Help - VOIP calls?

[sherab_kelsang]

I would like to use my Lib5 more regularly.
The biggest issue is calling abroad to non-techie old people using Android or iOS.
VOIP - Whatsapp / Signal / Skype is helpful for calling one’s parents…
Is there a way to have such a cross-platform VOIP??
Thank you

[johnk]

I don’t know everything there is to know about VoIP, but I think you need to look into SIP. I think there are ways to use a regular phone number via a SIP provider, and you connect the SIP account (I guess that’s what it’s called?) to an app in your Librem 5 (I could have misread, but I thought I read something about the L5’s default calling app having the ability to use a SIP account). When you call out from the SIP account, it routes through the SIP provider’s infrastructure and goes to the “regular” telephony system.

[sherab_kelsang]

Thank you @johnk
But since this is too vague and means doing a lot of reading etc - I shall give it a miss for the time being.

[FamousJameous]

This topic has some information about using VoIP on the L5.

VOIP with jmp.chat and gajim

So given that the deadline to have VoLTE with my MVNO (on top of AT&T) is Februrary 2022, I have come to the conclusion that having support on the Librem 5 is unlikely . After all, from AT&T’s perspective they want to force most people to buy phones from them, so limiting the support of other phones makes that more likely. Perhaps I could change to T-Mobile but I wouldn’t be able to receive calls at home probably because I tried it in the past. I decided to try jmp.chat, which supports text/cal…

[amarok]

The process is basically this:

1. Subscribe to a VOIP provider to get an account with incoming and outgoing calls (usually very, very cheap, often available as paygo, and sometimes with SMS included).

2. Install a SIP dialer (or make use of an existing one) on your phone or computer, then enter your VOIP account information in the settings, according to the VOIP provider’s instructions.

3. The VOIP account will “register” to your device every time you power up (unless you set it not to). You can then make and receive calls over the mobile or wi-fi networks you’re connected to.

4. The VOIP number will be different from your mobile number, so in essence you’ll have two active numbers on your phone (unless you’re using a data-only SIM). If your VOIP account is also a residential account (you’ll need an ATA for that; I use an Obihai), you could just create an extension in your residential account, and have it ring your mobile.

5. SIP functionality is on its way to being integrated into the L5’s phone dialer, according to Purism, so maybe @joao.azevedo can update us on the status, since he has got it working. In the meantime, several people have tested various apps, including Linphone, which seems to work, but isn’t truly adaptive to the screen yet. [Linphone also provides an optional way to connect between Linphone users, with just usernames instead of phone numbers, using handles like: sip:bob2@sip.linphone. org.]

P.S. VOIP numbers can communicate with any other phone number, whether landline, mobile, or VOIP.

[joao.azevedo]

@amarok

so maybe @joao.azevedo can update us on the status

You can check all issues related to SIP in gnome-calls here:

Issues · GNOME / Calls

There is still stuff to do to make it more useful, like integration with gnome contacts.

[amarok]

And that pertains to the integrated dialer app, but a stand-alone SIP app should work now, if you’re lucky, right?

[OpojOJirYAlG]

I don’t know of any stand alone sip app that integrates with the contacts either.

The calls app works well for sip calls on pinephone running mobian + phosh so I would expect pureos on the librem 5 would be equally decent. Just know the limitation of having to enter the number instead of calling from the contact entry.

As for other voip solutions, most are not adaptive and in turn are unwieldy to use on the phone except when docked to a full size monitor.

[amarok]

Yes, the lack of contacts integration is annoying. Hopefully one only has a couple of contacts that would require VOIP calls (and maybe those can also be saved within the stand-alone app).

I know on Android the Linphone app does integrate contacts from the Android Contacts app, so it’s unfortunate that it doesn’t yet on the L5.

[sherab_kelsang]

Thanks all for your help.
Can you do video calls with SIP?? Say to FaceTime??
Alternatively - is there a complete documentation of installing Anbox??
Thank you

[johnk]

It is my understanding that FaceTime is essentially Apple’s version of a video call app (that can also do non-video calls) like Skype. I would surprised if any standard telephone line can do a non-video call to a FaceTime account, and it definitely won’t be able to do a video call (because that’s not what SIP is for). Additionally, I would guess that you’ll never see a FaceTime app on the Librem 5.

EDIT: I stand corrected about SIP not being possible to be used for video calls. “SIP is a media-independent protocol—it’s not voice, it’s not video, it’s not data—it could be anything. While it’s mostly applied to VoIP, it’s not a VoIP protocol.
Gary Audin, tech writer, expert in VoIP and IP telephony”

SIP Protocol: What Is & How It Works in a VOIP Call | Software Advice

[joao.azevedo]

@amarok

And that pertains to the integrated dialer app, but a stand-alone SIP app should work now, if you’re lucky, right?

As Far as I know, Twinkle works