Restoring My Old Smartphone to Occasional Use

[BrooklineBiker]

I have an old unlocked, retired-from-use Moto G which I would like to restore to use a supplemental smartphone for occasional texting, emailing, and web surfing for CraigsList sales and the like. I'd like to run it exclusively from wifi. I don't want to use same email address or phone number as my primary smartphone. No phone number is currently assigned to the phone. How can I do this with the least expense/bother?

[bacchi]

You need a phone number. Create a new gmail and get a google voice number. Run on wifi only and you can text, call, and email.

Price: $0

[solon]

You need a phone number. Create a new gmail and get a google voice number. Run on wifi only and you can text, call, and email.

Price: $0

But you can't get a Google Voice number without a permanent number to forward it to.

[bacchi]

You need a phone number. Create a new gmail and get a google voice number. Run on wifi only and you can text, call, and email.

Price: $0

But you can't get a Google Voice number without a permanent number to forward it to.

Oh, it's been a while since I got one. Are you sure it needs to forward? My GV forwarding is off and the GV apps (text and calling) work fine via wifi.

If a "permanent" number is required at set up, get one from US Mobile. Activate it, link it to GV, and then let it lapse. Price: ~$10

I know this works because my GV number is linked to my old Ting number. GV noticed that the number is no longer valid (because I was forwarding and the number is now disconnected) but the GV apps work fine.

[dang1]

check out textnow.com

[ChickenStash]

Huh. I thought GV would allow calling through their app/Hangouts without a real number as long as there was a data connection available (WiFi). Maybe that changed? I've only used GV as a holding area for my phone number when I switched to an employer plan for a few years.

Given the desire to have it separate from the rest of the accounts, it might be good to get a new Google account to host it from, though.

[PDXTabs]

You need a phone number. Create a new gmail and get a google voice number. Run on wifi only and you can text, call, and email.

Price: $0

But you can't get a Google Voice number without a permanent number to forward it to.

That is true, but once you have the GV number you don't have to forward anything and I don't think that they will take it away.

[Xlar]

You need a phone number. Create a new gmail and get a google voice number. Run on wifi only and you can text, call, and email.

Price: $0

But you can't get a Google Voice number without a permanent number to forward it to.

That is true, but once you have the GV number you don't have to forward anything and I don't think that they will take it away.

This is my understanding as well. You need an existing phone number (cell or landline) to verify your GV number to satisfy Google's fraud prevention. Once you've done that you do not need to setup call/text forwarding to your non GV number.

[BrooklineBiker]

Hi again,
I called US Mobile. They want a monthly fee to give me a number on a prepaid phone. As a frugal person, I don't. Are there any other companies out there that will provide a number for a prepaid phone with no fee except 'top off' fees?

[CptCool]

It's been awhile so I can't confirm nothing has changed, but you used to be able to buy very cheap e-sim on ebay for TMobile. Cost was like $1-3. Use that to sign up for the pay-as-you go plan and just don't pay anything. That'll give you the tmobile number at least long enough to setup google voice.