Finally Got My WIFI-only Phone Working

[Ed Mills]

Greetings Mustachians,
About 6 months ago I dropped my guard and bought a phone from Scratch Wireless.  In short, it was money down the drain...good bye $49.  Later, I came across I.P. Daley's Superguide and learned about using Google Voice, Hangouts, and Hangouts Dialer with an Android phone to make free WIFI calls.  I tried to do it as best I could with my Scratch Wireless phone, a Coolpad Arise.  While I did get it set up, the phone was full of glitches (or infected with the Coolreaper virus https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/content/dam/pan/en_US/assets/pdf/reports/Unit_42/unit42-cool-reaper.pdf), so I gave up on it. 

Last week a friend of mine picked up a few ZTE Speed phones at Walmart for $9.50 a phone.  He gave me one as a gift and said, "You'll figure out what to do with it."  Well, last night I worked out the last kink in the phone.  I could send and receive text messages and make calls with my Google Voice number, but I couldn't receive calls.  I made an easy adjustment in the Hangouts settings last night and voila.  I can now makes calls and send texts for free using my WIFI phone. 

I also use the phone to listen to podcasts and music, check my email, and skim the Internet news.  I'll also use it with Memrise and Duolingo for language study.  It nice to have a free phone that actually works. 

One last thing:  any advice on what I should do with that Coolpad Arise phone?  It's too light to use as a doorstop...

Ed 

[bobechs]

One last thing:  any advice on what I should do with that Coolpad Arise phone?  It's too light to use as a doorstop...

Ed

Flashlight.

Alarm clock.

Flashlight/alarm clock.

[alsoknownasDean]

One last thing:  any advice on what I should do with that Coolpad Arise phone?  It's too light to use as a doorstop...

Music Player? Did you try resetting it to factory settings?

BTW what do you do when you're out of wifi coverage and need to make a call?

[Ed Mills]

One last thing:  any advice on what I should do with that Coolpad Arise phone?  It's too light to use as a doorstop...

Music Player? Did you try resetting it to factory settings?

BTW what do you do when you're out of wifi coverage and need to make a call?

Yes, I did reset it to factory settings, but the phone revert back to possessed mode.  Without fail, it would loop endlessly on the "time and date" settings.  When I need to make cell call, I use my Moto E with Republic Wireless.  It does the trick, but I make so few phone calls off the WIFI that I think I might be throwing money away.  Plus, my wife also has a phone with Republic wireless.  We're almost always together, so maybe we could get by with only one phone.  We'll see...
 

[ADV_CJ]

Any reason your not just using the Republic Moto E for wifi calls?  You should be able to setup Google Hangouts on it just the same, if not using the Republic WiFi calling already built into the phones software.

[AZDude]

I'm sure there is a way to buy prepaid minutes to use with the wifi only phone.

[Ed Mills]

Any reason your not just using the Republic Moto E for wifi calls?  You should be able to setup Google Hangouts on it just the same, if not using the Republic WiFi calling already built into the phones software.

I do use my R.W. Moto E in our WIFI all the time.  Most of my calls are through the WIFI with an ocasional cellular call.  I don't like using Hangouts on my Moto E because it eats into the memory.