Staying connected to home

[Zephyrs]

We are traveling without our kids and my son just switched from an apple to an android phone.  I already have the coin package and want to keep in touch with him while I’m gone. What is the best app that will allow me to text from an apple phone to an android?

[Clarea]

If you have WiFi calling enabled on your phone, you don't need an app, you just text as usual.

[Zephyrs]

ok thanks. I’ll check if  I have it 🙂

[CruiserBruce]

You never, that I am aware, require special software to text from a Apple to an Android.

[SRF]

For texting, WiFi calling is the way to do.  Most smart phones support it, but not all carriers do.  The big ones (T-mobile, ATT, Verizon) all do.  But it must be set up while you are connected to your cellular service.

 

If you want to hold a chat conversation, there are several apps to do so.  Using an app requires both parties install the app on their device(s).

 

Whatsapp, Viber, Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Skype are some of them.

 

I am in a long distance relationship, so we use messaging a LOT.  We used to use Skype, until MicroSoft bought them and turned it into a more Twitter like system.  You cannot control how you appear to the world (online, offline, busy, do not disturb).

 

We tried Facebook Messenger, and it is OK.  But mainly we use Google Hangouts.  Easy to chat while on phone, tablet, or computer.

[Zephyrs]

Thanks for all the info it was very helpful.  We ended up going with WhatsApp. 

[ldubs]

Good info. Thanks.   I need to check out "WhatsApp".  

 

I am not at all knowledgeable in this area.  Having given that disclaimer, I'll toss out what I was just told.  Using iMessages to an Android will not work if you are only on wifi.  It will work if you are on cellular (data).  

 

I'm not even sure what I just said, but there you have it!  

[hallux]

38 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Using iMessages to an Android will not work if you are only on wifi

 

For your edification - The Messages protocol (which is what is used iPhone to iPhone) is an Apple-proprietary protocol.  When messaging an Android device it falls back to regular texting, which requires a cellular connection.

[ldubs]

43 minutes ago, hallux said:

 

For your edification - The Messages protocol (which is what is used iPhone to iPhone) is an Apple-proprietary protocol.  When messaging an Android device it falls back to regular texting, which requires a cellular connection.

 

I guess I've been "edified".  

[SRF]

12 hours ago, ldubs said:

Good info. Thanks.   I need to check out "WhatsApp".  

 

I am not at all knowledgeable in this area.  Having given that disclaimer, I'll toss out what I was just told.  Using iMessages to an Android will not work if you are only on wifi.  It will work if you are on cellular (data).  

 

I'm not even sure what I just said, but there you have it!  

 

You can send an message from iPhone to Android with only wifi, but both phones need to have wifi calling enabled.

 

As has been mentioned, iMessaging is a strictly iPhone thing.

[sanger727]

12 hours ago, ldubs said:

Good info. Thanks.   I need to check out "WhatsApp".  

 

I am not at all knowledgeable in this area.  Having given that disclaimer, I'll toss out what I was just told.  Using iMessages to an Android will not work if you are only on wifi.  It will work if you are on cellular (data).  

 

I'm not even sure what I just said, but there you have it!  

 

‘Imessage’ does not work between Apple and android. 

 

When you are at home you most likely have two halves of your cell phone plan. 1. Cellular; 2. Internet (can be WiFi at home and through cellular data the rest of the time). For texting, all phones can send and receive SMS texts through cellular only and  MMS through both a cellular and internet connection  (SMS is used for text only and MMS is used for pictures).

 

Apple has an additional texting option that most iPhones use without you noticing. This is called ‘imessage’. It uses internet only and does not require a cellular connection. However, it can only be used between two iPhones.

 

if your son had an iPhone in the past, all messages between the two of you were probably iMessage. Now all messages between the two of you will be SMS/MMS. You won’t notice much difference; you just won’t get the little bubble that says ‘...’ when he is texting back or delivery notifications.

 

you can text with him via cellular. He will get charged per text unless he signs up for an international plan for the trip with his carrier. You can also text via one of the apps (I’m not familiar w them) if he will is paying for an internet connection onboard. 

[SRF]

5 hours ago, sanger727 said:

 

‘Imessage’ does not work between Apple and android. 

 

When you are at home you most likely have two halves of your cell phone plan. 1. Cellular; 2. Internet (can be WiFi at home and through cellular data the rest of the time). For texting, all phones can send and receive SMS texts through cellular only and  MMS through both a cellular and internet connection  (SMS is used for text only and MMS is used for pictures).

 

Apple has an additional texting option that most iPhones use without you noticing. This is called ‘imessage’. It uses internet only and does not require a cellular connection. However, it can only be used between two iPhones.

 

if your son had an iPhone in the past, all messages between the two of you were probably iMessage. Now all messages between the two of you will be SMS/MMS. You won’t notice much difference; you just won’t get the little bubble that says ‘...’ when he is texting back or delivery notifications.

 

you can text with him via cellular. He will get charged per text unless he signs up for an international plan for the trip with his carrier. You can also text via one of the apps (I’m not familiar w them) if he will is paying for an internet connection onboard. 

 

Again, you CAN text using SMS if you have a wifi connection and have enabled wifi calling.  Wifi calling uses internet to provide cellular services.

 

You can also make phone calls with wifi calling.  I actually use wifi calling at my house, as my cellular signal is marginal.  So the better method is wifi calling.  Also, with some plans, there is no international long distance charge when using wifi calling.

 

You are correct that you cannot iMessage to/from non-iPhone, but then it just goes as an SMS.

 

On the iPhone end, if the messages you send are in a blue bubble, it went as an iMessage.  if a green bubble, as an SMS.

 

Oh, and you have to turn on iMessage on the iPhone.  If not, it uses regular SMS, even between two iPhones.