Using a US mobile phone/number in Canada to correspond with people in the states.

[nickerjones]

I have unlimited intl messaging with my bell account here. However my parents and a lot of friends don't have an intl plan in the states, so messaging cost them a bit. We don't want to use an app to text so is there any options that aren't ridiculously priced? I was thinking I could get a US cell phone and just use it here. I don't really need much voice or data just need the texting honestly.

[an hero]

Sign up for a Google Voice account, get a US number. Probably need a US IP address and an active US telephone number just for the sign-up part.

Can use google.com/voice and send/receive texts there, can set it to go to your e-mail, so when someone texts you and it goes to your email, you can hit reply on the email and it texts them back.

They also have a voice transcription service and full telephone service which can be used either via XMPP protocol (that Talkatone or Groove IP use -- note: they are removing XMPP support next month rendering those apps useless to move some variable Voice services to Hangouts), Hangouts, or logging into your Gmail account and making calls on the left sidebar. It also can receive calls from within the browser if the webmail is open.

I was one of the lucky ones that have both a US and Canadian GV number on the same account. Has helped a crap-ton regarding family and friends back in the states.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by an hero

Sign up for a Google Voice account, get a US number. Probably need a US IP address and an active US telephone number just for the sign-up part.

Can use google.com/voice and send/receive texts there, can set it to go to your e-mail, so when someone texts you and it goes to your email, you can hit reply on the email and it texts them back.

They also have a voice transcription service and full telephone service which can be used either via XMPP protocol (that Talkatone or Groove IP use -- note: they are removing XMPP support next month rendering those apps useless to move some variable Voice services to Hangouts), Hangouts, or logging into your Gmail account and making calls on the left sidebar. It also can receive calls from within the browser if the webmail is open.

I was one of the lucky ones that have both a US and Canadian GV number on the same account. Has helped a crap-ton regarding family and friends back in the states.

Be aware that you can't do MMS though.

Verizon treats Canadian numbers as domestic for txting. I assumed the rest of them did too, I guess not?

[an hero]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Be aware that you can't do MMS though.

Verizon treats Canadian numbers as domestic for txting. I assumed the rest of them did too, I guess not?

Clearly it's not domestic so that would be a Verizon selling point over AT&T and T-Mobile if they're billed as domestic.

It looks like you might be right about them after looking at their website, but that is for texts only. Still.. better than nothing.

[MrCallahan]

If you download the Google Hangouts app on your phone, you can do free calling through that. Don't think it will assign you a phone number, but it would at least allow you to call outbound for free, and just use your data.

[nickerjones]

I have unlimited calling from Canada to the states. Im really more worried about people texting me.

[an hero]

You can still see if that loophole to get a Canadian number exists (I did it about 3 years ago, they probably closed it by now), but it would cost money. (probably not to attempt, only if you're successful I imagine)

Once getting set up with a US number try and change it, and use the 403 area code. It was the only Canadian area code I could get to work. Then paid another small fee to keep both numbers.

[ken0042]

What I don't get- what is the end goal? Anything that gets around international texting is going to be more complicated than using an app like WhatsApp.

What I mean is this- are you looking for something easy for parents to use? Then they should get an international plan. If you are looking for something for your friends, do you really want to have to go through teaching each of them how to set something up?

[an hero]

Originally Posted by ken0042

What I don't get- what is the end goal? Anything that gets around international texting is going to be more complicated than using an app like WhatsApp.

What I mean is this- are you looking for something easy for parents to use? Then they should get an international plan.[/b] If you are looking for something for your friends, do you really want to have to go through teaching each of them how to set something up?[b]

This is a misconception on your part. OP mentioned specific people in the states he wants to contact don't have an international plan. So (logically, to be considerate of them) he wants to get a US number so they can freely text each other without paying for international plans/rates. It would make no sense to have others jump through hoops. I've done the exact thing the OP wants to do (with GV), no one had to do anything other than put my new number in their phone book. That's hardly anything like teaching anyone how to set something up.

[FlamingLonghorn]

I am pretty sure T-Mobile plans include unlimited int'l texting in most countries (I am sure Canada is included in that). It was one of their big promos about 5 months ago towards business travelers.

edit: Yep here are the details. Unlimited text and data when travelling.

http://www.t-mobile.com/optional-services/roaming.html

[Galakanokis]

Google voice all the way. I use it with app like Groove IP and make calls and texts into the US. I also use it as my voice-mail for my Canadian number, just forward to it. Works great and fairly easy to setup, you have a leg up as im sure you have easy access to a US number. I had to get a temp number just to set things up.

[an hero]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Google voice all the way. I use it with app like Groove IP and make calls and texts into the US. I also use it as my voice-mail for my Canadian number, just forward to it. Works great and fairly easy to setup, you have a leg up as im sure you have easy access to a US number. I had to get a temp number just to set things up.

