Philippines Messenger Apps

[smore 19]

Wondering if anyone can help with philippines messenger apps and help me to understand what works in the outlining areas, not like Manila where there might be free WIFI, good towers, etc but in the more poorer outlining regions. I will try to explain what she says is the issue, Been using WhatsApp to communicate for a long time but communication is random and sparse. She says WhatsApp does not really work when she is out and about during the day around town because of no wifi, she has sim card and load but still says whatsapp does not work when around town. Not sure if I am being BS'd? or what. Here is USA I have cell plan, don't really use WIFI as where I am at there is not really WIFI except in town so I just use local cell tower, data plan and whatsapp works as long as I have signal strength, thats how I understand how it works here in USA. She claims facebook messenger works for her to communicate to family when she is outside and around town, I am wondering how and why does it work when whatapp does not and both require a connection to internet? To provide more info I am not on facebook, never will be, so I will not be signing up so I can use facebook messenger, not going to happen as like so many others who have chosen to avoid facebook.

 

Why does facebook messenger work when whatsapp will not? and are there any other messenger apps that might work like facebook messenger does as she claims that she can use it without wifi and only needs internet connection via tower or something? Any other messenger apps that would work in philippines where she can be able to send messages while out and about in town and not rely on wifi at home?

[top_secret 2,417]

With Philippine SIMs one must subscribe to a data plan.  Daily, weekly, monthly whatever.  There are many plan variations and promos.  Some may include free messages only for certain apps.  https://smart.com.ph/Pages/freeigfbforall (as an example)  If Facebook messaging works and WhatsApp doesn't, it may be something like that.  Find out what carrier she is using and how she subscribes her data.

[MarryMe987654 244]

Cell plans in the Philippines are either

1) No load = no outgoing minutes, no outgoing sms, and very limited (free) data but incoming calls and texts are working;

2) Call and text only = prepaid plans that are only for making outgoing calls and texts to all or some networks; it may come with very limited data.

3) Data only = no calls or texts, just a little more than the limited free data (maybe 500MB or 2GB-- it varies).

 

Facebook messenger works for all plans--the only difference is one cannot see images or videos on free data plan but messaging works fine.

WhatsApp will not work on the free data plan. One needs to subscribe to data plan to use WhatsApp. The problem is, when one has data plan, other apps uses the data too so a 2GB data plan may not last long especially if the user does not know how to turn it off when there's wi-fi around.

 

The allowed apps that works with free data is controlled by the cellular network and because Facebook is the most popular app in the Philippines, cell usage comes with it for free.

 

Is she bsing you about WhatsApp not working outside wifi area? No.

Is there any messaging app that she can use in lieu of FB messenger? No.

 

 

[RO_AH 1,659]

Does she have a job? How often is she out and about? You know you can still call her cell phone while she is out. There are apps and and companies you can use. What others said above is true. I know you don't want Facebook but you can just create a Facebook account and add her only. Then you could use messenger. My ex wife has Facebook with zero friends and zero posts. Only uses it to back up her games on her cell phone. If you were concerned you should get he google info and you can check timelines and such. My friend set up his girl friends google account for her and turned on location tracking and backing up all pictures and videos. It was very good he did.

[Chancy 6,241]

On 12/20/2022 at 7:10 PM, smore said:

Why does facebook messenger work when whatsapp will not?

 

There is no such thing as net neutrality in the Philippines.  Internet service providers can and do restrict the apps a subscriber can use, depending on the mobile service plan they are on, as explained above.  If your Filipina is on the cheapest plan, it is very likely that she has access only to FB Messenger.  Outside of Metro Manila, there are not many establishments that offer free wifi.  Even if they do, the person will probably need to buy something from the shop before they can get the wifi password.

 

If setting up an FB account for Messenger is not something you're willing to compromise on, just call or SMS her through her mobile number.  Depending on your US mobile plan, you may rack up international call/text charges.  Another option is to get yourself a VOIP number for the Philippines, so you can make unlimited calls to the Philippines at a flat rate.  I think Viber and Google Voice provide that service, but I've never tried it myself.

 

[RO_AH 1,659]

7 hours ago, Chancy said:

There is no such thing as net neutrality in the Philippines.

There is no net neutrality in US either

7 hours ago, Chancy said:

just call or SMS her through her mobile number.  Depending on your US mobile plan, you may rack up international call/text charges. 

That's one reason I have T-Mobile. Free international SMS and data roaming But calling would be expensive.

