Wifi SMS/MMS on Android

[jrswizzle]

Ok - so my biggest issue with using an Android device full time is the simple fact that in my house, due to our radiant barrier, we don't get very good cell reception. When it even works, its weak and spotty.

Calls aren't that big a deal as my wife and I rarely call each other or other people from our house - however, its extremely frustrating not being able to text back and forth or have messages get stuck.

The iPhone fixes this perfectly for us via iMessage. Now my wife won't ever leave her iPhone unless I somewhat force her to, so that part of the equation is static. My question: is there any app that would allow me to text my wife via wifi that doesn't require her to download or use a different app?

Major props to whoever can figure this out.

 

[mattopotamus]

Ok - so my biggest issue with using an Android device full time is the simple fact that in my house, due to our radiant barrier, we don't get very good cell reception. When it even works, its weak and spotty.

Calls aren't that big a deal as my wife and I rarely call each other or other people from our house - however, its extremely frustrating not being able to text back and forth or have messages get stuck.

The iPhone fixes this perfectly for us via iMessage. Now my wife won't ever leave her iPhone unless I somewhat force her to, so that part of the equation is static. My question: is there any app that would allow me to text my wife via wifi that doesn't require her to download or use a different app?

Major props to whoever can figure this out.

This is the biggest hurdle. You will have to download an different app. Less annoying using an android phone b.c you could make that new app the default texting app.

Point blank, I love imessage. I would have her download hangouts and you can use her gmail assuming she uses gmail. You can use google's version of emjoi's in hangouts and it will feel less like a replacement for her. I still use hangouts on my iphone for work

 

[jrswizzle]

This is the biggest hurdle. You will have to download an different app. Less annoying using an android phone b.c you could make that new app the default texting app.

That's what I thought......

Oh well! I used my Moto G yesterday and switched back to my 5C today and just feel more comfortable with the 5C.

Perhaps Android will implement wifi sms/mms in Hangouts in the future.

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Point blank, I love imessage. I would have her download hangouts and you can use her gmail assuming she uses gmail. You can use google's version of emjoi's in hangouts

Ya we could try that. She isn't into tweaking or messing with anything AT ALL. She prefers to use what came with her phone. If there are extra apps downloaded (outside the select few she uses like Pinterest, Houzz and some games), I'm the one who downloaded them for her.

I also don't see any way to get her away from the iPhone. Not sure I'd want her to switch anyways. She is the main person I communicate with, but all our family and most of our friends are on iPhones as well.

Just inconvenient.

 

[gotluck]

That's what I thought......

Oh well! I used my Moto G yesterday and switched back to my 5C today and just feel more comfortable with the 5C.

Perhaps Android will implement wifi sms/mms in Hangouts in the future.

I thought hangouts was wifi sms/mms - its just not compatible with imessage

the only workaround for getting imessage compatibility was that chinese proxy server that was in the news before christmas. Apparantly they found a way into imessage, but it was quite shady, could read all your texts, required your apple id and pass, etc..

 

[jrswizzle]

I thought hangouts was wifi sms/mms - its just not compatible with imessage

You can do Hangouts over wif, but not send sms/mms.

Like matt suggested, if I get my wife to download Hangouts, I could use that to message her. But as I've already stated, my wife isn't really up for using additional services.

I've tried to get her to use dropbox and she just doesn't care. One of the big reasons I prefer using my iPhone - we can share more easily because she'll just use the default options.

 

[gotluck]

You can do Hangouts over wif, but not send sms/mms.

Like matt suggested, if I get my wife to download Hangouts, I could use that to message her. But as I've already stated, my wife isn't really up for using additional services.

I've tried to get her to use dropbox and she just doesn't care. One of the big reasons I prefer using my iPhone - we can share more easily because she'll just use the default options.

yea nobody that is trustworthy has cracked imessage, at least that I'm aware of.

hangouts is the default sms/mms app in 4.4, not sure I understand? That's beside the point though

my wife is on iphone too, fortunately we don't have the signal problem very often so we regular sms. When shes at her brick fortress school, she emails me. Not good for a teacher to have her phone out anyway

 

[mattopotamus]

I thought hangouts was wifi sms/mms - its just not compatible with imessage

the only workaround for getting imessage compatibility was that chinese proxy server that was in the news before christmas. Apparantly they found a way into imessage, but it was quite shady, could read all your texts, required your apple id and pass, etc..

