Carriers know that smartphones have become a necessity in our life, so they charge exorbitant fees for services that you may not really need. But what if I told you that you could use your phone, including calls and texts, with nothing but Wi-Fi? 

You may still make calls and send texts on your smartphone if you want to completely do away with your cellular bill—or if you never had one in the first place. However, there are some restrictions associated with this. 

We will simply set up Google Voice on your phone so that you may send and receive text messages, listen to voicemails, make and receive calls, and all with a legitimate phone number that isn’t tied to a carrier. That implies that, naturally, if you want to use your phone, you’ll need to be connected to Wi-Fi for things to function. That’s undoubtedly a drawback, but if Wi-Fi is widely available where you live, you might be able to get by. 

By automatically connecting to reliable networks, Android’s Wi-Fi Assistant function can help with this. If you have internet access at home, you might also be eligible for free access to Wi-Fi hotspots from the same provider around town. For instance, Comcast and AT&T have Wi-Fi hotspots all over the place. 

Furthermore, all calls inside and to the United States and Canada are free when made using the following ways; however, international calls will incur additional costs. 

911 services will always function provided you’re using a phone and not a tablet, but you’ll need to utilize the built-in dialer instead of the apps we’ll be using in this article. Undoubtedly, in the event of an emergency, all phones must be able to receive 911 calls—even those without a SIM card. You’ll always have your phone’s support. 

Items You’ll Require 

Using the same tools, this should function on iPhones and Android phones alike. In this article, I will mainly use Android, but I will also try to note if there are any differences with the iPhone version. The following are the necessary tools: 

a Google Account that is free. 

A complimentary Google Voice number. 

The Google Voice application for iOS or Android

These will serve as the foundation of our carrier-free system. 

Create an Account on Google Voice 

Here’s a fast and dirty rundown of Google Voice for those who are unfamiliar with it: You can get a free phone number from Google called Google Voice. It can send and receive text messages and make phone calls within the United States via the internet without requiring you to pay for phone service. All of your friends and family will need to know this phone number as your “new number” unless you port your existing number to Google Voice. Other than that, it appears the same as any other phone number.

Go to the Google Voice webpage on your computer and select “For Personal Use” to begin the setup process. Click “Web” when the dropdown menu appears (this is assuming you’re using a computer, of course). 

Select the phone number that works best for you by following the directions. You will be prompted to link an existing number to Google Voice during setup; don’t worry, you can unlink it later if you’re completely canceling your cell service. When you’re done, you’ll receive a notification confirming your number. Well done! 

Take Your Phone Number Off of Google Voice 

You’ll need to unlink your number if you want Google Voice to not ring your primary number when you receive a call, which is essentially the goal of our efforts. First, select the gear symbol in the top bar to open Voice’s Settings menu. 

Select your primary phone number by clicking the X next to it in the “Linked Numbers” column. 

You’ll be prompted to confirm that’s what you want to do. Click the “Remove” button if it is. 

Whoa, job done. You can stop worrying about receiving calls on both numbers at this point. 

Configure Google Voice on Your Device 

You’re practically set to go after you have everything installed and all the tools in your possession. The setup is really simple, so hopefully there won’t be any problems along the road. You may wish to adjust a few Google Voice settings because they are synchronized across devices and the web. 

If you haven’t already, download and install the Google Voice app on your iPhone or Android smartphone. Make sure to forego selecting “Link This Device to Google Voice” during setup and log in using the same Google account that you used to register for a voice number. Calls to your Google Voice number will be routed through the Google Voice app thanks to this.

You need enable a few important items in the Voice app’s settings. Make sure that the first setting under “Making and Receiving Calls” is “Prefer Wi-Fi and Mobile Data.” 

You can have missed calls, texts, and voicemails routed to your Gmail account if you’re concerned about missing anything. The Voice app should have no problem notifying you, but email is a useful fallback. 

It’s as simple as that! You may now use Google Voice as an SMS and phone app. 

Alternatives to Google Voice 

It would be absurd to claim that Google Voice is the only app that can accomplish this when there are plenty others that can. The fact that Voice uses a real phone number makes it the most widely used method of using a phone without a carrier. 

However! Other methods for keeping in contact with people include:

Facebook Messenger is a fantastic tool for messaging and making calls to friends and family, but the drawback is that it all happens through your Facebook account, so in this case, you don’t actually have a phone number to provide. 

WhatsApp: Essentially Facebook Messenger with the addition of a WhatsApp account. 

Other Instant Messaging Clients: The scenario will be the same for all of these as well: you can converse with individuals you know via virtually any IM program you both use, but the flexibility and strength of having a real phone number to call will be absent. 

If you need a second line, this is a terrific way to use an old phone. Additionally, since public Wi-Fi is now so widely available, you can obtain coverage practically anywhere, with travel being the main exception. You’re pretty much screwed if you’re in the automobile. But as soon as you’re back online, you can resume your work.