This may end up being a bit convoluted, so I will do my best to keep it as short as possible and to the point.

I have a US number with Google Fi, have had it for about 8 years.

This is the only reason why I still maintain that one Google account. The benefit is that I only use it when I am in the United States, and when I’m not, I just pause the service and don’t get charged.

However, I feel the string need to completely eliminate Google from my life permanently.

Does anyone know of a service similar to this one? It can be an MVNO or VOIP for my phone, and I would like to port my number as well. I found “phoner”, but I can’t pause the service, so I would be stuck paying a bill I don’t use as much or loosing my number.

If the service is private (not to be confused with anonymous, of course) even better.

  • @Scolding0513
    17•1 month ago

    JMP.chat is your best choice for the most privacy-oriented VOIP service. Paired with the Cheogram app on FDroid, it’s a great user experience. they can port numbers in and out as well. you can pay with monero/btc/eth.

    I am not sure about pausing though, I would ask them what your options are.

    • @[email protected]
      2•1 month ago

      JMP is my recommendation too. I don’t think you can pause it, but the cost is so low it might not matter.

        • Kairos
          3•1 month ago

          So that the messages aren’t sitting unencrypted on the XMPP servers.

          • @Scolding0513
            4•1 month ago

            i think you’ll have to ask them, if they even store the messages, i think maybe they just relay them, but it honestly doesnt matter bro, text messages are the most insecure communication on the planet, i think more insecure than JMP’s xmpp servers.

            • @[email protected]English
              1•1 month ago

              For the $5 first payment, they have a partnership with Snikket who will setup and administer a private XMPP server for you. It’s included in the price if service and is retained for as long as you maintain a server. You can use it for any XMPP thing you want, and have as many users on it as you want.

    • @timbuck2themoonEnglish
      1•1 month ago

      When i tried they didn’t do MMS properly. So YMMV.

        • @timbuck2themoonEnglish
          2•1 month ago

          If I can find my message to them, I’ll post what it was. I can’t remember if the messages arrived oddly or if it was sending pictures, etc. etc. It was just some hangup where I couldn’t justify going to it. I would’ve liked to otherwise because like OP I basically only use Google at all for GV.

          • @Scolding0513
            2•1 month ago

            did you use Cheogram? also reach out to their group chat or support, they are very helpful