[OT] Cell phone help

[Weave]

Here's my dilemma.  My personal phone is a Samsung Galaxy S3 through Virgin Mobile.  Work just issued me an iPhone6 on Verizon.  I'm not carrying two phones, but I don't want to confuse (mostly older family members) with yet another phone number to try and contact me with.  My goal is to be able to forward everything to the iPhone.  Call forwarding seems pretty straight forward.  It looks like I can set that up easily on the Galaxy, and I think it will even work when the phone isn't on (but I'm not sure).  Text messaging seems more complicated.  There are apps that I can use to forward texts to the iPhone, but if I'm not mistaken that would require the personal phone to be on.  Ideally, I'd like to put the Galaxy in a drawer and forget about it. 

 

Actually, ideally, I'd like to downgrade my personal phone to a non-smart phone and go with a bare bones plan to shave costs but keep the number alive so family doesn't have to keep track of my number changes.  But I don't think I can use call and text forwarding with a text and talk only plan/phone.

 

Who's got ideas?

[Doohicksie]

Carry two phones like everyone else in the business world.

[Weave]

*Adds Robin Egg to "the list"*

[MattPie]

Depending on how Google-phobic you are, and if your work iphone isn't restricted, you might look into Google Voice and have your existing cell number ported over. Once you install the google voice app on the phone (and maybe a bit of web-based set up), calling either number, your work or former cell, will ring your new iPhone like usual. For texts, I'm not sure how it's handled on iPhone, but on Android I have the option to handle text in the Google Voice app or they all get merged into Hangouts. When start a new Hangouts text conversation with someone, I can choose either number, and replies to incoming text are sent from the number they sent the text to. I use Google voice to have a local 610 number as well as my cell's 607 number I've had for 15 years.

Edited March 24, 2016 by MattPie

[TrueBlueGED]

When did Robin's Egg retire The Big Johnson? Am I months behind on this?

[Weave]

Depending on how Google-phobic you are, and if your work iphone isn't restricted, you might look into Google Voice and have your existing cell number ported over. Once you install the google voice app on the phone (and maybe a bit of web-based set up), calling either number, your work or former cell, will ring your new iPhone like usual. For texts, I'm not sure how it's handled on iPhone, but on Android I have the option to handle text in the Google Voice app or they all get merged into Hangouts. When start a new Hangouts text conversation with someone, I can choose either number, and replies to incoming text are sent from the number they sent the text to. I use Google voice to have a local 610 number as well as my cell's 607 number I've had for 15 years.

 

A possible solution?  I must know more.

[Stoner]

We've is cooking meth. I just know it.

[MattPie]

A possible solution?  I must know more.

 

I think you can just go sign up and they'll give you a new number, test, and then port the exiting cell number over if it works for you. One slight "hassle" is calling out. You can either set the phone to use one number to call out all the time, or ask each time. Initially I thought "ask" would be a good solution but if you dial using your car (or probably voice recognition or whatever) you'll have to find your phone and tap which number to call out with. I ended up switching back to dialling out with my cell number all the time. On a side note, you can set Google voice to ring other numbers too, so you could have it ring your home phone or other phones in addition to your cell. And, you can call/answer via your computer (although I've had issues with it).

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I have two phones now ... imagine that ... a few short months ago I had an ancient thing ... dumb phone ... hi, PA.

 

So, I do not think that Robin layed an egg on this.

 

My primary phone is a BlackBerry Priv and I love it.

 

Second phone is for when I am teaching and it is on a PC Mobile (running in the Bell network, though) and I only use it for my school email and messaging ... no phone minutes on it.  This way school staff and my students don't have my *real* number.

[Weave]

We've is cooking meth. I just know it.

 

Ixnay on the emthay.