Call forwarding to Japanese SIM card

[brianh]

Is it possible to call forward to a Japanese number?  The call forwarding instructions note that the number must be a ten digit number.  Calling from Canada the number of digits including the international long distance prefix is likely to be over 12.

if voice call forwading is set up, does that call forward texts?

Thanks for your help.

[GinYVR]

@brianhYou can port your number out of Textnow back into Public Mobile.

You can probably find better answer via Textnow's community https://supportwireless.textnow.com/hc/en-us/community/topics

[brianh]

I wasn't aware that this is just changing providers.  Not sure I want to lose my PM account.  Would I be able to port back to PM after returning to Canada?

[brianh]

Thanks, I will give this a try and report back.

[GinYVR]

@brianhTextnow is a Canadian company located in Waterloo.

What happens is if you port your Public Mobile number to Textnow.. EVERYTHING including text and voice that is currently to your Public Mobile number will go to your Textnow account which you can access anywhere where you get data or wifi.

At that stage your Public Mobile will be closed and your number will be accessed via the textnow client much like skype.

[brianh]

Does that mean that Textnow receives texts from a phone with the PMSIM card in it, but doesn't receive texts call forwarded from PM?

Maybe i should just try a different VOIP app that offers a Canadian number?

Thanks!!

[GinYVR]

@brianhYou might want to simplify things by porting your Public Mobile number to Textnow https://supportwireless.textnow.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001733223-Porting-Your-Number

Once you are happy with textnow of course.

[brianh]

Thank you for confirming that text messages cannot be forwarded.  I opened a TextNow account and tried to call forward to it.  The voice forwarding worked, but the text forwarding didn't, as other Community members have verified.

Does anyone know if there is another VOIP app that offers a Canadia telephone number that Publicmobile could send texts to, that might be accessed from overseas (or anywhere via internet)?  I'm not sure that TextNow issued a Canadian telephone number...

Thanks.

[LaOmbra]

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@CS_Agent wrote:

Hi there,

Text messages cannot be forwarded. 

Public Mobile offers call forwarding only to numbers from Canada. Incoming text will not work in Japan since PM only offers roaming services to the United States at the moment.

Regards,

Public Mobile Moderator team

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If you've got time to post to a 4 day old thread I trust there are no outstanding tickets awaiting a first response! 

[srlawren]

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@westottawa wrote:

No text forwarding as far as I know. Just voice.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  Public Mobile incoming text is always free . I don't know if SMS incoming works in Japan through.  If it doesn, use it to receive text, and use textnow to receive voice and send back sms . 

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@westottawa technically correct that you can't forward text in the network forwarding sense of the term (the way that phone calls forward).  However, if you have a spare Android phone you don't mind leaving plugged in somewhere in Canada with your PM SIM card in it, there are some forwarding apps.  The texts don't technically forward, but are received by the app on your spare Android phone sitting in Canada (where it can get a PM signal, and using your PM SIM card) and then re-sends it to another phone number (e.g. your TextNow number, or phone number of a travel/local SIM card if you have one ahead of time) or even via email.  

[CS_Agent]

Hi there,

Text messages cannot be forwarded. 

Public Mobile offers call forwarding only to numbers from Canada. Incoming text will not work in Japan since PM only offers roaming services to the United States at the moment.

Regards,

Public Mobile Moderator team

[westottawa]

No text forwarding as far as I know. Just voice.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  Public Mobile incoming text is always free . I don't know if SMS incoming works in Japan through.  If it doesn, use it to receive text, and use textnow to receive voice and send back sms . 

[brianh]

Thanks to all for input.  I downloaded the textnow app and got it working, then call forwarded to the assigned number.  The text just came to my original number, but the voice call went to the textnow app.  When the call forwarding is set up, it says that all voice, data and fax calls will be forwarded.  Isn't text data?

Anyway it seems that a different app might work for text forwarding?  Any comments, thanks.

[Zippy]

I tried to do this when I went to Mexico and found out that what you are trying to do will not work.

[totalUser]

Why not forward your calls to TextNow (Canadian) number that you can use if you have data or wifi available. TextNow gives you unlimited texting as well as free North America calling that you can have while abroad. I turn my 15 into unlimited North America with it. Unfortunate you can't forward public texts anywhere but if you could use your TextNow number as your second and backup number

@brianh check TextNow app, fongo is good too, you don't get free texting though nor USA calling

[GinYVR]

There are lots of providers I would suggest do more research on it.. however voip.ms and textnow are popular ones. Yes SMS and MMS should be okay, but it varies between providers.

[brianh]

Thanks for the info.  Can you point to an internet site where I could look into doing that?  Can texts be handled that way also?

[GinYVR]

@brianhYou cannot call forward to a number to Japan. I would recommend you port your number over to a voip provider, so you can access that number while you are in Japan.

[Dunkman · Accepted solution]

@brianh 

Call forwarding only to Canadian numbers only.  

From my understanding, there is no call forwarding texst.