New Free Texts article discussion

Former_MSE_Lawrence

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Free Texts Article

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roger86_2

As it has been well documented in the press, the 3G iphone is not Java enabled. Therefore software like FishText and Vyke cannot be used on the iphone. Consequently does anyone know of a website/ software that can be used legitimately on the iphone to send texts internationally? Truphone doesn't have SMS software enabled on the iphone and that seems to be the ONLY native application out?

Regards

pxtb

I use https://www.smsbug.com to send international txt and it cost 1p and the Java midlet is very efficient using mobile data.

Aaron

Like it says in the main article, the Three network blocks most of the websms systems and applets. However, if you use an SSL-enabled instant messager (JabberMixClient is one for the Jabber system), register with one of the instant messager SMS gateways (aspsms.com has Jabber gateways), then you could be sending for as little as 5 eurocents (plus any data cost). Three offer some IM clients for download, so I doubt they'll block this route completely and anyway, SSL should mean that Three can't see what you're doing.

mushypeaman

I have used cbfsms, which sounds like a good deal, and found them to be totally unreliable and frustrating in the extreme.

Texts can take hours to deliver, quite often they've not delivered at all. Also, you'll very often get a message saying the system is overloaded, please try again, and this can go on and on and on and . . . . .

Of course, you can pay for text with them, and all the problems miraculously disappear. Amazing. :exclamati

mrviner

My monthly contract gives me 300 mins/txts, but doesn't cover MMS picture messages. I get a 1Gig data allowance.

Does anyone know of software that will help me send MMSes using a data connection rather than paying £0.45 every time?

Thanks.

Wolverine

I've been using Vyke for over a year. Vyke Pro didn't work so I got the stripped down Vyke Lite software. It was absolutely brilliant until a few months ago when a software update meant that the recipient of a text would see Vyke's number rather than mine, making a reply difficult. The new article prompted me to try to download Vyke Pro, and I am very happy as an update to the software means it now works on my phone! Thanks! (So if you have to use Vyke Lite, try downloading Pro now!)

Anyway, a query about Vyke Pro: is it really necessary to keep it running most of the time? In the article, you say that we should do this "to receive messages". Surely we can do the same while Vyke isn't running? The only disadvantage I can think of is if the sender is also using Vyke, in which case the text wouldn't be free - but take away the data costs and both ends and surely they'd both be saving more by keeping Vyke off apart from when sending texts?

For someone who sends much less than 200 texts a month (60 would be more accurate), this would be especially true, wouldn't it?

If Vyke really took off, and a large proportion of people had it, only then would the free texting justify the data cost of running Vyke 16 hours a day...

Sorry if I've misunderstood - I'd love some clarification....am I right, or have I got it all completely wrong?

simonlarois

Wolverine wrote: »

Anyway, a query about Vyke Pro: is it really necessary to keep it running most of the time? In the article, you say that we should do this "to receive messages". Surely we can do the same while Vyke isn't running? The only disadvantage I can think of is if the sender is also using Vyke, in which case the text wouldn't be free - but take away the data costs and both ends and surely they'd both be saving more by keeping Vyke off apart from when sending texts?

For someone who sends much less than 200 texts a month (60 would be more accurate), this would be especially true, wouldn't it?

I'm wondering the same as Wolverine:

1) Is it necessary to have any of these programmes running, to check for messages, unless you are expecting a reply from someone else who uses either Vyke or Fish Text (reasonably unlikely in the non-MSE initiated population!)?

Because all 'normal' texts would just come straight back to your phone's inbox, right? Can anyone confirm this? Or do these applications reroute all your normal texts so they come through the application.

2) Is this worthwhile for low-level users? Or will it just be text-guzzlers who'd benefit? If it is necessary to have these applications running all the time to check if you're recieving any text message, and this adds approx £1-2 to your monthly bill....

Thanks,

Simon

Wolverine

*awaits reply*
Cmon MSE staff! The Vyke support is useless! Please share your all-encompassing knowledge!

redux

To try to clarify the queries just above, though it seems to me you've more or less grasped it anyway, without needing to contact their support or invoke MSE research staff:

Ordinary sms always come to the phone as ordinary sms

If the receiver's application is not running, then other co-users will pay for the message to you, which will leave their phone as data from their client and then be sent to the receiver in paid-for sms format, thus they pay data cost to their network, plus the message charge to Vyke or Fishtext, whichever it is. This is exactly the same as the lite versions all the time.

If you want incoming messages from fellow users not to cost them to send, then leave the application running, then there will only be data cost for both people, but it will ping for updates.

So yes, one possible way to use it is to leave it off, and let the person starting a conversation pay for just the first message, then start the receivers application and continue longer chats if you want to.

People with enough sms in their network package would probably only use this either to send to foreign numbers, or for sending while they are abroad themselves (abroad, I wouldn't leave a client running all the time, as data abroad is usually charged outside any inclusive bundles).

superstar_2

This site is recommended by Martin: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/free-text-messages

I have registered and tried sending SMSes but the recipient has told me that none has been received. Has anyone else use them, any comments?