Texting back home while on ship

[larrybritt]

I will have the included Wi-Fi package. Have a iPhone and understand I am able to text other iPhones. But what about texting from my iPhone to someone back home that is on an android phone? Will that work or will I need to use the WhatsApp? 

[skynight]

Email is an option.

[dreams_of_travel]

32 minutes ago, larrybritt said:

I will have the included Wi-Fi package. Have a iPhone and understand I am able to text other iPhones. But what about texting from my iPhone to someone back home that is on an android phone? Will that work or will I need to use the WhatsApp? 

I use Whatsapp or google voice.  My husband won't get "another app" on his phone (Whatsapp), but he already had google voice so that is what we use.  Everyone else I know either has an iPhone or uses Whatsapp.  I've even made video phone calls using Whatsapp on the ship wifi.

[dweeb]

1 hour ago, larrybritt said:

I will have the included Wi-Fi package. Have a iPhone and understand I am able to text other iPhones. But what about texting from my iPhone to someone back home that is on an android phone? Will that work or will I need to use the WhatsApp? 

 

 

It should work.

 

To test it before you leave home, put your phone in airplane mode, connect to your home wifi, and then text to the android phone like normal.  If it works , then it will work when connected to to the internet using the "wifi package" on the ship.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by dweeb

[dweeb]

I guess that you need to turn on wifi calling on your Iphone as well.  

 

to maximize your ability to message with non-iPhone users and without data, turn on Wi-Fi calling and make sure it is activated with the carrier. Also make sure send as SMS is enabled and turn on MMS messaging. It simply is not possible to send text messages to non-iPhone users without a carrier plan.

[dweeb]

[MissP22]

.

[MissP22]

I've been playing around with the WhatsApp on our phones & just discovered that when you put your phone in Airplane mode the connection to Wi-Fi gets turned off. Duh. 😵

Once you switch to Airplane mode you have to manually turn on Wi-Fi once again or WhatsApp won't work.

Even though I read what dweeb had posted earlier today I though my Wi-Fi was on permanently & I wouldn't have to reconnect it. 

These are new Android phones to me & I've never had the chance to sail with them. 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by MissP22

[13cheermom]

11 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I've been playing around with the WhatsApp on our phones & just discovered that when you put your phone in Airplane mode the connection to Wi-Fi gets turned off. Duh. 😵

Once you switch to Airplane mode you have to manually turn on Wi-Fi once again or WhatsApp won't work.

Even though I read what dweeb had posted earlier today I though my Wi-Fi was on permanently & I wouldn't have to reconnect it. 

These are new Android phones to me & I've never had the chance to sail with them. 

 

I think it is an Android thing, as my husband and I both did the same thing today to test out the app.  On my iPhone when I went to airplane mode my wifi was still on, however on his Samsung when he went to airplane mode his also turned off the wifi.  Maybe it's an Android thing, but easily fixed.  Main thing is that cellular data is turned off to not incur those charges.  Funny, how we experienced the same scenario that you did also, lol.  But it will be nice to have use of those features onboard ship if Hubby and I go our different ways on occasion 😉

[suers515]

We have android phones and our texting with Verizon didn't work on the ship but WhatsApp worked for both people at home and people on the ship.  We even had phone calls and video calls back home through WhatsApp.

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, suers515 said:

We have android phones and our texting with Verizon didn't work on the ship but WhatsApp worked for both people at home and people on the ship.  We even had phone calls and video calls back home through WhatsApp.

Yep! No texting with Android like an iPhone can do (pity!) but I've just gotten used to using WhatsApp.  Works great.