Second phone number in Australia

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kingdragonfly

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#306100 28-Jun-2023 11:30

I'm looking to add a second phone number to my iPhone 11. It doesn't have a Sim slot.

I live in New Zealand, but require a second phone number for Australia.

It almost exclusively for receiving phone call from Australia. I realize I could get an Australian SIM, but apparently you can't buy these for mail-order delivery outside Australia.

I tried Skype, but it was unreliable.

I've looked at some "second phone" apps, and haven't been able to find one with Australia listed.

Any ideas?

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#3095772 28-Jun-2023 11:44

I believe all Aussie mobile numbers must be ID verified. I am aware of a virtual provider (crazytel) but suspect you'll be caught out on the ID requirement.
Your NZ passport will work, provided that you are in Australia at the time. You can get a friend to get you a SIM, but just be aware that porting will verify these details so you'd need to do a formal change of ownership if you want to use your own details in future.

TPG/Vodafone and Optus (and their MVNO's) do not permit wifi calling from non-AU IP's.
Telstra wholesale (think Woolworths, Aldi etc) and Telstra Retail (Telstra, Boost, JB Hifi, The good guys) do permit Wifi calling overseas. Telstra wholesale SIM's currently do not do SMS over wifi calling.
Some providers do offer direct esim provisioning (eg. Vodafone, Optus, Felix etc) via their app. Some require store visits (eg. Telstra). Some do not offer esims at all.

If you aren't using Wifi calling (eg. you are roaming on One/Spark/2D), you will need to purchase a roaming pack although some providers will allow you to use casual balances but expect calling to be around $1 per minute. If you have to roam, suspect that something like 'felix' works, where their roaming allowance is valid for a year.

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mrgsm021

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#3095773 28-Jun-2023 11:45

iPhone 11 has a physical SIM slot + eSIM so maybe get the Australian number on eSIM?

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#3095774 28-Jun-2023 11:55

Forgot to also bring up: Once you have a SIM and its been ID verified, its fairly easy to keep it alive in NZ. Most providers will accept NZ debit/credit cards without any issues.
Vodafone was a hit and miss when I tried it a few years ago, but they support native payments using Google Pay, Apple Pay and paypal which works well.

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Wombat1

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#3095781 28-Jun-2023 12:04

Why not use crazytel? I use it for my voip phone and they do apparently support sms.

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#3095782 28-Jun-2023 12:08

Do they require ID verification? If not, it sounds like it’s a good fit then.

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Wombat1

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#3095786 28-Jun-2023 12:22

I think all numbers here will require verification of some sort.

Another option, move to Aus!! Bit more expensive. :-).

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#3095798 28-Jun-2023 12:50

Virtually all SIM's will have 'roaming' enabled, eg. they'll attach to a foreign network. Receiving SMS is almost always free. Often what this means is that you'll have a SIM that can receive SMS, can't make or receive calls (unless you buy a roaming pack).
Getting operators to bar roaming outright is a bit hit and miss as a result.

This can cause some issues on the iPhones as iOS doesn't have the ability to reject roaming outright, only bar roaming data. The effect of this is that your phone won't engage 'wifi calling over mobile data' when you're out and about off wifi.

Not a bad option on moving to AU though ;) Sure your prescriptions and internet are more expensive but Wombats, Bin chickens and Drop bears make up for it.

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kingdragonfly

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#3095816 28-Jun-2023 13:29

Wombat1: Why not use crazytel? I use it for my voip phone and they do apparently support sms.

"Crazytel only accepts Australian Residents that have an active Australian mobile service.

During this sign-up application our system will call you to verify your account for instant activation."

Wombat1

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#3095817 28-Jun-2023 13:46

I believe it’s to stop scammers. Imagine if anybody in the world could just apply to get an aus number. I imagine it’s the same for NZ.

allan

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#3095831 28-Jun-2023 14:25

Does it need to be an Australian mobile number? What about an Australian VOIP "landline" number and a VOIP app on your phone?

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#3095832 28-Jun-2023 14:31

2talk and Hero both offer aussie land line numbers fairly cheap, so if that suits you could get one of those and either forward the calls to your mobile number, or setup the number on your phone through an app.

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kingdragonfly

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#3095921 28-Jun-2023 17:24

Wombat1: I believe it’s to stop scammers. Imagine if anybody in the world could just apply to get an aus number. I imagine it’s the same for NZ.

I'm not trying to contradict you about phishing, but the US, UK and Canada has it a whole lot worse than Australia, yet they don't have the same restrictions as Australia.

In NZ, we have a LOT of phishing SMS message from Australian numbers. In my personal experience in receiving frequent SMS scam messages, recently it's always an Australian phone number, though I'm sure they are probably spoofed.

It so bad that I've seen multiple scam warnings: in NZ if you get a SMS message from a business/government, and it's from Australia, treat it as red flag.

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kingdragonfly

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#3095922 28-Jun-2023 17:26

allan:
Does it need to be an Australian mobile number? What about an Australian VOIP "landline" number and a VOIP app on your phone?

I did try Skype, with a forward option to my cell-phone, but i got complaints that the phone number didn't always go through.

Do you know of reliable app?

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#3095975 28-Jun-2023 19:59

Is it’s just for inbound calling and SMS is not required, you might find Hero (https://hero.co.nz/index.html#plans - see international) a more cost effective?

I’ve used it before when I was contracting in NZ (forwarding to a mobile) and it was very reliable.

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larknz

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#3095980 28-Jun-2023 20:32

I was in Australia recently and got an e-sim from Telstra, not the cheapest but have the best coverage. Tried to sign up with a number of providers from NZ, but couldn't make ID verification work. Accepted my NZ passport, but wouldn't finalize until I was in Aussie. The number still valid back in NZ but I would need a roaming pack to actually use it.

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