01steven

Hi
I am in the US
I am looking for an iPhone app which I can use to send SMS text messages to friends/family in the UK who are on different networks and handsets
I also want the recipient to see the message is coming from my us phone number when they get the text.
I had been using truphone for a few years but now it no longer supports SMS

I know there are better platforms for longer chats and I am aware of iMessage etc but these are my requirements!

Any recommendations??

BritishGuy36

That won't be possible.

If you use a third party app/program to do the texting, it has nothing to do with your number, so they won't see it as the originating number.

stuexeter

If you and the people you are contacting have smartphones you could try Whatsapp. I have it on android and I have a mate who has an iPhone. http://www.whatsapp.com/

01steven

Not true
Truphone did this, but like I said it no longer supports SMS

Rodney you plonker

Hi Steven, I have a Blackberry and my texts go through without needing an app. I think its as much as the person on the other end as it is your phone though.

Flabound oneday

whatsapp will allow you to text free to anyone anywhere providing they can also download it

you allow it to access your contacts and so people can see who is texting who

Guegui

Viber will allow both text and VOIP calls, some days it works better than others but is quite good on the whole.

01steven

Thanks
Already use whatsapp and viber
But these require the other party to have the app installed
I text people in the UK who don't have smartphones

MarkCowan

the App you are looking for is "Tango" you can do video message, text message and voice calls all free and over Wifi or from your data plan. They must have a data plan on their phone or on wifi and it works great, completely free also. I use it to chat with my kids and family all the time.

01steven

Thanks for advice but not sure people are getting what I'm asking for here.
I'm looking for something that doesn't require the other party to have an app - just to receive a text message as if they were receiving it from someone texting them directly.

MarkCowan

Yeah, I dont know anyone who does not have an app enabled phone, so was not thinking of it like that.

jeffreyhy

Then send your text message as a text, not from a messaging app. This will require that you have texting service, or at least don't block texts, from your wireless provider.

The purpose of the messaging apps is to send messages as data, not as texts, using the provider's data plan, which a smartphone requires anyway, and avoids the separate cost of texting using the provider's texting service.

Regards, JEff

01steven

Again, thanks for advice
But the point here is cost
I can text from my phone to UK but the rates are high
The app I used to use, Truphone was just a few cents per text

GeoffM

Doesn't Skype's SMS fit most of the criteria (9.9c to UK)? You send from your desktop/phone, they receive a normal SMS. Apparently you can set it up so if they reply it goes back to your phone (not Skype).

http://community.skype.com/t5/SMS/Sm...ms/td-p/663597

jeffreyhy

I agree. That's why I've blocked texting on my wireless plan.

Tell your friends who don't have a smartphone to get with the program.

Regards, JEff