Check voicemail without using minutes

[scelford]

Is there any way to check a voicemail without using minutes? I am on the $15 plan and whenever I call my voicemail I am using up my previous 100 minutes.

[Nezgar]

@scelford 

Here is a list of local voicemail access numbers across Canada which you can call when you have access to a landline, or other Wi-Fi calling app like aforementioned fongo,Google hangouts dialer, textnow etc:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Using-Your-Service/Updated-list-of-Voicemail-Access-N...

Also, you can consider using a 3rd party voicemail service like YouMail, which will send you your voicemail messages via e-mail with a sound file attachment, as well as a text transcription even in the free plan. You could even have the messages sent to you by MMS if you use the email address format NXXNXXXXXX@mms.mb.telus.com which doesn't consume data to receive. (But data has to be on...) then you never need to actually dial out to hear the messages.

Now you effectively have visual voicemail!

[computergeek541]

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@CalgaryBen wrote:

The method I like to use is Google Hangouts Dialer with a verified phone number (i.e. verify your PM phone number, and Google Hangouts will dial out using your PM number as the outbound caller ID number).

*cough, cough* Privacy concern @Catherine_T  that still has not been addressed:  This is related to not needing a password to listen to messages or make setting changes to the voicemail box account.

[computergeek541]

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@popping wrote:

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I have a $10 plan with only 50 minutes/30days.

1.  I set my phone to airplane mode so that it does not answer any calls.

2.  Call my PM number from my home phone or any phone without usage charge by the mionute.

3.  As soon as it connects to my voicemail, I press * and them my voicemail 4 digit passcode to access my voicemails.

Update:

4.  After getting your voicemail, turn off your airplane mode to get your phone back to normal working condition.

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This does work, but there's no need to put the phone in airplane mode, unless you really don't want to hear your ringtone. 

[CalgaryBen]

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@kselmak wrote:

I used to love it too but now I have to reverify every month (due to all scams I guess they have to tighten it) and I heard that this is the last year of hangouts Google is scraping it: (

I switched totally to fongo because of that (copy of message came in really handy once too) 

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Yeah, I've noticed the need to re-verify every month now.  It's annoying, but tolerable.  And yeah, apparently running on borrowed time for this great product... I'll use it until I can't!

Hangouts gracefully handles handoffs from WiFi to cell data and vice-versa.  For some reason Fongo doesn't handle this scenario, so if you're on a phone call at home, and want to go on the road (switching from WiFi to cell), your call gets dropped.

Or, perhaps worse, if you're on a Fongo call (using cell data) and you pass by a recognized WiFi AP (e.g. Tim Hortons, McDonalds, etc.) and your phone switches over, your Fongo call gets dropped...

[kselmak]

@CalgaryBen 

I used to love it too but now I have to reverify every month (due to all scams I guess they have to tighten it) and I heard that this is the last year of hangouts Google is scraping it: (

Too bad as the sound is always great, USA is included and for those who hate ads - there's none.

I switched totally to fongo because of that (copy of message came in really handy once too), ads are in app only (not bad at all) and to remove them is one time $7. 

USA not included though, but TextNow is good enough for it. 

[CalgaryBen]

The method I like to use is Google Hangouts Dialer with a verified phone number (i.e. verify your PM phone number, and Google Hangouts will dial out using your PM number as the outbound caller ID number).

This way, I can dial the VM access number directly (see the list of access numbers in this post), and the VM system just thinks I'm calling from my PM phone.  Furthermore (if you are okay with giving up the security of the PIN), you can disable PIN entry when calling from your phone, and this will also work from Google Hangouts for quick easy access.

The other advantage of this is that you can call out to other people using Google Hangouts (using data, and not voice minutes) and they will see your PM number, and from their point of view, you're just calling from your PM phone.  If they can call you back on your number, this will use the unlimited incoming voice minutes.

[Anonymous]

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@mimmo wrote:

Try calling the voicemail number from a land line.  Others on the 15$ plan will have a definate answer though.

@Anonymous do you know for sure?

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Well...since you called... 🙂

Yes.

1. Voicemail can be reached using any voicemail access number from any phone or voip app.

2. Voicemail can be reached by dialing ones own 10 digit phone number from any phone or voip app.

3. Voicemail can be reached by pressing and holding 1 on the phones keypad.

Using the handset to access voicemail other than via voip app will use minutes in a limited minute plan.

[kselmak]

@scelford 

I have a great trick for it.

I opened fongo account with alternative phone number. Totally free Canada calling.

In fongo settings I send copy of my voicemail to my email.

I set fongo to ring only once (I recently increased it to twice, gives me extra 2 rings to get to answer the call)

I forward all my missed/ignored/unavailable calls to my fongo instead of the voicemail number.

With this method I get to keep copy of voicemail if I need to, I have virtually unlimited voicemail, it's kinda like visual voicemail and I can access it 3 ways, through app in the voicemail box, through app dialing 1, through my email.

How to turn your 100 min plan into virtually unlimited

Call yourself using fongo.

Answer the call

Go back to fongo app and click transfer call

Enter the destination number.

Fongo will disconnect and only your cell and destination number with remain connected.

It uses only 0.07 megabytes

[hairbag1]

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@scelford wrote:

Is there any way to check a voicemail without using minutes? I am on the $15 plan and whenever I call my voicemail I am using up my previous 100 minutes.

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For $5, you can get 500 minutes of Canada wide calling added to your regular plan. If you don't use them all, they just roll over until gone...even if that takes several month or longer.

Alternative is to get the free TextNow app that uses wifi to call your vm. Did I mention that it's FREE !

[RosieR]

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@popping wrote:

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@scelford wrote:

Is there any way to check a voicemail without using minutes? I am on the $15 plan and whenever I call my voicemail I am using up my previous 100 minutes.

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I have a $10 plan with only 50 minutes/30days.

1.  I set my phone to airplane mode so that it does not answer any calls.

2.  Call my PM number from my home phone or any phone without usage charge by the mionute.

3.  As soon as it connects to my voicemail, I press * and them my voicemail 4 digit passcode to access my voicemails.

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@scelford this one ^^^^^^ by @popping .  I tried it and it works.  Cheers!

@popping thank you.  that is very helpful to me too.  🌹

[Dtack]

 Hi - welcome to Public Mobile - you could download a free app like Text Now or Fongo and answer and listen to your messages from there.

[mimmo]

Try calling the voicemail number from a land line.  Others on the 15$ plan will have a definate answer though.

@Anonymous do you know for sure?

[Helpershelper]

@scelford 

I would call your voicemail number from another phone.

[popping · Accepted solution]

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@scelford wrote:

Is there any way to check a voicemail without using minutes? I am on the $15 plan and whenever I call my voicemail I am using up my previous 100 minutes.

---

I have a $10 plan with only 50 minutes/30days.

1.  I set my phone to airplane mode so that it does not answer any calls.

2.  Call my PM number from my home phone or any phone without usage charge by the mionute.

3.  As soon as it connects to my voicemail, I press * and them my voicemail 4 digit passcode to access my voicemails.

Update:

4.  After getting your voicemail, turn off your airplane mode to get your phone back to normal working condition.