Wifi SMS?

[Zodiark1593]

Any means available that I can send SMS texts over a wifi connection? I frequent a small town fairly often that gets absolutely no service from my carrier. When I had my T-Mobile branded LG G2, WiFi calling was my savior, but since buying my new phone which T-Mobile never even sold, (never mind the custom ROM bit I'm running), I have been pretty much on radio silence whenever I head to this area. My friend I text most has an iPhone, meaning non-issue due to iMessage, though I've an Android, so no-go. Also, most I text are fairly tech illiterate, meaning getting everyone onto Hangouts or something similar would also be a royal PITA and bring rise to many questions of "Why".

 

Needs to be a solution on my end only.

 

Working on experimenting here seeing if anything at all works. Not a lot of luck so far though beyond using some website/app and a burner number, but even many of these require cell service and is a really hack-job solution.

[RGProductions]

Some phones have wifi assist, check that.

[tp95112]

You can try whatsapp. 

[Zodiark1593]

1 minute ago, RGProductions said:

Some phones have wifi assist, check that.

Mine does not. I've checked many times over since I bought my phone, including the hidden menus. I've experimented with various apps and other potential solutions off and on since buying my phone, though have not (yet) found anything that works without intervention of some sort on the other end.

[Zodiark1593]

1 minute ago, tp95112 said:

You can try whatsapp. 

Beyond the apparent security concerns (which may be trivial in the grand scheme of things anyway), there is the fact that everyone I message would have to use the app. Not exactly realistic for those I contact regularly.

[TheKDub]

The closes thing I've heard of for this is iMessage on IOS devices. I too would like to find a way to text via Wifi on Android as I don't get great cell service at work.

[,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,]

 what about textplus or something similar

 

voip

[chilicheeseburger]

10 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

Beyond the apparent security concerns (which may be trivial in the grand scheme of things anyway), there is the fact that everyone I message would have to use the app. Not exactly realistic for those I contact regularly.

I was gonna suggest whatsapp as well. In fact, it seemed completely obvious to me. SMS is pretty much dead here and everyone and their grandmother uses whatsapp. (literally)

 

So if that's not an option, what about simply using emails?

[TheKDub]

13 minutes ago, chilicheeseburger said:

I was gonna suggest whatsapp as well. In fact, it seemed completely obvious to me. SMS is pretty much dead here and everyone and their grandmother uses whatsapp. (literally)

 

So if that's not an option, what about simply using emails?

I've never used whatsapp, nor have plenty of my friends. We stick with regular texting and/or snapchat.

 

Emails are very inconvenient for conversation.

[Zodiark1593]

27 minutes ago, chilicheeseburger said:

I was gonna suggest whatsapp as well. In fact, it seemed completely obvious to me. SMS is pretty much dead here and everyone and their grandmother uses whatsapp. (literally)

 

So if that's not an option, what about simply using emails?

Everyone I know uses SMS or iMessage (android or Apple).

[chilicheeseburger]

1 minute ago, Zodiark1593 said:

Everyone I know uses SMS or iMessage (android or Apple).

My bad for assuming WA was as popular everywhere as it is here.

[RGProductions]

5 hours ago, huilun02 said:

2 phones

1 of which has the sim card and left charging where there is reception. 

The other, with you and remotely controlling the first using Teamviewer.

 

If you want your contacts to recieve sms over basic cell, then you need cell reception yourself, period. 

Unless you have wifi boost/calling

[Zodiark1593]

So I found that this particular area receives Band 12 LTE from T-Mobile, the exact band that my phone happens to be missing or for some reason is non functional (and found out by borrowing a K10). I probably wouldn't have chosen this phone had I known that tbh because it is kind of a big deal where I live.

[noobs guid to marsterrace]

It's called MMS

[Zodiark1593]

3 hours ago, noobs guid to marsterrace said:

It's called MMS

Mms does not work without cell signal.

 

Lot's of searching later, and I'm not seeing anything resembling another solution beyond buying a different phone, which as this has been a royal PITA for the past few months, is a tempting thought.

 

Edit: further research tells me that T-Mobile does not allow uncertified devices from accessing VoLTE or Band 12. Band 12 technically works on my phone, but I'm being blocked by the carrier. So yeah, this route is shut out to me altogether...

 

[Radioactive Snowman]

17 hours ago, Zodiark1593 said:

Mms does not work without cell signal.

 

Lot's of searching later, and I'm not seeing anything resembling another solution beyond buying a different phone, which as this has been a royal PITA for the past few months, is a tempting thought.

 

Edit: further research tells me that T-Mobile does not allow uncertified devices from accessing VoLTE or Band 12. Band 12 technically works on my phone, but I'm being blocked by the carrier. So yeah, this route is shut out to me altogether...

 

Just buy an iPhone X problem solved

[Zodiark1593]

1 hour ago, Radioactive Snowman said:

Just buy an iPhone X problem solved

The irony being that it is an easy solution, just expensive.

 

An iPhone 7 wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility though.

 

[Radioactive Snowman]

15 hours ago, Zodiark1593 said:

The irony being that it is an easy solution, just expensive.

 

An iPhone 7 wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility though.

 

I had a 7 plus and loved it, I'm using a 6s plus now (long story) and it's just as good 

[Zodiark1593]

Kind of old, but figured I'd update my progress. Google Voice seems to be my savior here, as I was able to send SMS over just a wifi connection. The caveat being that a different number is used, though not a major downside compared to having to convince everyone else to use the same app.

 

While not the same as having Band 12 service, this is probably the best solution I've found until I decide to upgrade.

[LienusLateTips]

1 hour ago, Zodiark1593 said:

Kind of old, but figured I'd update my progress. Google Voice seems to be my savior here, as I was able to send SMS over just a wifi connection. The caveat being that a different number is used, though not a major downside compared to having to convince everyone else to use the same app.

 

While not the same as having Band 12 service, this is probably the best solution I've found until I decide to upgrade.

I think my friend found a way to use his own number on Google Voice without transferring it, I'll go ask him.

[Zodiark1593]

21 hours ago, JDE said:

I think my friend found a way to use his own number on Google Voice without transferring it, I'll go ask him.

Not quite sure how that would work unless Voice somehow sends the messages through the carrier and then to the recipient.

 

Making phone calls doesn't work on wifi alone, though that was to be expected. For my use case, being able to send SMS over wifi is a big help.

[LienusLateTips]

3 minutes ago, Zodiark1593 said:

Not quite sure how that would work unless Voice somehow sends the messages through the carrier and then to the recipient.

 

Making phone calls doesn't work on wifi alone, though that was to be expected. For my use case, being able to send SMS over wifi is a big help.

I know WeChat Out spoofs your number.