is there a way to text abroad for free?

lorriellah

A few friends of mine from here in the UK are away in Spain and it's costing me to text them, I wondered if any of you guys knew of a website or a mobile application which would allow me to text them for free?

macman

No, it costs you your normal rate to text them regardless of where they are. It will cost them more to text you though.

Oscar_The_Grouch

I think I know what's happening here. The international number code for the UK is 0044. The international number for Spain is 0034. I would guess that when your friends are texting you, you've then hit "reply".

Your phone believes you are texting a mobile number starting 0034 and charging you for sending an international text. This is because you've used the "reply" option rather than sending a "new" text to their usual number (without a prefix) stored in your phone. Try sending a "new" text without the "+34" or "+44" prefix and see whether they receive it and you get charged.

macman

But the OP's friends presumably have UK mobiles-so they will use 0044 international dialling codes. There's no such thing as an 'international text'. If you send a text anywhere in the world from your own network then you are charged the standard rate. You only pay extra texting from abroad, as you are then on a roaming rate.

pbolding

Get an account with 18185 and text from your PC. Spain is 7p but many countries are only 3p as is the UK. Latter a bargain for anyone like me without a package that includes text messages. As an old fogey, it's a lot easier than using the mobile anyway.
Rates here
http://www.18185.co.uk/sms.php
You can enter your own mobile into the setup so it looks the same to the recipient.

paddedjohn

oscar_the_grouch wrote: »

i think i know what's happening here. The international number code for the uk is 0044. The international number for spain is 0034. I would guess that when your friends are texting you, you've then hit "reply".

Your phone believes you are texting a mobile number starting 0034 and charging you for sending an international text. This is because you've used the "reply" option rather than sending a "new" text to their usual number (without a prefix) stored in your phone. Try sending a "new" text without the "+34" or "+44" prefix and see whether they receive it and you get charged.

Even though they are abroad, as long as the op's friends are on a uk sim the op can text and call them as if they were in the next room. The friends in spain can receive texts for free but will be charged to receive calls