Add Phone Capabilities to your Tablet

probbiethe1

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jun 30, 2010
1,838
139
$freecalls.png


Ever sense I purchased my first Android phone, I have been trying to push the limits of what it can do. One of my goals was to be able to make and receive free calls and texts from any Android device. A little over two years ago I was able to reach this goal with the help of Gizmo5 and Sipdroid and a lot of thanks to others that created the tutorials I followed. But shortly after my excitement left and sadness crept in as I read Gizmo5 was closing shop and the other one Sipgate wasn't accepting new applicants.

I decided instead of giving up I was going to stretch my skills and try to figure out a method to make and receive calls and texts myself. After a lot of trial and error and a lot of late nights I figured out a method that would work for anyone and everyone and not just those that were lucky enough to have gotten into Sipgate before it stopped accepting applicants. The process was quite a few steps and used several different services but it worked and to my credit it still works today, two years later.

In the last two years there has been a lot of advancement in the realm of VoIP service. One of the greatest, and my favorite, is GrooveIP. It is an all in one app that takes care of all the hassle for you ( I like to think they got their idea from me). The only thing you need is a Google Voice account and you can make and receive free calls all you want. The only issue for some now is successfully signing up for a Google Voice account because to sign up you already need a previous phone number. Well I am here to say that I haven’t given up on my love and desire for free calls and text and that I have created a new method and the simplest method ever to make and receive free calls.

You can find the link to the instructions HERE at my original method. And if for some reason the new method doesn’t work, you can always use my original method that still works.
 
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Natey2

Senior Member
May 25, 2012
477
44
One of the greatest and my favorite is GrooveIp.

+1 for GrooVe IP. I use it and like it.
To initially set up Google Voice, you need some phone number to forward to. Next, you login to the Google Voice site, and reconfigure to send to Chat (and not the phone number), and GrooVe IP takes over from there.
So, unlimited calling/minutes when WiFi is available. Carriers are not going to like this ;)
 

probbiethe1

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jun 30, 2010
1,838
139
+1 for GrooVe IP. I use it and like it.
To initially set up Google Voice, you need some phone number to forward to. Next, you login to the Google Voice site, and reconfigure to send to Chat (and not the phone number), and GrooVe IP takes over from there.
So, unlimited calling/minutes when WiFi is available. Carriers are not going to like this ;)

Thanks for reminding me, I forgot the you add to change the settings to forward to chat.
 

OffWorld

Senior Member
Oct 5, 2010
460
67
Last April I revisited the notion of adding phone capabilities to my lowly 2GB Rev-A Haipad tablet (covered here in the Haipad group). I never did find a magic combo of settings that would reduce the latency or improve the sound quality in or out (I compared the experience to a "satellite-relay call to the moon"). But that may speak more to the low-end hardware than the method, so depending on what tablet you own YMMV.
 

leeshor

Senior Member
Dec 27, 2011
6,330
1,037
Latency over the wifi network you use is an important factor in the quality of voip-based calling.
Some wifi networks are much better than others ;)

So true, and applies to some hard wired networks too. 128ms response times would not be good.
 

WVUTampaAlum

Senior Member
Oct 6, 2011
77
5
I've been using grooveip for about 5 months now. I had it on my tf101 but now use it on an old Droid phone. It works perfect and I even used it out of the country with no problems. Last week I expanded capabilities using it now along with Google voice app for all texting. They have been working perfectly together.
Just think of the possibilitty of multiple phone devices under one data account like verizon now has.
 
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