You’ve heard us explain how you can send and receive text messages for free without a SIM card, and we have also shown you how you can do the same with incoming and outgoing phone calls. But what steps you need to take in order to completely ditch your cell phone plan and use your Android smartphone without a SIM card? This article will give you the answer.
Before you get started, we do want to preface by saying this trick only works for people who generally spend most of their time with solid wifi connections. So if you spend msot of your time at home or in a office with consistent wifi connection, then there is really no reason for you to keep paying the bloated cell phone bill, a wifi only device would be perfect for you. Just make sure you have a reliable wifi connection at home. Consider getting a long range router or wifi booster for your home if you have spotty connection.
What Can I Do with This Setup?
With this setup, you should be able to do anything you are used to doing with a phone carrier. That includes making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving texts, surfing the web or watching online videos, and using the email to conduct business and communicate with your friends and family.
That’s because you probably already do most of this stuff via Wi-Fi or data connection, so your SIM card is actually quite bored most of the time. Apps like WhatsApp and Google Duo already allow you to send text and multimedia messages, make and receive phone calls, and do many other useful things – all for free and over Wi-Fi.
Who Is This For?
Ideally, you are someone who embraces the latest and greatest technology solutions and isn’t stuck doing things the same old way. If you read about advantages of a communication app like Line and immediately see how you could benefit from using it, you are ready to get rid of your SIM card for good.
On the other hand, you could be someone who doesn’t need to communicate with others all that much, and having a convenient way how to contact a selected number of people is all you need. This is also a situation where a SIM card is not necessary.
Last but not least, this solution works best if you spend most of your time on Wi-Fi. You could, of course, also pay for mobile data, but that could get more expensive than using a regular phone plan.
How to Use Your Android Smartphone Without a SIM Card
There are essentially two ways how you can go about using your Android smartphone without a SIM card.
The Google Voice Way
We call this method “The Google Voice Way” because it revolves around Google Voice, telephony service that provides call forwarding and voicemail services, voice and text messaging, as well as the U.S. and international call termination services for Google Account customers, according to Google’s own description.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Register on Google Voice to receive a number for all your phones.
- Follow our guide to use your Google Voice number to send and receive text messages.
- Continue with configuring Google Hangouts to receive Wi-Fi calls.
- Finally, setup Google Hangouts Dialer to make free Wi-Fi calls without a SIM card.
The Alternative Way
Alternatively, you can skip all that configuration and just install a mobile communication app like WhatsApp, Google Duo, GrooVe IP, Skype, Line, or many others. Just bear in mind that people who are not using the same app won’t be able to contact you. This is probably fine if you want to talk only to your close family and friends, but it would make doing business nearly impossible.