How to Build Your Own Virtual Phone in Minutes

Article discussion
45

Google voice not working with Hushed app, any other suggestions to get a forwarding number for GV?

46

Make and Receive Phone Calls with only a Phone and Twilio Studio

A bit clunky, but works well. It’s loosely based on the Outgoing number > Twilio > Destination number method.

Ideally, the outgoing number (e.g., your mobile/cell number) should be able to make free/cheap calls to your Twilio number, and your Twilio number should be able to receive and make cheap calls, too. This is best achieved if the outgoing number as well as the Twilio number are US/Canada-based.

So, in principle, you could:

  • use a US/Canada-based number from TextNow, Fongo, VoIP.ms, or any of the various providers of free/cheap DID virtual numbers;
  • have a US/Canada-based Twilio number as the intermediary;
  • and call numbers in countries that Twilio allows outgoing calls to.

One nice feature of Twilio is the ability to customise your outgoing Caller ID. Your outgoing as well as Twilio numbers can be US/Canada-based, but as long as you’ve bought/verified a number from any Twilio-supported country that you wish to display as your Caller ID, Twilio will display that number to the call recipient. This is helpful if you don’t want to confuse the recipient.

If the Caller ID number is a Twilio-purchased number that is local for the recipient:

  • the recipient can call/text that Twilio number at local rates;
  • you can set all calls/texts to that number to be forwarded to your personal phone or a number of your choice worldwide.

Of course, if you have a Google Voice number, this method might not be as useful, since GV lets you make worldwide calls directly, and at rates cheaper than Twilio. However, GV won’t let you customise outgoing Caller ID, has no ‘local number’ option, and is unreliable for texting to non-US numbers.

Send & receive SMSs using your Twilio number(s) with Missive

Missive is a ‘consolidation’ app for businesses that pulls content from your email inbox and various social media apps, including Twilio, and lets you reply to them from once place.

The free version of Missive allows 3 users per username (all 3 users can be you, under different email addresses), with 2 accounts per user (an ‘account’ is an individual email address, Twilio number, etc.). So, in theory, you could manage 6 Twilio SMS numbers with Missive.

47

You could try Integromat :slight_smile:

It’s not as user friendly as Zapier (IMO), but it should get the job done, too.

48

An alternative to building your own virtual phone, for those interested is a free Canadian phone number and virtual phone from Fongo. If you are Canadian it is especially useful as you can make free calls to almost all Canadian phone numbers. Has standard voicemail, call forwarding etc.

The only cost I incur is $15 CAD for 6 months of global text message service.

You can download the mobile app - https://www.fongo.com/services/fongo-mobile/