ObiTalk on Android Using WiFi = ?

[lottamoxie]

I'm curious about this one.

If I use my Android phone w/WiFi connection and ObiTalk app to make & receive calls, am I still using my plan's cell phone minutes in this scenario or not?

[RonR]

You should not be using cell phone minutes.  If the WiFi connection is with your cell phone plan, you would probably be using your plan's data usage.  If it's a free WiFi access point, you should be making free calls.

[Stewart]

If you want to be sure that your call is going over Wi-Fi and not the cellular path, check the Call History in your OBi after making a call, and confirm that your call is there.

If your GV number and cell number are not the same, it's even easier.  Call 1-800-437-7950 with the OBiTALK app -- you should hear your GV number read back (assuming that your OBi is set to use GV for the outgoing call).

[lottamoxie]

I have my cell phone and GV connected so that if I dial out directly from my Android to anyone, it appears as my GV # to the party I am calling.  That is one of the features with this HTC Android device on the VZW network -- it is integrated with Google.  I use my GV # exclusively.

The WiFi I use is my home network WiFi.  I turn off the mobile data connection when I am home or anytime I am able to connect via free Wifi.  Even though I have an unlimited data usage plan, it uses less battery to be on WiFi so that's my preferred.

[lottamoxie]

Just an update...

I looked at my VZW call log and the call I made on my ObiApp using only WiFi *did* show up and get counted against my cell phone minutes.

I don't know why that is, but that 1 minute call was listed and added into the total for the month.

So I guess the answer is YES, at least on Verizon if you use the ObiTalk app to make a call, even over WiFi, the cell carrier will count those minutes.

[Stewart]

So I guess the answer is YES, at least on Verizon if you use the ObiTalk app to make a call, even over WiFi, the cell carrier will count those minutes.

Something is very wrong here.  Did the call in question also show up in Call History on your OBi?  In the History list for your GV account?  If not, I suspect that the app did not "see" your Wi-Fi connection and defaulted to the cellular path.

Any other VZW users with this problem?

[lottamoxie]

[/quote]Something is very wrong here.  Did the call in question also show up in Call History on your OBi?  In the History list for your GV account?  If not, I suspect that the app did not "see" your Wi-Fi connection and defaulted to the cellular path.

Any other VZW users with this problem?

[/quote]

I went back to my VZW account log and looked again.  While the Obi call is there, the 1 minute did not get counted in the total.  Yes, the call appears on the GV history AND on the Obi history as well.  So I guess VZW tracks all 'calls' made on cell devices.  My WiFi was definitely used as the VZW call log did not show a destination city for the call (it was blank), but it did show my GV # and a 1 min call.