One other option for retrieving SMS messages while your phone is disconnected is to use a secondary number. You can then access these messages from any device. Free secondary number apps include Google Voice, Textfree and Sidekick. All three options work on both Android and iOS as well as on computers.
With Google Voice, you can stop juggling your work, home, and cellphone number and replace them with a new, free number. You can even choose which devices ring when someone calls you. That only scrapes the surface of what the service offers.
To complete the process you have to verify at least one forwarding phone on the account. The phone will have to be a US number as well. A Google Voice number is only supported in the United States and a phone with a US number is required in order to use it.
About Wi-Fi calling
Important: If you start a call from your device's phone app instead of the Voice app, the call uses minutes from your mobile phone plan. Calls using data use approximately 0.2MB of data per minute.If you like your current phone number, there are 3 ways you can keep using it: Port your mobile number to a personal Google Voice account (most common) Port your Google Voice number out to a mobile phone service. Transfer your Google Voice number to a different Google Account.
Use Google Voice number for calls from phone's app
- On your Android device, open the Voice app .
- At the top left, tap Menu. Settings.
- Under Calls, tap Calls started from this device's phone app.
- Select when to use Voice for calls from your phone's dialer app:
- Under Driving mode, select when to use Voice while driving.
So, if you turn your phone off for a couple of hours, messages will queue up and they will be received. Once the recipient carrier stops trying to send the message to the recipient's phone, the message cannot be retrieved very easily. The sender could resend it from their phone, but that is about it.
With Google Voice, you get a free phone number for calls, text messages, and voicemail. You can use the apps on smartphones and computers, and you can link your number to any mobile or landline number.
Often, if you're calling someone's phone and it rings only once then goes to voicemail or gives you a message saying something like "the person you have called is unavailable right now," that's a sign the phone is off or in an area with no service.
Here's what happens when you suspend your device/number: your device can no longer send or receive calls or texts and cannot access the cellular data network. your device can still access Wi-Fi networks (if applicable), so any apps that can run on Wi-Fi alone will still work as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection.
So to answer the original question, no, a disconnected phone will not ring at all. You'll have an announcement telling you the call couldn't be completed, the number is incorrect etc Likewise if it's simply switched off or out of mobile coverage.
"Out of service" usually means that it isn't operating for some reason that has to do with the device itself.
Combined with Google Voice's block feature, those callers will ring once, get dropped to a "this number has been disconnected" message, and likely never call again. Call Filter is free in the Android App Market, but a pro version of the app that also blocks SMS messages is available for just under $4 USD.
Listen for the rings. If the phone rings numerous times, but goes to voicemail, that may mean the phone number is still in service. If the number is not in service, when you call it may ring once or twice but you will then get an automated message.
When you call the number it's usually a disconnected number, so that when you call back you don't get a real person, you get the "that number has been disconnected" recording. They don't "have your cell phone number" - they've called every number in the region.
For numbers that are listed in the phonebook, using a reverse phone number service is the easiest way to find out who a telephone number belongs to. The website 411.com offers a free reverse phone number service. Whitepages.com and AnyWho.com also offer free reverse phone number searches (links in Resources).
Equally if the customer has cancelled their subscription, any calls to that line after it's been cancelled may get a 'not in service' message. So the message to which you refer simply means, “Sorry but we're unable to connect you to the person you're calling.”
Activate caller ID block only for one call. Press "*67" followed by the phone number at which you do not want to disclose your identity. Your phone number will appear as "restricted" only for this call.
The short answer, yes. Your Android smartphone will totally work without a SIM card. In fact, you can do almost everything you can do with it right now, without paying a carrier anything or using a SIM card. All you need is Wi-Fi (internet access), a few different apps, and a device to use.
You can send and receive text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages using the Messages app . Messages are considered texting and don't count toward your data usage. Tip: You can send texts over Wi-Fi even if you don't have cell service. Just use Messages as you normally would.
Check your phone's settings menu to see if it's supported. for Android phone, got to Settings and look for the WiFi Calling option. To get device-specific support to set up WiFi calling, go to Device Support, select your phone, scroll to "Calls" and choose "Activate Wi-Fi Calling."
Note: Without a SIM card, to do anything mentioned in this answer, you will need a Wifi connection. If you need to text while safely seated in the passenger seat of a car (Do not text and drive) then you will need a SIM card and you will need to pay for monthly service.
If you want to be able to receive phone calls and text messages then you must leave Airplane Mode turned off - though you can disable Wi-Fi and Mobile Data to prevent the reception of emails, chat messages, and social media notifications.
Android smartphone - group texts and picture/video messaging will not be available. If you do not have cellular data (and are not connected to WiFi) and have iMessage turned on, normal text messages will not be able to send or receive. You must disable iMessage for regular texting to work.
