# Andriod Phone Use in US



## ldwand (Nov 9, 2014)

Hi, I would like to how to be able to use my phone in the US when I go back for a visit this year? I want to be able to call on my family and take care of some business which would involve some calling to other parts of the states, plus calling my wife here in the Phils and would like to use Skype. One more thing do I have to go to Manila to get an EEC or can I get it at the airport? I having some trouble getting an answer to this, seems to be conflicting info on this. Thanks


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## Hey_Joe (Sep 13, 2016)

My wife set my Smart before I departed using the technique below. I was able to receive texts. 
https://smart.com.ph/World/call-philippines/

The best and cheapest way to call her from the states was I loaded $10 or $25 to Skype account and called her using that. It was dirt cheap to make each call. I also use the same Skype on my phone here to call the states at extremely low rates as well. Toll free numbers are free.


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

I only went back to the US once, in the last 5 years. I was using a Filipino brand phone, the MyPhone. It does not work on the US phone system (I forget which is GSM and which is CDMA). But... one day it started ringing, and it was FB saying my wife was calling. We had forgotten that Messenger supports not just text and video, but also phone. I was on wifi, at my brother's house, and the call came right in. So Messenger works if you have an internet connection. I have never used Skype but would imagine it would to; isn't it just a net based phone?

One thing to consider is to get a MagicJack while you are in the US. I have used it for 5 years and it is a great net based phone. I can call from the PIs to Texas, and it counts as a local call. My brother also has it and he travels a lot. So when we call each other, it counts as a "local" Texas call, but I am in the PIs and he may be in Texas, Spain, Peru, Germany... no telling. I use the MagicJack number as my "home" phone for my US bank & credit cards. They have a phone app, so there is no hardware needed.

You can get the ECC at most Immigration offices. I got mine in Iloilo. I had a link to the BI website that listed locations, and services offered, but the link is dead now. They rearranged their site and I cannot find that page anymore.


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Are you on a 13a Visa (at airport) or tourist PBI Satellite Office. Here's more information: Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC)

List of Satellite Office: Directory of Transactions

Gmail has a good call service I've used it several times I still have a balance after 7 years, I remember this was easier than Skype.


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## cyberfx1024 (May 21, 2015)

Tukaram said:


> I only went back to the US once, in the last 5 years. I was using a Filipino brand phone, the MyPhone. It does not work on the US phone system (I forget which is GSM and which is CDMA). But... one day it started ringing, and it was FB saying my wife was calling. We had forgotten that Messenger supports not just text and video, but also phone. I was on wifi, at my brother's house, and the call came right in. So Messenger works if you have an internet connection. I have never used Skype but would imagine it would to; isn't it just a net based phone?
> 
> One thing to consider is to get a MagicJack while you are in the US. I have used it for 5 years and it is a great net based phone. I can call from the PIs to Texas, and it counts as a local call. My brother also has it and he travels a lot. So when we call each other, it counts as a "local" Texas call, but I am in the PIs and he may be in Texas, Spain, Peru, Germany... no telling. I use the MagicJack number as my "home" phone for my US bank & credit cards. They have a phone app, so there is no hardware needed.
> 
> You can get the ECC at most Immigration offices. I got mine in Iloilo. I had a link to the BI website that listed locations, and services offered, but the link is dead now. They rearranged their site and I cannot find that page anymore.


A GSM phone will only work in the USA if you use TMobile or AT&T. So we have a GSM phone and then use TMobile prepaid while in the USA.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

cyberfx1024 said:


> A GSM phone will only work in the USA if you use TMobile or AT&T. So we have a GSM phone and then use TMobile prepaid while in the USA.


 Correct. I use AT&T prepaid in the US. The one advantage they have over T-Mobile is if you go back and forth regularly you can keep your US number for several months at a time, without losing it, whereas T-Mobile cancels you after 3 months of non-usage. You do this by loading $100 into your AT&T account, then switch from the normal plan flat rate plan (with free data, calls/texts, etc) to a "by the minute" plan. Then you have no monthly costs while you're away, since you're not making any calls. Come back to the US, pop in the AT&T SIM, switch back to a monthly plan, and good to go with the same number. Voice mail continues to work also.


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## yakc130 (Apr 27, 2012)

My wife has been using Kakao to call her mother back in QC from here in the US. Works pretty good and is free.


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