the US and Canada are free using the following methods, only yous'll accept to pay extra for international calling.

Lastly, let's talk about 911 emergency services. As long as you're doing this from a phone (not a tablet or iPod touch-like device), 911 servicesvolition e'er work, just you have to utilise the stock dialer (not the apps we're going to use in this guide). All phones are required to support 911 services—even without a SIM carte—then you'll never have to worry during an emergency. Your telephone will still have your back.

With that, let'southward get started.

What You'll Demand

This should piece of work on both Android phones and iPhones, both with the same 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 y'all'll need:

• A Google Account
• A Google Voice number and the Google Voice 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-gratis setup.

Pace 1: Gear up Your Google Phonation Account

The get-go matter you lot'll need is a Google Voice account and number. If you already accept that, skip this step!

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

If you're not familiar with Google Vocalism, here's the quick and dirty explanation of what it is: Google Voice is a completely free phone number provided to you past Google. It can make calls in the U.s.a. over the net and send and receive text letters, without you having to pay for any phone service. Withal, those calls and texts will appear to people equally coming from your Google Voice number, and then you'll need to requite it to all your friends and family equally your "new number"—unless yous port your current number to Google Voice (which is a bit more of a semi-permanent solution, but doesn't come with the hassle of giving out a new number).

To set up information technology upwards, head over to the Google Voice homepage on your computer and click on "Get Google Vocalism" to get started. When the dropdown shows up, click on "Web" (assuming you're doing this from a computer, of form).

Click through the first prompt, then enter your city or area code to get a nearby number. Go along in mind that Google doesn't offer numbers for all locations, so you may accept to choose something close past instead of your actual town.

Selection a number that suits you and click "Select."

During the initial setup process, you'll accept to link an existing number to Google Voice (don't worry, if yous're getting rid of prison cell service birthday, yous tin can unlink it after). Click on Next, so enter your phone number. You'll go a text message with a six-digit lawmaking to confirm.

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

If you lot don't want your main number to ring when you get a call on Google Vocalization (which is what happens when you link your number in the to a higher place step), You'll need to then unlink your number. Outset, jump into Voice's Settings menu past clicking the the dots in the left pane, and so cull "Settings."

In the Linked Numbers section, click the X adjacent to your primary phone number.

Information technology'll ask if you lot're sure that'southward what you want to it. If it is, click the Delete button.

Boom, done. At present you don't accept to worry about getting calls onboth numbers.

Step Two: Set Upward Your Phone

With all the tools in mitt and everything installed, you're pretty much ready to curl. It's a relatively straightforward setup, and then hopefully you won't hitting any snags along the manner.

It'southward also worth mentioning that while y'all could technically do virtually of this stuffonly using the Google Voice app, I had issues getting notifications for calls and whatnot with just Vocalism. Switching everything over to Hangouts fixed that, so I recommend using that instead of just Voice.

Beginning, burn upward Hangouts. This will ultimately be the hub that handles all of your settings.

If you lot've used Hangouts earlier, then you already know the interface. On Android, in that location are two tabs: one for messages, and 1 for the calls (which is only present once the Hangouts Dialer is installed). On iOS, the tabs are along the bottom, and there are 4: Contacts, Favorites, Messages, and Calls.

Ultimately, these work the same way, and you actually simply need to worry near the Messages and Calls tabs on both platforms.

Become ahead and slide open the bill of fare on the left side by pressing the iii lines in the acme corner (or just sliding in from left to right), then choose Settings.

On Android, choose your account, and then find the Google Voice section. On iOS, gyre down to the "Phone Number" entry and tap into this carte.

The first thing you'll want to enable is the "Incoming Telephone Calls" selection, which ways it will ring on this phone when you lot get a call.

If you'd like to use Hangouts instead of Google Voice for text messages also, toggle the "Letters" option here, as well. It'due south overnice to be able to handle everything from the same app, plus SMS in Hangouts is slightly nicer than the Vocalism app. Too, I institute GIF support to be better in Hangouts than Voice, then take that into consideration too.

Keep in mind that if y'all choose to utilise Hangouts for SMS, you'll become notifications on every device that has Hangouts installed—including computers.

On iOS, there's one other setting you lot'll want to make sure is enabled. Dorsum in the main Settings bill of fare, toggle "Answer on lock screen" to on, which volition allow you to reply calls directly from the lock screen, just like a native call.

From now on, yous can text and call similar you lot normally would, simply instead of using the stock dialer and messaging applications, you'll just use Hangouts (unless, of course, you opted to utilise the Google Voice app for messaging).

Stride Three: Tweak Your Google Voice Settings (Optional)

Google Vox settings are synced across devices (and the web), and then there are a few things you may want to tweak.

Link Your Principal Number

First off, if you don't plan on using this as your principal phone (which I really suggest against doing anyhow), y'all can prepare all calls to frontwards to your main number. In Google Voice, open Settings, then choose "Linked Numbers" to add your primary number. If y'all did this when setting upward your Vocalism number and didn't unlink it, so you're already expert here.

Keep in mind that all calls and whatnot will as well ring your main phone after that, so you'll go calls on both. If you programme on using your new carrier-less setup equally a standalone arrangement, I wouldn't worry about linking numbers.

Enable Missed Call Notifications and Letters Over Email

When you go a missed call on your Google Voice number, you tin can become email notifications. I personally find these annoying as hell, only you do y'all.

To enable this characteristic, open the Phonation app, then go to Settings.

To enable SMS over electronic mail, enable the "Forrard messages to…" selection.

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

Ready for the alluvion in your inbox.

Get Voicemail Transcripts

Since you lot're using Google Voice to receive calls, you tin likewise let Google transcribe your voicemails, which is neat.

In the Voice app, open the Setting carte du jour and scroll to the Voicemail section. Enable the "Voicemail Transcript Analysis" pick to make it happen.

Also, you can enable the "Go voicemail via email" option to get these transcriptions in your email, which I actually like.

Other Apps

To say that Google Vocalism/Hangouts is the only way to practice this would be silly, because there are a lot of other apps out there that do the same things. The affair is, the combination of Hangouts and Voice is easily the near universal way to use your telephone without the demand for a carrier, and it's the best pick for an all-in-one solution that volition handle both calls and texts. All others just fall flat in this regard.

But! In that location are some other options for staying in touch on with people:

• Facebook Messenger:This is a great fashion to make calls and send messages to people you know, only the problem here is that everything is handled through your Facebook account—meaning you don't accept an actual telephone number to give out in this case.
• WhatsApp:Pretty much the same as Facebook Messenger, simply with a WhatsApp account.
• Other Instant Messaging Clients: The story is going to be same across the board hither—you can talk to people yous know over pretty much any IM client you lot're both on, merely y'all'll be lacking the robustness and versatility of having an actual telephone number to employ.

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This is a great way to use an former phone as a 2d line if you need i. And considering how ubiquitous public Wi-Fi is now, y'all tin can get coveragealmostanywhere—the master exception is going to be when travelling. If yous're in the motorcar, you're pretty much out of luck. As soon equally you re-connect, however, you're back in business.

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

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