 

Most definitely just using fb messenger is the easiest and best option. Like MarryMe987654 said, FB messenger is free on all prepaid plans. No calling, images, videos on the free service but at least you can communicate through text.

[jskibo 588]

I'm in PI now.  I use Tmobile, but it can be pretty slow in some areas (was in Bataraza, Palawan a week ago).  I have a dual sim Pixel 7, so I run a prepaid globe sim.  There's no end to the plans you can get here (and for very little).  Some of the choices include unlimited data, but only for a handful of services that you have to pick from a list, other's just data that everything consumes and as other have said, some are little to no data and just texts or calls.

 

I have been using a 129PHP (roughly $2.50) promo plan with 8GB data, unlimited  all network calls and text for 10 days.  But there's at least 70 plans in the Globe app to choose from and every day I get 1 to 2 texts from globe with other promo plans.

 

(Also have a SMART Sim just in case I get stuck somewhere with poor Globe service.....Less than $1 for a prepaid sim)

[Dave Knapp 47]

On 12/22/2022 at 11:24 PM, Chancy said:

 

There is no such thing as net neutrality in the Philippines.  Internet service providers can and do restrict the apps a subscriber can use, depending on the mobile service plan they are on, as explained above.  If your Filipina is on the cheapest plan, it is very likely that she has access only to FB Messenger.  Outside of Metro Manila, there are not many establishments that offer free wifi.  Even if they do, the person will probably need to buy something from the shop before they can get the wifi password.

 

If setting up an FB account for Messenger is not something you're willing to compromise on, just call or SMS her through her mobile number.  Depending on your US mobile plan, you may rack up international call/text charges.  Another option is to get yourself a VOIP number for the Philippines, so you can make unlimited calls to the Philippines at a flat rate.  I think Viber and Google Voice provide that service, but I've never tried it myself.

 

 

On 12/22/2022 at 11:24 PM, Chancy said:

 

There is no such thing as net neutrality in the Philippines.  Internet service providers can and do restrict the apps a subscriber can use, depending on the mobile service plan they are on, as explained above.  If your Filipina is on the cheapest plan, it is very likely that she has access only to FB Messenger.  Outside of Metro Manila, there are not many establishments that offer free wifi.  Even if they do, the person will probably need to buy something from the shop before they can get the wifi password.

 

If setting up an FB account for Messenger is not something you're willing to compromise on, just call or SMS her through her mobile number.  Depending on your US mobile plan, you may rack up international call/text charges.  Another option is to get yourself a VOIP number for the Philippines, so you can make unlimited calls to the Philippines at a flat rate.  I think Viber and Google Voice provide that service, but I've never tried it myself.

 

I believe you can set up a  FB Messenger account without a Facebook account. Google it.

 

 

[smore 19]

On 12/20/2022 at 10:52 PM, MarryMe987654 said:

Cell plans in the Philippines are either

1) No load = no outgoing minutes, no outgoing sms, and very limited (free) data but incoming calls and texts are working;

2) Call and text only = prepaid plans that are only for making outgoing calls and texts to all or some networks; it may come with very limited data.

3) Data only = no calls or texts, just a little more than the limited free data (maybe 500MB or 2GB-- it varies).

 

Facebook messenger works for all plans--the only difference is one cannot see images or videos on free data plan but messaging works fine.

WhatsApp will not work on the free data plan. One needs to subscribe to data plan to use WhatsApp. The problem is, when one has data plan, other apps uses the data too so a 2GB data plan may not last long especially if the user does not know how to turn it off when there's wi-fi around.

 

The allowed apps that works with free data is controlled by the cellular network and because Facebook is the most popular app in the Philippines, cell usage comes with it for free.

 

Is she bsing you about WhatsApp not working outside wifi area? No.

Is there any messaging app that she can use in lieu of FB messenger? No.

 

 

All I know and perhaps I should know more but communication has been a struggle for years with her so we do not know each other as much as one would think in this amount of time, but all I know is she buys load, sometimes different cards, not sure how long they last. I believe her family recently got wifi at home, but she is not at home alot, works with family during the day.

 

Sounds like facebook messenger works no matter what a person has, just have to have some sort of phone connection but not necessary some load or plan. I am trying to follow along as here in the use its pretty simple, sign up for a plan and there you go, as long as you pay you have a phone that works across the board usually. Sounds like cell towers, cell plans, load, wifi is different in the philippines. She does come from a poor providence with not much wifi, maybe not much cell service choice or towers. Thats the struggle you meet someone like this and how do you keep in contact.

