Change my cell number to a local number.

[Buddyboy1]

I recently moved to a different part of my province meaning my Public Mobile cell is now long distance from my home land line.  How do I make my cell phone number local to my new locale?  Ideally I would retain the same cell number but would change if absolutely necessary.  I love Public Mobile and want to iron out this last issue.  Is there a page that addresses all this that I could link to?  Thanks.

[Buddyboy1 · Accepted solution]

Softech.  I have excellent landline service and excellent cell service.  Using Fongo complicates the experience by introducing a third service which not all reviewers are happy with.  My landline phone links to my cellphone over Bluetooth.  While it can link to the discovered phone, they cannot link to Fongo without my replacing my current landline with a Fongo VOIP number.  As I said, my goal is to make my cell a local call which will solve all issues with the current setup.  I appreciate your efforts.

[softech]

@Buddyboy1   IF I understand correctly, you want to setup your home device to link with a number so you can call free long distance call

Can you setup the "Link number" the call Fongo instead?

if if you want your home to call your cell number and reach you for free, then all you have to do is to go to Fongo , setup the call forward to call your cell phone.  Then when you home phone calls that Fongo number, your cell will ring with the forwarding enabled

[Buddyboy1]

Thanks.  I installed Fongo and find it is essentially an app to make long distance calls from my landline independently of my cell.  Unfortunately that does not do the trick for me as my goal is to make my Public Mobile cell local to where I live and hence usable for this and other purposes.  That leaves me with changing my current PM number for a local one.  I will give that a try in due course and post result.  (I will always have backup redundancy given my two separate systems, cell and landline.)

[softech]

@Buddyboy1   Fongo is a VoIP app, not a cellular as Public Mobile

Basically it is App calling.  It is similar to Whatsapp or Facebook voice calls except it actually has a 10 digit phone number assigned to you.  People who calls you does not need to have the app, they call you from their usual phone and then your app ring

When you setup the service, it gives you a new 10 digits number (just like you activate a land line or cell).  It does not use sim or anything, it use the app to make calls and answer.    It will work as long as there is Wifi and Mobile Data.  When people call you , your app rings.    

It is free, because  it has ad (  😞   ) .   Even not in your case now, it is always good to get a VoIP app as a backup  In case your Pm service is not working, you have Wifi , then you can use Fongo to make calls

Other good VoIP app is TextNow.

Fongo gives you free forwarding and free to call anywhere in Canada

Textnow does not have free forwarding but free to call anywhere in Canada and US

[Buddyboy1]

Fongo sounds interesting as a solution, however it is new to me.  I take it it is not in competition with Public Mobile?  It seems to be the route to take if I can figure out how to use it (I am reasonably adept).  I will give it a try and post the result here.  Thanks again.

[softech]

@Buddyboy1   

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@Buddyboy1 wrote:

 but my phone has a feature which optionally routes the call through my linked cell phone

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That is a device setting on your phone set, right?  Can you link that to a Fongo VoIP app phone number?   Fongo is free to call Canada wide.  Again, when you setup Fongo, it gives you number choices for different cities in Canada.  Pick the same city as your landline

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@Buddyboy1 wrote:

  If I do change my number as you suggested, I take it that any number offered would be local?

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If you want to pick a new cell number, you need to pick from a city that is local to your landline.  Of course, it is easily to pick the same city as your landline

[Buddyboy1]

Thanks, Softech.  My landline is bundled and from another supplier.  Only local calls are free but my phone has a feature which optionally routes the call through my linked cell phone, making all calls free Canada wide.  In that my cell phone itself is long distance, that currently defeats the object, hence my desire for the cell phone to be local.  Does that change your answer in any way?  If I do change my number as you suggested, I take it that any number offered would be local?

By the way, I do want to have a different cell number from my landline.  My landline is my main contact and more used phone.

[softech]

HI @Buddyboy1 

It's a personal choice to change your number or not for your home landline

If you want to keep the cell number more, you can see help from a VoIP app.  Join Fongo, pick a new 10 digits number that is local to your landline, and then setup Forward  to your cell number (free feature) or simply answer those Fongo calls use the app.  It is a valid workaround if you don't receive too many calls from your landline

 if you decide to change your number, go to My Account, go to Profile, click Change Phone Number, then follow the step (pick a city that is local to your home landline, and pick the number and click Save Change)

https://selfserve.publicmobile.ca/en/account/edit/your-account