Need a text messenger app that works on wifi

[macjazzy]

Inside the shop at my work Verizon has no signal at all. The other carriers have great signals for some reason but Verizon....nothing.

When people call, sometimes it will ring, but I need to rush outside to answer, although most of the time it goes straight to voicemail. Text messages are hit or miss.

We have a wifi router in the shop that my phone connects to. So I thought if I could get a wifi text messenger app then my wife and other important people can get in touch with me if they need.

Is there an app that I can recieve and send text messages via my wifi signal that other people can send to and recieve from me through their regular cell phone service? Even if I have to use a different number.

 

[srkmagnus]

Inside the shop at my work Verizon has no signal at all. The other carriers have great signals for some reason but Verizon....nothing.

When people call, sometimes it will ring, but I need to rush outside to answer, although most of the time it goes straight to voicemail. Text messages are hit or miss.

We have a wifi router in the shop that my phone connects to. So I thought if I could get a wifi text messenger app then my wife and other important people can get in touch with me if they need.

Is there an app that I can recieve and send text messages via my wifi signal that other people can send to and recieve from me through their regular cell phone service? Even if I have to use a different number.

I think Google Voice will do just that. Sign-up for an account and give it a try. You may also check the Google Voice Faqs to see if this is possible if you don't want to sign-up without knowing.

You might have to be given a second number if you don't want to port your current number to Google Voice. If it's only a few people you are worried about getting a hold of you in an emergency, then a second number might not be so bad.

 

[macjazzy]

Don't I need an invite for Google Voice?

 

[CloeHokie]

Don't I need an invite for Google Voice?

You may not have to anymore. Give it a shot. If you need an invite lemme know. I think I have some. I know it does work over Wi-fi as I have used it when the network went down before. It does have a different number as its your Google Voice number but in your situation it would be fine.

 

[macjazzy]

Thanks for the advice, I was able to sign up without an invite, and I downloaded the android app for it, which says I can send and recieve texts via wifi, although I can not figure out how to do that from the app.

Any help doing that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[srkmagnus]

Open the Google Voice app and press Menu > Compose to send a text

If the Compose tab is not there go to Menu > Labels > Text

To receive just have your wife send a text to the Google Voice number you were given. Have her test it just to make sure everything works fine. Hope this helps.

 

[macjazzy]

srkmagnus, thanks for the idea, I did try that, it went through but her test text did not come back to my phone, I can access her texts via my computer, but so far not from the app.

 

[srkmagnus]

From the Google Voice page on the computer:

Options (top right corner of the page) > Voice Settings > Edit > Text Settings

Check the box to enable text messages for the phone number you have activated. Give that a try.

 

[CloeHokie]

srkmagnus, thanks for the idea, I did try that, it went through but her test text did not come back to my phone, I can access her texts via my computer, but so far not from the app.

Try going under the settings on your PC. There is a section called Voice and Text I think. Mine works but I also have my voicemail going through Google Voice which I enjoy because it also sends me a transcribed version of the VM to my gmail. Then I can read the VM if I am busy. Anyway, I think it basically sets it up to forward which may be why my texting come to the phone as well.

Or try looking through the settings in the app. Under Sync and notifications I have notify via text msg checked. Not sure what the defaults are.

 

[macjazzy]

Ok, I am breaking this down A bit, all the texts are being sent straight to my regular sms app (go sms) which I am not getting them because that app uses cell signal, which I have none of, instead of Wifi, which is the reason for trying this.
When I go to the google voice app, is shows no incoming texts, and no way to send a text except to teh google voice mail I got in my inbox welcoming me to google voice.
I am pretty sure it is a setting in something, but obviously I don't have it right.
Anyone?

 

[srkmagnus]

Did you try the settings CloeHokie and I posted?

 

[CloeHokie]

Ok, I am breaking this down A bit, all the texts are being sent straight to my regular sms app (go sms) which I am not getting them because that app uses cell signal, which I have none of, instead of Wifi, which is the reason for trying this.
When I go to the google voice app, is shows no incoming texts, and no way to send a text except to teh google voice mail I got in my inbox welcoming me to google voice.
I am pretty sure it is a setting in something, but obviously I don't have it right.
Anyone?

When I open my Google Voice I can do the following.

Hit menu, and pick labels. Then it should show a list. Pick Text.

When you are in the text section you should be able to hit menu again and see an option for compose. I just tested mine.

 

[macjazzy]

When I go through the selections like you posted, Cloe Hokie, when I hit menu, from the text screen the options I have are "refresh", "lables", " balance", "search", "settings", "help"

The only way I get a button that says compose is if I am on the screen with the one message I have recieved on my phone, which was the welcome message, and when I select compose there it looks like it is going to send a text to thenumber the welcome message originated from.

 

[srkmagnus]

Go to Labels and choose Text. From there press Menu > Compose. Enter the number you want to send a text to and compose the message.

 

[TitanShadow]

I have a similar problem on my iPhone and use Google Voice /w Skype to ensure if I get a call some bit of the phone rings. You can configure GV to forward to Skype after your cell phone sends it to GV for voicemail.

 

[macjazzy]

I am really just trying to get this set up to be able to send and recieve texts via wifi, which from what I have read, I can do on Google Voice, but so far I have not been able to figure out how to confiure it to work that way.

 

[srkmagnus]

Let's try and problem solve.

Have you enabled text messaging from the PC web page?

Can you get to the compse message via the app?

 

[CloeHokie]

When I go through the selections like you posted, Cloe Hokie, when I hit menu, from the text screen the options I have are "refresh", "lables", " balance", "search", "settings", "help"

The only way I get a button that says compose is if I am on the screen with the one message I have recieved on my phone, which was the welcome message, and when I select compose there it looks like it is going to send a text to thenumber the welcome message originated from.

Go to Labels and choose Text. From there press Menu > Compose. Enter the number you want to send a text to and compose the message.

Yeah that should work. Pick labels where you said you saw it. And from there you should see Text.

 

[macjazzy]

When I select labels, then text, there is no compose button, The only time I can get a compose button is when I am on the inbox screen, and the only thing in my inbox is the welcom message from google.

When I select compose from there it does ot give me the option of inputting a number to text to, in other words it will only let me text to the message in the inbox, which is the elcome message.

Yes recieve texts is selected in the google voice home page on my computer, and my correct cell number is the phone listed as the forward to number, and it is listed as being a mobile phone.

I am getting her texts to my phone, but I need to go outside the shop to get a cell signal. So they are not coming in via wifi, as I have a strong wifi signal that does not have any thing blocked or any filters on it.

So as of right now, I can not send texts using google voice from my phone, and when I recieve them I am only getting them via normal cell signal, not wifi.

I am recieving them into the phones sms app wich is "go sms", nothing shows up in the google voice app inbox.

 

[srkmagnus]

Is your wife texting the Google Voice number given to you?