PaulHoule
9 hours ago
I don't have a cell phone that can receive SMS but I do have Skype. I live in a cell phone dead spot and spend a lot of time on the highways of Upstate NY which has cell phone dead spots in it larger than some European countries.
If I need to make a phone call or look something up I stop at a gas station which always has WiFi. Both intercity and city buses have WiFi. NYC subway has WiFiWhen I need to use the Ticketmaster app to get into a stadium I can use the WiFi at the stadium; I've managed to get my bags in and out of a LuggageHero even if it meant running two blocks to use the WiFi at a Starbucks.
One app I can't use is WhatsApp because it needs a carrier-tied SMS to verify. If you do the same you are locking me out as a user.
paullazer
9 hours ago
Interesting, so how do you manage when a service you want to use requires a phone number or send an OTP? Would it make sense to offer to send an OTP through Skype or other online messaging channel like Viber?
PaulHoule
9 hours ago
Mostly I get verified by services or receive OTP via email as I've been doing since 1997.
I can receive most texts just fine with Skype but some services will refuse to send a verification text to a VoIP number. I guess they look you up in some API and find you're VoIP or there is some flag when they send an SMS that prevents sending to a VoIP IP. I can understand quite well that they don't want to deal with people who create large numbers of smurf accounts about I have had my Skype number for ten years or so.
As an aside I'll note: (1) it's a disappointment to me that Skype doesn't have competition as a consumer-oriented VoIP provider as Skype has its share of enshittification problems like the messages from pig butchering scammers, an attempt to spam me with news about Donald Trump and such, etc. (2) My son does have an AT&T phone which can allegedly call and text over WiFi. It works sometimes but is nowhere near as reliable as Skype.