Send your cell phone voicemail to your ipad instead

[pallentx]

So, I ditched my Windows Mobile phone (which I loved) for the iPad and now carry a basic flip phone for making calls. I have texting pretty well figured out - when someone sends me a text, I reply from the iPad with Text+. One of the things I missed from my old Windows Mobile phone, however, was the PhoneFusion voicemail app that received your voicemail as wave files instead of going through Verizon's voicemail system. I hate dialing into a phone number and following voice prompts to get voice mail.

So, a few days after I made the switch, I get some strange text messages on my new phone that looked like gibberish. Finally, i figured out that I still had Verizon set to forward my voicemail to PhoneFusion's system and the texts were how they communicate with the windows mobile app. This gave me an idea and it actually works!

Here' how I got voicemail sent to my iPad.
1. I went to the PhoneFusion website and changed my account to say that my phone was windows mobile on ATT.
2.I went to the app store on my iPad and downloaded the PhoneFusion iPhone version.
3. I entered my PhoneFusion account info into the iPhone app

Now, when someone leaves a message on my cell phone, I get a popup push notification on the iPad and I can play the message on my iPad. No need to dial into an phone system to get my voicemail!

Now, I dont know how you would set this up from scratch, I'm guessing you could just sign up as though you have an iPhone and it would work. You also have to have your phone carrier forward your voicemail to VoiceFusions system. They will have instructions for that when you install the app.

 

[SweetPoison]

Okay ~ bear with me as I have the headache from hell.

How do you, in blonde Cali terms, send a text from our iPads?

 

[pallentx]

Okay ~ bear with me as I have the headache from hell.

How do you, in blonde Cali terms, send a text from our iPads?

Its pretty easy. Here's how.

1. Install Text+ (or other texting app)
2. Start a New Conversation, pick the person's cell phone # from your contact list.
3. Type your message and send.
4. When they reply it will come to the app.

The downside is that your friends cannot initiate a text message straight to your iPad. (at least not easily). Also when you text them from Text+, it will show up from a random bank of numbers Text+ has to send from. You dont have your own number, they just get cycled through the various users that are using Text+. IPhone users who also install Text+, however, can send you texts from Text+.

 

[SweetPoison]

Oh Cool! Now, when they reply you said it will go to our iPad, but...crap, I so forgot what I was gonna ask you....

Oh! You know all the apps we can get at iTunes? Are the all the same apps at the apple site?

 

[pallentx]

yes, apps for the iPad are only available through Apple's iTunes. (unless you jailbreak, and thats a whole different subject)

 

[Gabi]

This is interesting.

 

[MikesTooLz]

I like to use YouMail.

This service is free and allows you to set custom answering machine messages for each contact that you have and it even will let you block a phone number. you can put any message for blocked numbers that you want. They have a ton to pick from ones that tell the person flat out that they have been blocked or one that pretends that the current phone number has been disconnected.

You then can get your voicemail by calling the youmail number from your phone, logging into their website, or via the iPhone app. The I like how the iphone app even lets me quickly select a different answering machine message so if im in the movies I can change it to one saying sorry i can answer the phone right now, im in a movie theater. Its easy to change the message for things like christmas, halloween, St. patricks day, 4th of july,...

The website is youmail.com to register for it.


P.S. I almost forgot the cool thing they have called smart greeting. If you set your default greeting to "Smart Greeting" the service will automaticaly look up the callers name on the internet and say something like "I'm sorry (callers name) but (your name) is not available right now...".

 

[stormtracker]

I do this with google voice which is open to everyone now.

 

[pallentx]

I like to use YouMail.

This service is free and allows you to set custom answering machine messages for each contact that you have and it even will let you block a phone number. you can put any message for blocked numbers that you want. They have a ton to pick from ones that tell the person flat out that they have been blocked or one that pretends that the current phone number has been disconnected.

You then can get your voicemail by calling the youmail number from your phone, logging into their website, or via the iPhone app. The I like how the iphone app even lets me quickly select a different answering machine message so if im in the movies I can change it to one saying sorry i can answer the phone right now, im in a movie theater. Its easy to change the message for things like christmas, halloween, St. patricks day, 4th of july,...

The website is youtmail.com to register for it.


P.S. I almost forgot the cool thing they have called smart greeting. If you set your default greeting to "Smart Greeting" the service will automaticaly look up the callers name on the internet and say something like "I'm sorry (callers name) but (your name) is not available right now...".

thats pretty cool - I'll check that out. Hopefully one of these companies will make a real iPad app.

 

[MikesTooLz]

sorry for the typo guys, its YouMail.com not youtmail.com

LOL i dont know why but saying youtmail reminds me of the move "My cousin Vinny"(are you saying yout? what is a yout?).

 

[Purpleorchid]

Check out Textfree Unlimited. It will let you pick a phone number gives so people can text you first. Currently free (on sale from $5.99).

I have texting on my iPhone, so I don't really need the app, but I did test it out once and it worked.

 

[pallentx]

Check out Textfree Unlimited. It will let you pick a phone number gives so people can text you first. Currently free (on sale from $5.99).

I have texting on my iPhone, so I don't really need the app, but I did test it out once and it worked.

Cool! They need an iPad version!

 

[jaycidy]

I like to use YouMail.


P.S. I almost forgot the cool thing they have called smart greeting. If you set your default greeting to "Smart Greeting" the service will automaticaly look up the callers name on the internet and say something like "I'm sorry (callers name) but (your name) is not available right now...".

This hasnt been working for me at all. The smart greeting I mean.

Is anyone else having this issue?

And how can I get google voice instead?

 

[RobertBasil]

And how can I get google voice instead?

http://www.google.com/voice