How to make sure cell phone runs reliably?

[Thump553]

Background: I'm self employed and depend on my cellphone to get assignments. I have one client that sends assignments by text, another by phonecall. If I don't respond quickly they go to the next name on the list and I lose out on that potential job. So having a cell phone that is rock solid reliable is very important to me.

I leave my phone on 24/7. I need to have it on from roughly 7am to 10pm.

In December I dumped an old, unreliable Android phone and went to a Nokia Lumia 635. This phone has been absolutely reliable until one incident yesterday. Even though the phone was on, appeared OK and I could receive email I couldn't send or receive calls or texts for a couple of hours. I solved the problem by pulling and reinserting the battery and sim card.

I don't know a whole lot about cell phones-is there any practices I should follow to make sure the phone is reliable? Should I shut it down every once in a while, for example?


I'm using Cricket (ATT) if it matters, and this service seems reliable for my uses.

 

[paperwastage]

unfortunately, text messages are not 100% secure nor reliable

if your clients are able to send to google voice, I'll do that instead. I'll trust google's system a bit more, and you get can get dual notification from google voice

1) get google voice to forward messages to your carrier's phone number, you get message (via text message)
2) get google voice to update your email on new message, you get a new email message (via data)


I believe Verizon's system to be closer to Google voice's structure - you can get text messages the regular way (via the cellular system), or read your messages via a Verizon Messaging app anywhere (desktop web browser, phone app)

 

[mikegg]

If your client uses an iPhone, iMessage is much more reliable than text messages.

 

[lxskllr]

Rebooting never hurts. I do mine once a week after I update my Adaway lists.

 

[Crono]

Rebooting never hurts. I do mine once a week after I update my Adaway lists.

This.

You will get random issues on almost any phone from time to time. Doesn't seem to matter if it's Android, Windows Phone, or iOS, and sometimes it's not even necessarily the software or hardware, it's the cell phone network being "wonky" (a technical term ).

 

[zerogear]

Google Voice

 

[holden j caufield]

google voice, also set it to send you an email of text. I also find it easier to search my gmail for past text messages, or google voice app vs the default one. I'm not a fan of hangouts.

 

[cronos]

Another vote for Google voice because it gives you redundancy. When someone texted me I received it in both my phones (one Android, one WP), in an email, and in the Hangouts pop-up thing that floats on my Windows desktop (I think it's a Chrome add-on).

And yes, rebooting once a week or so is definitely good practice.

 

[Thump553]

I'll have absolutely zero chance advising my clients to change to Google voice or anything like that, even if it was the best way. They will follow what their IT department tells them to the letter.

Thanks for the suggestions though, for now I'll try a weekly reboot of the phone.

 

[cronos]

I'll have absolutely zero chance advising my clients to change to Google voice or anything like that, even if it was the best way. They will follow what their IT department tells them to the letter.

Thanks for the suggestions though, for now I'll try a weekly reboot of the phone.

You're misunderstanding us. The change is on your end. You just have to give your clients your GV number (or port your current number to GV), and then set the forwarding to multiple phones, email, and Hangouts so you can get these incoming texts or phone calls multiple ways.

Your clients don't have to do anything differently.

 

[ControlD]

You're misunderstanding us. The change is on your end. You just have to give your clients your GV number (or port your current number to GV), and then set the forwarding to multiple phones, email, and Hangouts so you can get these incoming texts or phone calls multiple ways.

Your clients don't have to do anything differently.

Are there any ramifications of porting your existing cell number to Google Voice? Does it change how you make or receive calls?

 

[cronos]

Are there any ramifications of porting your existing cell number to Google Voice? Does it change how you make or receive calls?

In my experience, receiving calls, there's generally no problem (one of my lines have been on there for more than five years, when it was still Grand Central). It simply forwards all calls to the numbers you're providing (cell phones, land line) and they just ring.

For making calls, if you don't have an Android phone, or you're mostly mobile and don't have a reliable data connection, then it may be a bit problematic to make sure that your caller ID shows as your GV number to the person you're calling.

 

[paperwastage]

^ I think google voice still has some problems receiving/sending texts from shortcodes

if your clients use some sort of 3rdparty service to send texts (through shortcodes), then this might be a problem

that's why I said in the beginning: If your clients are able to send to google voice...

 

[cronos]

^ I think google voice still has some problems receiving/sending texts from shortcodes

if your clients use some sort of 3rdparty service to send texts (through shortcodes), then this might be a problem

that's why I said in the beginning: If your clients are able to send to google voice...

That's a very good point. It used to be a huge problem, but they are much better though in the recent months, after they officially supported MMS. All of my shortcodes text (mostly for two-factor auth) were received without a problem.

 

[notposting]

I feel like I've seen reports of issues with GV, but not sure how much Google has done to remedy that. It does seem like it could add another point of failure to the system.

As to the phone pooping on you yesterday, I have seen something like that a couple times before when losing reception completely. Come back into reception, it *seems* like you have it back, but nope nope nope. Takes a reboot to fix (albeit, this was on Verizon, but *shrug*).