Texting from a WiFi-only tablet

[Natey2]

What app do you use to send text messages from your WiFi-only tablet?

I've used textPlus, and am trying out Google Voice...

 

[Frederuco]

I use Google Voice.

 

[liv2scoot]

Heywire is nice and works in a lot of countries. Googlevoice sms is limited to the states.

 

[Frederuco]

Heywire is nice and works in a lot of countries. Googlevoice sms is limited to the states.

You have to be in the US to sign up. You can use it from anywhere once you signed up to send texts to anyone in the US for free. I have used it in Italy, France, UK, Greece and South Korea to sms to my friends and family back home.

 

[Natey2]

They are both nice for texting, but they both can't text to short (5-digit) numbers.

For voice features:
With Google Voice, it gave me a new GV phone number, but I had to provide another real phone number for it to call/ring to. Is there anyway for GV to "call" my WiFi-only tablet for incoming calls?

With textPlus, it gives you a new phone number too, and it can "ring" your textPlus number on your tablet for incoming calls, but you have to buy additional minutes or participate in their marketing promos (e.g. install Android Market apps forwarded from their link) to get more calling minutes. Call quality is decent if I have a good WiFi connection.
Looks strange holding a 7" tablet like a cellphone! Lol.

 

[Frederuco]

Natey,

Google voice still needs a proper phone to ring to from my experience.

If you make a call from GV, it rings your local phone, then the recipient after you pick up.

Not really a real phone number.

 

[Natey2]

Natey,

Google voice still needs a proper phone to ring to from my experience.

I googled Google Voice (!) and found an app called GrooVe IP, that eliminates the need for a real phone number for GV to ring to.
GV has to be configured (on the GV website) to forward calls to Google Chat instead of the real phone number, and GrooVe IP takes over from there.
I called my GV number, and my Tablet now rings and can answer calls! Looks like free unlimited minutes if you have WiFi !
Gotta decide if I want to use GV or textPlus for voice calls now... separate phone numbers, so I can keep both I guess, but leaving both running will drain the battery faster.