 

Sounds like she is not Bsing me that she uses facebook messenger to communicate and it works better than whatsapp when she is outside because she has no wifi when outside but the facebook app still works somehow. I am not a fan of facebook, not just the site, app, etc but the entire idea and company and don't trust them with all their problems so I am sticking with not dealing with that. Like others who refuse to be apart of facebook life is much better without it.

 

Sounds like there really is no other apps that work like facebook messenger does. Its to bad this facebook is a monopoly, its such a horrible site and people are leaving it, sick of dealing with it, stick of data breaches, mis handling of info, etc.

[smore 19]

On 12/21/2022 at 7:19 PM, RO_AH said:

Does she have a job? How often is she out and about? You know you can still call her cell phone while she is out. There are apps and and companies you can use. What others said above is true. I know you don't want Facebook but you can just create a Facebook account and add her only. Then you could use messenger. My ex wife has Facebook with zero friends and zero posts. Only uses it to back up her games on her cell phone. If you were concerned you should get he google info and you can check timelines and such. My friend set up his girl friends google account for her and turned on location tracking and backing up all pictures and videos. It was very good he did.

She does work with family, helping out with cooking, small food business. I believe she is out everyday doing that. I know I could create a facebook account and never use it only for messenger but as mentioned I just do not want to deal with all the BS of that site, and also now days it seems it takes a blood sample to join, they want all this private info. People have lost the respect for themselves by giving into such companies who just want to use your info, its a disaster now days, I won't keep ranting about it. Wish another, better site would come along. I just want to communicate with her, we have known each other for a long time now and seems we are really getting no where, communication is key whether its local relationship or foreign, long distance, etc, gotta communicate to progress and we just have such an inconstancy in it.

[smore 19]

On 12/26/2022 at 4:36 AM, Dave Knapp said:

 

I believe you can set up a  FB Messenger account without a Facebook account. Google it.

 

 

I already searched for that, you need to setup a facebook account to use messenger.

[Chancy 6,241]

8 minutes ago, smore said:

I am not a fan of facebook, not just the site, app, etc but the entire idea and company and don't trust them with all their problems so I am sticking with not dealing with that.

 

In that case, your reluctance to use Facebook is even more confusing, as Facebook and WhatsApp are owned by the same company (Meta) since 2014.

 

[smore 19]

On 12/26/2022 at 4:36 AM, Dave Knapp said:

 

I believe you can set up a  FB Messenger account without a Facebook account. Google it.

 

 

 

On 12/22/2022 at 9:24 AM, Chancy said:

 

There is no such thing as net neutrality in the Philippines.  Internet service providers can and do restrict the apps a subscriber can use, depending on the mobile service plan they are on, as explained above.  If your Filipina is on the cheapest plan, it is very likely that she has access only to FB Messenger.  Outside of Metro Manila, there are not many establishments that offer free wifi.  Even if they do, the person will probably need to buy something from the shop before they can get the wifi password.

 

If setting up an FB account for Messenger is not something you're willing to compromise on, just call or SMS her through her mobile number.  Depending on your US mobile plan, you may rack up international call/text charges.  Another option is to get yourself a VOIP number for the Philippines, so you can make unlimited calls to the Philippines at a flat rate.  I think Viber and Google Voice provide that service, but I've never tried it myself.

 

She does come from a poor providence with not much wifi, maybe not much cell service choice or towers. Thats the struggle you meet someone like this and how do you keep in contact. Lots of different suggestions which I appreciate but it should really be simple and also free, like whatsapp like we have been using, it worked good when she was working in China and even when she got back home with some wifi she has at home. Now I believe she has wifi again but is not home much. Thing is here in usa we pay for a phone plan and we are usually good to go, we download apps and they work, sounds like philippines is a bit different on how phone plans work, wifi, etc and how carriers can restrict access to certain apps. I just want to have it so we can communicate and progress otherwise I will have to give up on this and try and meet someone else.

[smore 19]

1 minute ago, Chancy said:

 

In that case, your reluctance to use Facebook is even more confusing, as Facebook and WhatsApp are owned by the same company (Meta) since 2014.

 

Sorry its confusing. They may be owned by same, similar programming company but they certainly operate much different. I don't want anything to do with facebook like many others have realized, its not worth it.

[RO_AH 1,659]

1 hour ago, smore said:

also now days it seems it takes a blood sample to join, they want all this private info. People have lost the respect for themselves by giving into such companies who just want to use your info, its a disaster now days,

You do realize that you can give them false inf right?