My carrier seems to prohibit: “call forwarding for extended periods of time” according to the T&C - https://www.redpocket.com/terms_and_conditions
I also wonder if call forwarding happens en route as a network switch, or if the call first has to ring through to the phone, after which the phone handles forwarding…? (I don’t know.) If so, this would be a problem if the phone is not receiving the call in the first place.
Also, Signal can’t forward SMS/MMS if the phone isn’t able to first receive them, unfortunately. It would still work for Signal-to-Signal, of course.
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This (TextNow) is not FOSS, but it looks like it might be a suitable replacement for voice and text. It works over WiFi through an app, or you can use their new SIM card for service everywhere (which would obviate the need for your current carrier): https://www.textnow.com/how-it-works
Edit: I think the app can also handle calls & texts over the cellular data network, too, without needing WiFi.
See: https://bestmvno.com/mvnos/textnow/
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Got it. But if you set Signal to default SMS/MMS would it not just continue at number A (phone carrier)? While calls still get forwarded to number B (issued by VoIP operator)?
This could be a problem👇. I wonder how TMob handles it?
Yes, if the SMS/MMS are getting through to number A.
Or would SMS/MMS get forwarded according to your forwarding settings, like the phone calls…?
Actually, I don’t think Signal has forwarding capability anyway. That would be inconsistent with encrypted messaging.
If the sender isn’t using Signal the text is unencrypted like standard plain text SMS I believe.
The cleanest solution would be to use a G.Voice alternative for calls and plain text messaging. Port my Tmob number to this service and take a native number from Tmob and not give it out.
Or… Get VoLTE functioning on these phones 
(I know easier said than done. 
)
If anyone out there has a tried and true alternative to G.Voice please share. (FOSS preferred of course)
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Agreed. Lack of VoLTE as 3G networks are being shut down is the real problem. As a new /e/ convert, I now know that in the future I will always base my phone choice on (1.) whether it is easy to install /e/ on it, and (2.) whether it has a non-proprietary VoLTE implementation.
Kudos to Sony in this respect, although I don’t know why some of their previous, but still somewhat recent, phones weren’t certified for VoLTE with U.S. carriers.
I hope the /e/ team can get VoLTE working on those Samsungs. (@HellsBells, 
)
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Happy to help!
Just to be clear, I’m not complaining or bashing /e/ or it’s developers. I imagine that figuring out all these things is a heck of a challenge, but this topic is proof positive that people need VoLTE for their everyday phone use. As I said, at minimum I need my phone to be a competent phone, music player, and camera (otherwise I’d just use a KaiOS phone). /e/ provides 2 of those things quite well, and 1 of those things well with an asterisk, which I think which will harm the ability of /e/ to be successful long term. Everyone knows Google is using your phone to get information on you, why are people OK with it? The answer is that all I had to do with the phone I bought from Best Buy was put in my SIM card. People aren’t going to be willing to put up with the hurdles to digital privacy if there are situations where the phone doesn’t work, or one needs to change carriers to make it work.
I think /e/ has a good product here; I’ve long wished for a Samsung device that runs close to stock Android, that it’s privacy focused is icing on the cake. But we need to be able to have it work, otherwise we’re the only people it will appeal to
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@Taurus have you had success with TextNow on an /e/ device? It doesn’t seem to like microG on my end.
I’ve never used it myself.
I have confirmed these applications will allow you to use VoIP via your LTE connection as a bandaid till VoLTE is released. Both can be found in Aurora and are a “quick fix”. If someone is on T-Mobile the “DIGITS” app is included with their subscription already at no additional cost. With the magicApp you can buy the hardware for home VoIP & a 12 month subscription for the same price as just the app via G*#gle Play(for 12months) and not have to login to the Gapp store or give them a commission. My advice is to buy direct if going this route, not via GPlay store.
For non-FOSS apps having only 1 or 2 trackers was surprising to me. We know how to block these if they are “non-essential” obviously. The permissions… Another story but these apps are managing calls and SMS/MMS so a bit more understandable.
Exodus Analysis:
magicApp Calls/SMS only
DIGITS Calls/SMS/MMS
Links for Aurora Store:
magicApp
*Edit: the T-Mobile digits app is now reverting to the default dialer and not allowing VoIP (I swear it wasn’t doing this at first but maybe I am wrong. magicApp is functioning VoIP over LTE connection.)
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Unable to get TextNow functioning. It crashes microG and to use the paid service it must be charged through the Google Play store…deal breaker for me. 
bummer because the service looks awesome! Both SMS/MMS supported. Hope team /e/ get VoLTE figured out… Game changer if they do. Not even seeing Samsung devices available anymore for USA, Teracube 2e only.
That’s a shame about TextNow. I’m like you, I don’t want to support or further enable a Google digital world.
I wonder if /e/ just doesn’t have any refurbished Samsungs right now, or if they realized that they just have no future on U.S. networks with that proprietary VoLTE of Samsung’s.
I’m lucky, because my preferred brand, Sony, is very developer- and custom ROM-supportive. It was easy for me to install /e/…much easier than I thought it would be. I haven’t tested VoLTE functionality yet because I’m on RedPocket/AT&T, and my particular model isn’t certified for AT&T. If I insert a T-mobile SIM, the VoLTE setting appears in the menu, but that SIM is expired. I’m assuming it will work fine if I activate a TM SIM.
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Yep, I won’t buy Samsung ever again. Learned my lesson.
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I certainly hope this isn’t “admitting defeat” on VoLTE on Samsung phones, for a number of reasons. The first being that I invested pretty heavily in pr/e/loaded Samsungs, and it would be extremely disappointing to have /e/ take the attitude of “Samsung now is the best it can get, buy a different phone instead.” Said it before but I’ll say it again, at minimum my phone needs to be a phone, a camera, and a music player. If I’m expected to change carriers so that my friends and family can contact me, it fails on the first point.
Additionally, I think if you told most people in the US they should buy a…Teracube 2e (had to check the name), they’d look at you like you have three heads. S9s are old but they’re good phones and have brand recognition. To me, a Samsung device that runs a stock Android experience without stealing data and spying on you is the jackpot (why I jumped in with both feet), and I’ll bet it would be the same for a lot of people.
I’m holding on to my Samsung devices and updating them as they come, hoping I’ll see them become the devices I need them to be very soon, but right now my OnePlus Nord N10 5G is holding it’s own, and if nothing else /e/ has taught me I can disable a lot more Google apps than I thought possible and get by on different alternatives.
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And that will cease to be a solution when AT&T starts shutting down its 3G network in early 2022. Let’s hope that /e/ finds some workable solution.
Are you running a custom ROM on the OnePlus, or the original Google Android? If the latter, have you by any chance checked the background connections by using an app like Blokada, or maybe through Pi-Hole (over your home wifi)?
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I have not. Just attempted to use Blokada but couldn’t get it to work.
I do subscribe to Protonmail/VPN and do run the service constantly with the option to block malware/ads/trackers on, but I don’t think it shows what is being blocked. I certainly would like that information however; I think it would be beneficial to know if an /e/ device is doing anything you can’t accomplish by tweaking your own settings.
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You probably just need to switch from Private DNS to network DNS (temporarily, of course), switch on Blokada, and choose a couple of blocklists. There’s a basic blocklist already enabled, but I throw a couple more in just for good measure. Exodus is a good blocklist, as well as Developer Dan’s Hosts.
Then run some activities, browse, email, open some apps, etc., and observe what happens in the background.
P.S. Blokada takes the VPN slot, so you won’t be able to run your VPN at the same time.
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