Using Magic Jack with Android smartphone (Q).

[tomx2]

Hi.

 

I mentioned to a guy in Pattaya, I wanted to use Magic Jack as a backup phone provider when I return to the USA. But not to replace my Land line.

 

He suggested I go to Tucom, ask the dealer for a cheap Samsung Android that will download applications.

Using the free WIFI at my hotel in Pattaya:

• Go to Google Play.

• Download Magic Jack(free download) on my Android.

 

And I should be good to use Magic Jack on my Samsung.

 

Of course after 30 days, I will have to sign-up for MJ.

 

 

I am not computer savvy, but does that sound like all I would need to do from the smartphone perspective?

 

Thanks.

[Micheal]

Majic Jack requires an internet connection.  It is basically a Skype like application.  I have used MJ for 3 years to have a US number here in Thailand and call my family every week.

I don't believe it will give you a Thai number, but if you leave the phone with someone then you can call each other on the "US" number with an internet connection.

[Mace]

Its not quite clear to me what you are trying to do, however I replaced my land line with Vonage for a cost of only 9.95 a month with free calling nation wide. I have heard that Magic Jack is not very reliable but the Vonage phone has never let me down in two years

[Ebdude]

 I have used Magicjack for years and now also on my Android phone.  With a good internet connection it works great, very good voice quality and reliable.  With a weak wifi internet connection MJ breaks up and can be unusable. The Android app is free and free to use.  They give you a non standard type telephone number that people can use to get you from the US.  For the computer you need a little usb jack and about $30 per year.  You get a standard US phone number with a choice of area codes. I have a SF, area code 415 number.  If  you have MJ on your phone the number works  from there, send and receive.  It shows up on US caller ID as a US number.  People do not know you are calling from somewhere else.  They call you from the US and your phone rings here on your computer or phone.  No noticeable delay.

 

Voice mail goes as an voice attachment to your email.  Very good.

 

Skype voice telephone connections seem to work a little better with a weak/slow internet connection, at a price for calls to phones.

 

MJ I think would be usable anywhere in the world with a good internet connection.  People call your standard US number and get you, wherever.

 

I had Vonage and MJ can replace it at lower cost.

[tomx2]

 I have used Magicjack for years and now also on my Android phone.  With a good internet connection it works great, very good voice quality and reliable.  With a weak wifi internet connection MJ breaks up and can be unusable. The Android app is free and free to use.  They give you a non standard type telephone number that people can use to get you from the US.  For the computer you need a little usb jack and about $30 per year.  You get a standard US phone number with a choice of area codes. I have a SF, area code 415 number.  If  you have MJ on your phone the number works  from there, send and receive.  It shows up on US caller ID as a US number.  People do not know you are calling from somewhere else.  They call you from the US and your phone rings here on your computer or phone.  No noticeable delay.

 

Voice mail goes as an voice attachment to your email.  Very good.

 

Skype voice telephone connections seem to work a little better with a weak/slow internet connection, at a price for calls to phones.

 

MJ I think would be usable anywhere in the world with a good internet connection.  People call your standard US number and get you, wherever.

 

I had Vonage and MJ can replace it at lower cost.

Thanks Ebdude.

 

Everything sounds like just what I need.

 

Just one quick question.

 

When I make make/receive calls using MJ on my Android, do I have to plug in my Android to the USB

Jack on my laptop? The reason I ask, the guy who told me about MJ here in Pattaya, came to my hotel. Used his Android with Magic Jack(as the phone provider) to dial-up a friend in Las Vegas. He only required the free WIFI password from my hotel to get connected.

 

He did not connect his Android smartphone to my laptop to dial-up.

 

I maybe missing something on the use of the USB jack with MJ.

 

TC.

[Micheal]

Thanks Ebdude.

 

Everything sounds like just what I need.

 

Just one quick question.

 

When I make make/receive calls using MJ on my Android, do I have to plug in my Android to the USB

Jack on my laptop? The reason I ask, the guy who told me about MJ here in Pattaya, came to my hotel. Used his Android with Magic Jack(as the phone provider) to dial-up a friend in Las Vegas. He only required the free WIFI password from my hotel to get connected.

 

He did not connect his Android smartphone to my laptop to dial-up.

 

I maybe missing something on the use of the USB jack with MJ.

 

TC.

His android smartphone, like most smartphones, probably has wifi so he connected DIRECTLY to the wifi and didn't need your computer.

[rpbc]

There's a massage parlor on Soi Honey by that name.

[Ebdude]

Thanks Ebdude.

 

Everything sounds like just what I need.

 

Just one quick question.

 

When I make make/receive calls using MJ on my Android, do I have to plug in my Android to the USB

Jack on my laptop? The reason I ask, the guy who told me about MJ here in Pattaya, came to my hotel. Used his Android with Magic Jack(as the phone provider) to dial-up a friend in Las Vegas. He only required the free WIFI password from my hotel to get connected.

 

He did not connect his Android smartphone to my laptop to dial-up.

 

I maybe missing something on the use of the USB jack with MJ.

For

 

For the Magicjack on a phone you need only a good Wifi connection, that's it.  With a weak, slow wifi the calls break up and can be so bad as to be unusable.

A 3G connection might be fast enough and 4G would be fine.

In the US you could use the magicjack on your phone to not use cell minutes when you have a wifi.

On a computer now you need a physical usb magicjack for $29 first year and about $20 per year.  You get a regular US phone number from your choice of area codes.  People call the number. like any other number, and it rings on your Thailand computer or phone if connected to the internet.  Works great and people cannot tell you are half way across the world.

If you have free magicjack on your phone ,you can get incoming calls, but with a strange type of number that works.  You could set up a regular US number to call forward the call.

The Magicjack phone app wants to stay on, so can get a call, but it can use  too much battery on some phones.  To get around that go to settings > apps> magicjack>data and delete the data.

Can you use Magicjackfree phone App  with Android on a computer with virtulization software, like BlueStack, LiveCircus or VMWare.  Maybe, worth a try.

There is also a Magicjack Plus that plugs into a wall outlet, needs internet access and a regular phone, but no computer.