Need a reliable company to be able to receive text messages from the U.S on my android

[watgate]

I broached this issue before but Mr dumbass (me) never followed through. Now, since I don't have a U.S. ph# I need to sign up with a reliable company so I can get a U.S.ph# which I can use on my android in order to receive text messages such as from my credit card company. Any recommendations for a good company that enables me to receive a text message such as from my credit card company would be greatly appreciated. This time I will act on it because I need a U.S. ph#  now in order to receive text messages for 2FA. Thank you.

[LivinLOS]

USA folks can link a google voice and get free SMS inbounds.. You need a USA regsitered google account and then add voice and link. 

ROW has a harder appoach.. I have done it on a corporate level with SIP phone systems but it was a complex setup.. Guys like xpatphone (UK only maybe) powered by devyce ( https://devyce.com/ ) wrap it in a neat wrapper but the app based SMS reception is kinda meh. 


 

[watgate]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

USA folks can link a google voice and get free SMS inbounds.. You need a USA regsitered google account and then add voice and link. 

ROW has a harder appoach.. I have done it on a corporate level with SIP phone systems but it was a complex setup.. Guys like xpatphone (UK only maybe) powered by devyce ( https://devyce.com/ ) wrap it in a neat wrapper but the app based SMS reception is kinda meh. 


 

 

[watgate]

As a novice I thought one needed a U.S ph# in order to utilize google voice which I don't have?

[Digitalbanana]

Google Voice, Skype comes to mind for this end.

[watgate]

Digitalbanana- Please explain in a little more detail. I DON'T have a U.S ph# but if you are saying to get a U.S. ph# from skype, I thought some financial institutions can detect a voip such as a skype ph# and won't send a text message for 2fa?

[LivinLOS]

4 hours ago, watgate said:

As a novice I thought one needed a U.S ph# in order to utilize google voice which I don't have?

 

google voice gives you a phone number.. 

 

Many people choose to redirect or port thier number over to GV service, to retain thier own number ongoing, but GV gives you one. 

I havent had a chance to use USA GV with SMS functions, I set up a UK GV which I use daily and really like, it can integrate into the android dailer and be near seamless, but we dont get messaging on GV in the other countries it can be obtained. 

[watgate]

LivinLLOS- So do you think I can get a U.S ph# with google voice and can get text messages from my bank in Thailand?

[n8sail]

3 hours ago, watgate said:

LivinLLOS- So do you think I can get a U.S ph# with google voice and can get text messages from my bank in Thailand?

Yes, I do this with my USA bank.  Works fine.  I ported my 25-something year old USA number to Google Voice many years ago to do this, but you can just get a new one and it will probably work the same.  When you set up Google Voice it gives you the option for ported existed number of new number provided by them.  Can receive voice calls and texts and voicemails just like a normal phone, but through your web browser.

There is only one time it didn't work for me and that was trying to get the PIN needed for e-filing federal taxes.  They need a real phone number, not a virtual one as Google provides.  Somehow they could tell the difference.  My bank cannot and doesn't seem to care though.

You will want to use a USA VPN to setup the account, and if that doesn't work maybe have a friend/family set it up for you at home.   You won't be able to set up with a Thai IP address I don't think.  I've used ProtonVPN before, it is free, but may not work anymore, haven't tried in a long time.

Edited May 3 by n8sail

[Expat4life66]

On 5/2/2024 at 8:02 AM, watgate said:

I broached this issue before but Mr dumbass (me) never followed through. Now, since I don't have a U.S. ph# I need to sign up with a reliable company so I can get a U.S.ph# which I can use on my android in order to receive text messages such as from my credit card company. Any recommendations for a good company that enables me to receive a text message such as from my credit card company would be greatly appreciated. This time I will act on it because I need a U.S. ph#  now in order to receive text messages for 2FA. Thank you.

I have used the Hushed application from Thailand for about 5 years, talk and SMS.  Works with my two US banks and I can unlimited call land lines and 800 numbers in the US.   They have a few packages, depending on need, and you can select the area of the country where you want the number.  Annual cost for me with their mid-priced package is about $45/year.  I don't have notifications turned on my phone so I open the app if waiting for an inbound SMS for 2layer authentication.   

 

Hope this helps!

Edited May 3 by Expat4life66

[soisanuk]

On 5/2/2024 at 10:34 AM, watgate said:

Digitalbanana- Please explain in a little more detail. I DON'T have a U.S ph# but if you are saying to get a U.S. ph# from skype, I thought some financial institutions can detect a voip such as a skype ph# and won't send a text message for 2fa?

 

Some do and some don't. Whether it will work depends on whether your financial institution.

 

My bank added a 2nd tier security check in for online access - code sent by phone or text message (previously the had done this by email, but did away with that option). I use a Skype VOIP USA phone number (US$40 per year fee) as my number for my banks & credit cards.  After the switch I selected text message and did not receive it. I then selected phone. Likewise, I did not receive a telephone call.  So, apparently they could detect it was a VOIP number.  Using their 800 number, I changed my phone number to my brother's mobile number in USA. I arranged for my brother to give me the code using Facebook messenger so I could use it to to gain access. 

 

I also encountered this when my retirement personnel system switched to a similar 2 tier log in. Only in that case, when I entered my Skype VOIP USA telephone number, I immediately received a message that I they would not accept VOIP telephone numbers.  

