TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Whatsapp ->Sweet tool!! and free wifi hotspots.

So I was told about the whatsapp app for making calls using wifi. I wasnt sure if I really needed it. but I'm gonna give it a whirl next time im in SXM! Has anyone else here tried it?

Also, is there a directory what shows where there are free wifi hotspots?

No directory that I am aware of, but many or most restaurants have free wifi if you eat and/or drink there, as Georgia said.

Here is a directory map of Wifi spots:

Map of Wifi spots Maho

The resorts shown on that aren't for general use without a password that is only given out to guests staying there.

I have the app. The only problem with it is that the other person you are calling has to have the app too. And, it's only free for the 1st year.

Yes, but for the restaurants, which are the majority of these spots, it works.

The other person has to have it and like someone else said, the calling feature isn't always working unless you pay for it. If you both have Facebook you can call through that, or if you both have an apple product. iPhone. iPod, iPad, Mac you can always FaceTime on wifi

Last year we left the laptop at home ("I thought YOU had it"!), and I used Viber on my phone - worked great! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

I agree, but resorts only account for a small part of the wifi spots on the map. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Thanks. I really dont hope to use the phone at all!

If you are on android, Google Hangouts works very well. We used it to call home when in St Martin. Calls to Canada and the US are free.

We picked up a SIM card from Sharon for local calls and didn't need to buy any more time than came with the card.

One other thought,... I tend to use WAZE on most travels in the US. I guess I'd be subject to raining if used on SXM? Or should I use the gps map app that comes on the iPhone?


Better yet, maybe just use a map like the pre-iPhone days and rough it?!

How does Whatsapp charge you after the first year of phone calls?

I heard it is only 99 cents after then first year. Not sure this is correct.
My cousin put it on my phone and we texted them from US, Hawaii, Italy and Germany. Works great with attachments and voice.

Never heard of this. How does this one work?

Hangouts? See:

Google Hangouts

You can text, call, or video call from the same app.

--H

I much prefer Skype app where you can program the caller ID to match your cell so the people know it is you that is calling and it works just like your regular phone (outgoing only unless you pay more). Seems like I only use less than $5 of Skype credits every time I travel for a week internationally and that includes some long phone calls (its like 3 cents a minute).

raining or roaming? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />...to avoid data roaming charges you would need a GPS/navigation app that stores maps on the phone, and doesn't rely on a constant data connection

with Waze and Google Maps, while on WiFi, you can download the maps to your phone for the area you'll need, then use the app for offline navigation... How to use Waze and Google Maps Offline

or you try a standalone navigation app like Be-On-Road , it's free

Download the Hangouts app and the Hangouts Dialer from Google Play. If you are in the US, you can also get a google phone number to associate with your gmail/hangouts app. That will allow people to call you. (Harder to implement the number if in Canada, but I have managed to do it.)

With that installed, you can make phone calls from a phone or tablet to Canada and the US at no cost over wifi.

Check out Talkatone. I have it and love it. Using (a good) wifi, you can call from ANY COUNTRY in the world to any phone, land or cell in the U.S. or Canada. You get 10 free minutes a month with 60 minutes for only 99 cents if you need more time in that month.
I think (but am not 100% certain) that you can call anyone from anywhere to anyone anywhere if the other person has Talkatone as well. You get to pick your phone number among a list. You must keep it active or you lose your number and must pick a new one if you want to use Talkatone again. BY active I mean one phone call a month no matter how short it is.
Any unused minutes carry over to the next month.

I'll second Viber. Have used it the last 2 years and has worked well. Free but wifi dependent (actually it can work on 3G networks as well but you would have to pay the normal carrier fees associated) and the receiver needs to have the app as well. Overall, has been a great option and call clarity has been outstanding!