Can I get calls on my tablet without "adding a line"?

[Ben_70]

When I'm at home my Pixel 2XL (Verizon service) is left upstairs. I recently bought a Lenovo Tab 4 8+ tablet for downstairs; it has a sim card slot but no sim in it. I would like the ability to make and receive calls on the tablet. i.e. when someone calls my Verizon number, I'd like to have both my phone and tablet ring. What I'm not willing to do is pay an additional monthly fee to Verizon to add a line. Is there such thing as a "backup sim" that uses the same number as my phone? Or can I accomplish this using an app (Google Voice?) on both my phone and tablet?
Thanks,
Ben

 

[VidJunky]

Well the short answer is no. You cannot have 2 SIM cards with the same number, at least not on Verizon. Well not on any carrier I've heard of for that matter. I'm not 100% on the Google Voice thing though... I've never used it with anything other than a phone. While I know it will forward calls to other phones, I'm not sure if it would forward a call to a WiFi connected device, or simultaneously ring a phone and device. I think Tango might work because I think it allows WiFi calling. You need a phone number to start service with them, but maybe that just gets the service started and then the app can be linked to other devices using the same account...? Something like that would be how you would have to go, because even though the tab could work on a cellular network without a SIM all you'll be able to do is dial 911 and maybe WiFi calling.

 

[Ben_70]

Thanks a bunch for the detailed reply. I'll have to look into Tango.

 

[B. Diddy]

Hi, a bit off-topic -- have you noticed any problems with your wi-fi dropping out, especially if your router has the 5 GHz band? Hopefully not, but if you do, that's a fairly well-known bug with the Verizon Tab 4 8+. It may have been introduced with one of the system updates, but unfortunately they stopped developing updates for the device (it's stuck on Nougat 7.1.1, and didn't get updated to Oreo 8.1, like the less powerful Tab 4 8). I know this because I recently got a refurbished Verizon Tab 4 8+ through woot.com and immediately noticed this problem after it finished all of its updates. Searched around and found this long thread on the Lenovo support forum: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...and/WiFi-issue-with-Tab-4-8-Plus/td-p/3986227. I ended up returning it to woot.com for a full refund.

If you need more info, let me know.

 

[Ben_70]

Hi, a bit off-topic -- have you noticed any problems with your wi-fi dropping out, especially if your router has the 5 GHz band? Hopefully not, but if you do, that's a fairly well-known bug with the Verizon Tab 4 8+. It may have been introduced with one of the system updates, but unfortunately they stopped developing updates for the device (it's stuck on Nougat 7.1.1, and didn't get updated to Oreo 8.1, like the less powerful Tab 4 8). I know this because I recently got a refurbished Verizon Tab 4 8+ through woot.com and immediately noticed this problem after it finished all of its updates. Searched around and found this long thread on the Lenovo support forum: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo...and/WiFi-issue-with-Tab-4-8-Plus/td-p/3986227. I ended up returning it to woot.com for a full refund.

If you need more info, let me know.

I have the TB-8704X...got it new from eBay and it was a non U.S. version. Android 8.1.0, Apr 5 '19 security patch. I've not noticed any Wi-Fi issues.
Thanks.

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, good -- my understanding is that model isn't affected!