 

 

[DFPhuket]

In my experience "traditional" phone companies require you connect to a network located within the US when you get a new eSIM or SIM (that was the case for me with both Mint/T-Mobile and Ting). Unless you're going to be in the US, I think you'll have better luck with something like Skype. 

[TigerandDog]

why do you need a US phone #? Give whoever in the US your Thai phone # and you will still receive their text messages.

[GiveMeAColdOne]

This guy has everything you need to know about phone verification on his blog:  Expat Finance

 

He has a lot of other useful information about living as an expat and how to deal with financial issues.  I once thought of starting the same blog, but discovered his and decided he did a better job than I could've.

[patman30]

4 hours ago, watgate said:

LivinLLOS- So do you think I can get a U.S ph# with google voice and can get text messages from my bank in Thailand?

why would you need US ph# to get text from a Thai bank?
or are you asking if one number can do both?
diff country but just for reference
i use a Thai number to receive 2FA text and calls from my UK bank no issue
most finance companies allow this as it is very normal for people to travel and this is usually when blocks are put on cards
 

[kimothai]

I use SKYPE when I want to call the USA or when I need someone to call me (from USA).  SKYPE works great for voice calls.  Some financial Institutions will not allow a VOIP such as SKYPE or Google voice (PayPal will kick you out immediately).  I've been using Mint for the last 18 months (which is part of T-Mobile now) for receiving OTPs from my Bank and USA credit card.  So far it works great with no problems receiving text OTPs.  I don't use it for anything else such as voice or data - it's way too expensive for that but I do use it when I go back to the USA (since it's already paid for).  I use an e-sim for the Mint service which I installed while living in Thailand.  You'll need an e-sim compatible phone and be willing to spend about $200/year.  I used a relative's phone number for years. I would notify him via Messenger that an OTP was coming, and he would relay it to me via Messenger.  Sometimes that can be inconvenient due the time difference.   

[TucsonDavid]

I have solved this problem of receiving texts with a U.S. telephone number by signing up for a Consumer Cellular account. $20/month. Can receive/send texts and receive/make phone calls. Consumer Cellular uses an eSIM and the directions for setting on up were straightforward and easy to implement. My Credit Union, as well as some other organizations, was unable to use my Thai phone number so having this US number is great. To access the Consumer Cellular website, (www.consumercellular.com) from here in Thailand a VPN set to the USA must be used. Using the VPN allows for a fully functional and useful website. The customer support, both online and with a human, was excellent and very helpful. 

[Luuk Chaai]

I get texts & calls from Chase Bank  ( and any of my other contacts ) via my Magic Jack / US #

I also get texts from contacts on Google meet

[watgate]

Thanks for all the great replies. Much appreciated. I will have to sit down with my wife's daughter who is great with smart phones, and decide which of all these great recommendations would be most beneficial for my needs to get text messages from financial institutions in the U.S for 2FA so I can then access my accounts.

[westsail]

I've been using OpenPhone VOIP service for a couple years. It works great. Costs $10/month.

You get a U.S. phone number and unlimited calls and texts to/from U.S. and Canada.

The app works on Android phones.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[JimTripper]

I'm a simp.

Edited May 4 by JimTripper

[gamb00ler]

@watgate do you have anyone in the US with a mobile that can assist you?

 

If you do will they help you to set up Google Voice (GV) by using their phone number for the initial verification?

GV will work for many financial institutions 2FA but not all.  It seems the number of banks that accept GV is dropping over the last few years.

 

A good long term solution is to use an UltraMobile PayGo prepaid plan that is $3/month.  It is a legitimate US based mobile company and as yet I have not heard of any bank that doesn't accept them for 2FA texts.  You would need a helper in the US to install the PayGo sim into a phone and connect to the mobile network to initialize the service and then send the sim card to you in Thailand.  To use PayGo in Thailand you would need to swap sims back and forth or have a phone that allows more than 1 sim/esim.

 

I have a PayGo sim and a phone that has my local Thai mobile service via an esim.  Calls/texts to the PayGo number are sent/received via WiFi.

 

The link that @GiveMeAColdOne provided is excellent and contains more details of what I just described.

 

https://www.expatfinance.us/united-states/phone-verification

 

[impulse]

I use Google Fi and get 2FA texts in Thailand and in China.   I used it for my cell/data service in the USA and I just continued using it when I left the USA.  I can no longer use data after a few months outside the USA, but voice and text work fine. 

 

It's not cheap, and I think you have to start the account from the USA, (at least to get the SIM card in the mail) so I can't say I'd recommend it to the OP, but it does work.

 

Not really a recommendation as much as a data point.

 

[thailand49]

Im not very techno but it works for me. 

Ive got a TMobile sim pay as you go plan which I top off once a year online with a pin.  

Ive had this plan for over 20 years advantage I go home once a year also.

I live her full time got a 5 G Vivo duel sim when I know I need a code for banking verification I switch to Tmobile sim.

[paulbrow]

I have a Skype phone number, you can get for whatever area code you want. Virtually all my stateside accounts of any kind have that number to call me, which gets forwarded to my Thai number here, or they can text me, virtually everything you would need gets handled seamlessly with the Skype number.