How to efficiently SMS to/from other countries?

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RelaxTheMind

RelaxTheMind

Platinum Member
Oct 15, 2002
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I have friends and family all over the globe some live in areas where either wifi isnt widely available or barely works, mobile data is shoddy, or mobile data is very expensive. I tried looking up services that offer two way sms and they mostly seem to all be geared toward businesses. I do have a skype account with international numbers in south america, asia, and europe, but that only lets me send an SMS but not receive one. Plus sending through skype gets really expensive if its not a short conversation.

Primarily australia (worst internet/mobile data ever) and south america are the countries I am aiming to sort of get a virtual "local" mobile number there as to be able to receive SMS from anyone who lives in that area instead of having to fiddle with or explain a process of forwarding.

I dont mind the cost of setup/sending but i do mind if it costs them to return messages back to me. Have I overlooked options or am I overthinking this?
 
Kneedragger

Kneedragger

Golden Member
Feb 18, 2013
1,192
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RelaxTheMind said:
doesnt whatsapp require an active internet connection?
Click to expand...

Yes. From what you wrote I took it as they had access but just was crappy. Now that I have been up a little longer it sounds like you want just a option just for messaging over cellular.
 
SP33Demon

SP33Demon

Lifer
Jun 22, 2001
27,929
142
106
ChatSim
$12 for the Sim, $12 per year.
The unlimited card is $30 on Amazon.

Note if you're American or your friends are American, then Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp are your only options.
 
Last edited:
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,426
7,613
126
I guess you want real time comms, eh? If delay was acceptable, irc or the like would let them send/receive when they got data connectivity, and is fairly light for data use.
 
KMFJD

KMFJD

Lifer
Aug 11, 2005
29,197
42,321
136
lxskllr said:
I guess you want real time comms, eh? If delay was acceptable, irc or the like would let them send/receive when they got data connectivity, and is fairly light for data use.
Click to expand...

Why make it easy eh? :) great idea for techies but the standard person maybe not so much
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
95,029
15,140
126
RelaxTheMind said:
I have friends and family all over the globe some live in areas where either wifi isnt widely available or barely works, mobile data is shoddy, or mobile data is very expensive. I tried looking up services that offer two way sms and they mostly seem to all be geared toward businesses. I do have a skype account with international numbers in south america, asia, and europe, but that only lets me send an SMS but not receive one. Plus sending through skype gets really expensive if its not a short conversation.

Primarily australia (worst internet/mobile data ever) and south america are the countries I am aiming to sort of get a virtual "local" mobile number there as to be able to receive SMS from anyone who lives in that area instead of having to fiddle with or explain a process of forwarding.

I dont mind the cost of setup/sending but i do mind if it costs them to return messages back to me. Have I overlooked options or am I overthinking this?
Click to expand...

No wifi, no cell, they supposed to use smoke signal?
 
RelaxTheMind

RelaxTheMind

Platinum Member
Oct 15, 2002
2,245
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76
sdifox said:
No wifi, no cell, they supposed to use smoke signal?
Click to expand...

I was in a guild in an old mmorpg for a few years a while back. 200+ aussie guild and it was pretty much unanimous for everyone including major cities that the internet in general and mobile data coverage sucked. sms/txt is the norm.
 
RelaxTheMind

RelaxTheMind

Platinum Member
Oct 15, 2002
2,245
0
76
SP33Demon said:
ChatSim
$12 for the Sim, $12 per year.
The unlimited card is $30 on Amazon.

Note if you're American or your friends are American, then Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp are your only options.
Click to expand...

Almost makes it seem as if it would be cheaper to put everyone on a family plan and just pay international with those prices. $27/100mb

Only places that have limited options for me messenger wise with good internet is our partners in china. skype/wechat
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
95,029
15,140
126
RelaxTheMind said:
i have no issue accessing internet and mobile data. the forwarding happens with their api. found a few other companies that all seem to offer the same/similar stuff. So they send an SMS as normal over the cell network.

https://www.easyringer.com/

might try a few of them out.
Click to expand...

So you send email, it gets transcribes to SMS in target country. Does the reverse hold true? I mean it is their end the problem to start with.
 
RelaxTheMind

RelaxTheMind

Platinum Member
Oct 15, 2002
2,245
0
76
sdifox said:
So you send email, it gets transcribes to SMS in target country. Does the reverse hold true? I mean it is their end the problem to start with.
Click to expand...

with skype im able to send out sms and have the virtual number masked as the return number. they return the sms and it gets sent to me as an email or actually i can probably just have it also forward. havent set it up yet.

upon further reading, easyringer seems like it does exactly what i was looking for. full two way sms via a forwarding virtual number.
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
95,029
15,140
126
RelaxTheMind said:
with skype im able to send out sms and have the virtual number masked as the return number. they return the sms and it gets sent to me as an email or actually i can probably just have it also forward. havent set it up yet.

upon further reading, easyringer seems like it does exactly what i was looking for. full two way sms via a forwarding virtual number.
Click to expand...

Well, good luck. Seems like you got what you needed.
 
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