Come May, Groove IP, Talkatone, etc. won't work anymore.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/11...s-in-may-2014/

Users of Google Voice have long called for the company to pay more attention to the seemingly forgotten service for quite some time. Unfortunately, they may be getting more than they were hoping for. While many people are thrilled to hear Voice will finally support MMS and become a part of Hangouts in early 2014, Google is also planning to close up shop for all 3rd-party apps that relied on the service for free texting and VoIP calling. Sadly, these apps will cease to function on May 15, 2014.

Google plans to shut down the XMPP interface currently used by alternative Voice apps. XMPP is an open protocol developed and made popular(-ish) by Jabber; its purpose was to allow multiple instant messaging networks to interoperate with each other. Google was an early supporter of the protocol, incorporating it into both its Talk and Voice products. As a part of the transition from Talk to Hangouts, announced at Google I/O in May 2013, XMPP support was cut significantly so that alternative clients can still connect and send messages, but many of the interesting features like video chat and group messaging were made exclusive to Hangouts. Third-party Voice clients won't have it so lucky, as the entire interface will be shut down entirely, and no replacement has been announced. For the sake of anybody using an IM client that interacts with multiple networks (Trillian, Adium, Pidgin, etc.), let's hope this is the last time we have to talk about a shutdown like this.

Among the casualties of this change is GrooVe IP, developed by snrb Labs. In a statement made on the app's Facebook page, development efforts are ending with version 1.4.6, posted just yesterday. GrooVe IP will continue to operate normally until Google locks down Voice in May; snrb Labs intends to issue bug fixes if any critical issues arise between now and then.

Longtime Voice users have probably expected a tightening of the reigns for some time. When apps began to pop up with the ability to make free calls through Google's network, there were already questions about the Terms of Service and if such apps would be permitted. At the time, Google remained mostly silent and its inaction was seen as permission. It was understood that undocumented interfaces could change or go away at any time, but the lack of updates to Google Voice over the years meant that breaking changes rarely occurred, if ever. As Google asserts its commitment to bring all of its messaging systems under the same roof with Hangouts, it was time for Voice's aging interface to be completely overhauled. Naturally, violations to the Terms of Service and a need to secure the network are given as reasons.

If you're a regular user of any 3rd-party app relying on the Google Voice service, you may need to start investigating alternatives. Features like texting and voicemail will obviously transition completely to the Hangouts app, so you won't need to worry about those. The future of free VoIP calling is considerably less certain, and Google hasn't made a statement about plans to introduce such a feature, but we can hope. In the meantime, there are still over seven months to work out plans, so you've got some time.

This includes Talktone and all other XMPP using third party clients/apps.

[Galakanokis]

Thanks for that man, had no idea. I guess my idea is kind of useless then.

[an hero]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

Thanks for that man, had no idea. I guess my idea is kind of useless then.

When I first came to Canada, I was a little PO at the nickel-and-diming of cell phone services (for example: they charged like $8 in Ontario for CallerID alone, didn't give you infinite calls to people on the same provider, and differentiated between national/local.. none of which the US had done in like a decade or so).

When I moved from the US, I ported my AT&T cell number to GV, then when experiencing this stuff, I tricked GV into giving me a Canadian number (as you see with the screenshot prior to this post).

Then I went to a Bell store at the mall, had them subsidize a Samsung Note 1 (when it was new), they only had the option of putting me on a normal plan. So I took it home, talked to their variant of a "retention" department, had them cancel the voice portion of it for me, and put me on a flex tablet plan. (so I paid $15/month up to 500mb and was bumped to $30 between 500mb-5GB)

I then downloaded the APK file for Google Voice (since it wasn't available with a Canadian IP / Canadian Google Play), downloaded Talkatone, and used that for two years until I wanted to upgrade to the Note 3. During that time, was infinite calls and texts to anyone in North America, and given I had US and Canadian numbers on the same account, never had to worry about others having to deal with international rates. Because it was an Android phone and Android phones let you have more control over the device, was able to have Talkatone and GV take over the phone's call and SMS functions. (which made sense, since when they switched me over to a flex tablet they disabled normal cell incoming calls and texts)

Of course, when I got the Note 3 I just switched to a normal family plan with my wife (during the xmas season when we got double the data), the Google servers were becoming a little unreliable, but moreover, Talkatone's service was plummeting to crap.

I only wished services like this were more common, and more reliable. It would in effect force the Big 3 to be more competitive (or go under), Blockbuster vs. Netflix style.

[Galakanokis]

Fongo works not too bad in Canada, you do have to pay for texting and international calling but it works. It is very similar to GV. I really only use GV or fongo for calling people I don't want to use the my main number for, Craigslist or calls about another job or what not.

Google voice is great and I like the implementation into Hangouts but I hope it doesn't go away completely.