| Free CallerID for Smartphones Today I devised a way to get CallerID for free on my cell phone. For this to work, you need a VoIP account, a PBX and an SIP Softphone app for your smartphone. What's important is to have the call forwarding feature on an individual extension. On my HTC Desire HD, I use CSipSimple, sipDroid might do the trick too.
So, the way I've setup my stuff is that I have a DID on Voip.ms. The DID directs my calls to a ring group. In the ring group, I have three extensions: my ATA, my computer's softphone, and my Android's softphone. Every extension is connected directly to Voip.ms except for the one I'm using for my mobile.
My Droid connects to and extension on PBXes.org. I have an inbound route that gets calls from the cell-phone's extension on Voip.ms. Then I have an outbound route to my Voip.ms account (I might try to replace that one with a google voice account but that's another story).
The last step was to setup call forwarding. When unavailable it goes directly to my mobile number and I don't get CallerID because 7$/mo is too expensive for that. What makes it work is to also set it up to forward call after 5 seconds of ringing. I configured my client to be always available on Wifi and 3G, but on 3G the quality isn't so great. So when I get a call, it rings with the CallerID for 5 seconds, then it stops for two seconds then I get the call from the voice network without CallerID but with good voice quality.
I just hope this won't eat up the battery too much. |
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gweidenh
join:2002-05-18
Houston, TX
kudos:1 | There is an Android app called Reverse Lookup that does a database query as calls come in and adds the caller ID info to your notifications bar. |
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| This looks like a great app, but how will it get the CallerID data in the first place if I don't subscribe to it? Calls coming in on my mobile number are all anonymous, no name and no number. |
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gweidenh
join:2002-05-18
Houston, TX
kudos:1 | I dont know its specific source, but there are many open databases such as tnid.us that provide caller ID information.
Your solution likely gives better/more accurate information, but for a free app, its definitely worth a look. |
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gweidenh
join:2002-05-18
Houston, TX
kudos:1 | reply to themonkeyz
I read your post a second time. If no number is being passed to your cell phone, then this app will not be able to search the database. |
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| reply to gweidenh
What I meant was that the app you're talking about looks up the info about a number, but it needs a number to start with.
It wouldn't work on my plan without my little hack because I don't get CallerID data from the phone company at all. |
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gweidenh
join:2002-05-18
Houston, TX
kudos:1 | Yes, I got confused. Not only do you not get caller ID, but you dont get the calling number either... then yes, a database search would be of no value.
What type of plan do you have that doesnt pass the incoming number? |
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| I'm with Virgin Mobile Canada. I'm on the Talk&Text 25 and I had the choice between free unlimited text messaging or CallerID and Voicemail. I didn't need the voicemal since Voip.ms takes care of it for free and they charge 7$/month for CallerID. |
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