The part of hangouts that works over wifi is the email portion if that makes sense. Since hangouts is still "G-chat" it can use your email address. It is a separate conversation than someone you text/mms.

For example, if you are on kitkat and use hangouts and someone sends you a text or mms it comes through in one thread. If that same person sends a message to your gmail account it comes through in a different thread. They are not integrated together like imessage does.

It can be a good thing or a bad thing, but it is mostly annoying. I have like multiple people who have multiple treads in my hangouts app b.c sometimes we talk on g-chat and sometimes we text.

 

[gotluck]

The part of hangouts that works over wifi is the email portion if that makes sense. Since hangouts is still "G-chat" it can use your email address. It is a separate conversation than someone you text/mms.

For example, if you are on kitkat and use hangouts and someone sends you a text or mms it comes through in one thread. If that same person sends a message to your gmail account it comes through in a different thread. They are not integrated together like imessage does.

ah, understood.. I'm shamefully still using the standard basic messaging app

 

[gotluck]

The part of hangouts that works over wifi is the email portion if that makes sense. Since hangouts is still "G-chat" it can use your email address. It is a separate conversation than someone you text/mms.

For example, if you are on kitkat and use hangouts and someone sends you a text or mms it comes through in one thread. If that same person sends a message to your gmail account it comes through in a different thread. They are not integrated together like imessage does.

It can be a good thing or a bad thing, but it is mostly annoying. I have like multiple people who have multiple treads in my hangouts app b.c sometimes we talk on g-chat and sometimes we text.

Bear with me

Isn't the solution for this to always 'text' by email address? Or does hangouts lack the fallback to SMS feature in iOS for occurrences where you have enough signal for SMS but not data? That's strange if google left that out. Maybe it was a design choice to avoid marrying the email address and phone number like apple does? Which can cause problems when you switch phones without disabling iMessage etc..

There was a lot of hype behind that hangouts update for SMS, guess I didn't read hard enough.

 

[mattopotamus]

Bear with me

Isn't the solution for this to always 'text' by email address? Or does hangouts lack the fallback to SMS feature in iOS for occurrences where you have enough signal for SMS but not data? That's strange if google left that out. Maybe it was a design choice to avoid marrying the email address and phone number like apple does? Which can cause problems when you switch phones without disabling iMessage etc..

There was a lot of hype behind that hangouts update for SMS, guess I didn't read hard enough.

The email address has no association with your phone number and there is no way to pair the two. It also must be a gmail address for wifi "texting"

 

[gotluck]

The email address has no association with your phone number and there is no way to pair the two. It also must be a gmail address for wifi "texting"

Hangouts has some room for improvement then eh?

 

[aneftp]

If u have verizon. Verizon messages works great via wifi.

Verizon messages uses your real phone number to send mms and SMS.

Wish other carriers would do what verizon does. It's cross platform and can be used on android and iOS including tablets and also the web.

The only "gotcha" with verizon is it counts against ur text plans. But last of us have unlimited.

 

[adder7712]

You can use Hangouts or WhatsApp.

 

[Alfuh]

Hangouts is the default text message app for Android with new versions. She can stay within that app and there will just be a separate thread for "hangout chat" that uses gmail address and for SMS chat that uses mobile phone number. Aside from switching message thread you would be all set.

If using another app is an option (is really not that bad) then whatsapp is a great alternative. Messages push through just like a regular SMS app

 

[mattopotamus]

Hangouts has some room for improvement then eh?

Most definitely. Also a lot of times photos I send in hangouts and receive are all blacked out.

 

[MRU]

Most definitely. Also a lot of times photos I send in hangouts and receive are all blacked out.

That's the NSA censoring out the naughty parts