Update: Staying connected with MagicJack has come a long way since its promising debut in 2007-08. Back then, magicJack provided a highly economical and portable alternative to traditional phone, which still remains a major draw to date. Below you are introduced to the next generation, a magicJack for cell phone.
The evolution of smartphones, long distance calling cards and smartly packaged phone plans however, threw up fresh challenges of portability, easy setup and low-cost operations for the leading VoIP applications of recent times. To its credit, MagicJack helped by responding well, and its smartphone app opened up wider opportunities to render features for the company.
Our magicJack App for Cell Phone Phone Review
The original app, released with the Plus device was named FREE Calls, leveraging the signature feature with a conspicuous “Talk Free” icon in green background. While designers were left a touch cold with the flat, 2-D look – user survey metrics from Coremetrics and GoMez showed a high degree of appreciation from users who appreciated the call clarity, purpose, and free use of the app. While our review showed the new app has catered to their largest user-base of all Samsung, Android and iOS iPhone users (including Tablet users), it doesn’t have support for Windows OS and Blackberry platforms yet. That, however, is set to change soon with extensive upgrade plans included for next generation of devices (magicJack GO and magicJack EXPRESS).
Figure 1: magicJack App Interface & DialPad
True to its brand identity, the magicJack Go App boasts of some arresting features:
- 100% Free Calls to U.S., Canadian and Puerto Rican phone numbers and any other MagicJack number across the world. This, combined with the fact that the app itself is free to download (no hidden costs), and doesn’t cling on to your mobile minutes or eat into your voice plan making it highly budget friendly. Compared to other connectivity apps like Viber, Skype or WhatsApp, the MagicApp is certainly a cut above both in terms of clarity and costs. Usher in the era of truly ‘unlimited’ local, international (only to other magicApp and magicJack users) and long-distance calls with this app.
- Auto-sync contacts – The MagicApp is designed to sync up automatically with your Android or iOS contacts if you want it to, lending it a high degree of device portability.
- Works without a MagicJack account – Even if you don’t have a MagicJack account, you may use the App! Yes, you read that right. You may download the app and make outgoing calls to numbers in the U.S., Canada, or other MagicJack numbers. No more tedious sign-ups, no more service charges until you’re satisfied. For existing users it is simple to login and logout of your account.
- Unified Contact Number – You can use the same number for your physical MagicJack device (used as a landline alternative) and your downloaded application. Once you log in using your primary magicJack account on the app, both your MagicJack device and smartphone with MagicApp installed ring at the same time, ensuring you never miss another incoming call.
- Intuitive interface – The basic user interface is highly intuitive, in addition to auto importing of contacts, it also keeps a log of recent calls, segregating the incoming and outgoing twains, as well as offering free voicemail service. For those familiar with smartphone usage, everything shows up right where you expect them to, aiding a seamless transition. Controls and other relevant buttons are also clear and easy to spot for even first time users.
- Incoming calls are easy – Beginning and ending with asterisk, you can accept incoming calls to your MagicApp from anywhere in the world. Simply have them dial 1-305-848-TALK (1-305-848-8255) and enter the MagicJack number e.g. *000-EXA-MPLE* and you’re done!
- Excellent Call quality – MagicJack lives up to its reputation of high definition audio quality. White noise and static interference is kept to negligible levels, emphasizing their investment in call quality.
- Texting Coming Soon – Best of all is the App is currently in beta testing for texting and that update is expected very soon. This will make it better than any of the other free texting apps such as Skype, Viber, WeChat, Tango and WhatsApp. The key difference is that these other apps are limited to messaging other users of the same app. While the magicApp will be a true ‘texting’ app instead of just a messaging app disguised as a texting app. This is because with it you will be able to text any number in the whole world for free, these are the rumors anyway. We however will have to wait to see if magicJack can actually deliver on this promise.
Isn’t all rosy though. Like any app in development and beta-testing mode, the MagicApp still has some rough edges around its corners. While the quarterly conferences promise of further advancements, there are couple of features which could do with some attention:
Our reviews showed that it isn’t all rosy though. Like any app in development and beta-testing mode, the MagicApp still has some rough edges around its corners. While the quarterly conferences promise of further advancements, there are couple of features which could do with some attention:
- Multiple Numbers – While the MagicApp designates the same number as your MagicJack device and unifies that account, as well as syncs up your contacts, it doesn’t auto-identify the profile of your actual cellphone number. So all your contacts, who might have until now dialed your cell phone number or had it saved on their side, will see a new number if you connect via MagicApp. Minor quibble, agreed, but since they already had the software to identify the contacts, it would’ve been nice to go that extra yard and unify it all.
- One MagicApp Account per Device – This isn’t a huge letdown, since MagicJack is still majorly a single account per device sort of service. The physical MagicJack device also de-activates the old MagicJack account if you’re trying to register with existing user credentials, hence it isn’t a surprise that the MagicApp also restricts you to just one MagicJack account per device, no matter how many different instances of the app you might have downloaded.
- Android 2.3 or iOS 3 – Again, a small issue with graceful degradation, as the app does not respond to older versions of Android and iOS beyond a point. Then again, there’s seldom a chance that a modern smartphone user wouldn’t have the latest operating system.
In a nutshell, the MagicApp does take a bold step forward in extending its free calling services to the world of smartphones. The services are still a work in progress outside the major operating systems of iOS and Android but the technology, interface and call-quality are excellent thus far.
Figure 2: Competing services- Viber, WeChat, Tango & WhatsApp support free messaging & file transfer
They need to add more digital features (at least texting and file transfers) as well as figure out a way to cut down international calling incoming charges further, particularly for users outside U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Canada, but that shouldn’t take away from a solid debut.
[Related: magicjack Desktop Application]
Overview of the soon to be released magicJack App
If you have been interested in saving money on your cell phone bill then perhaps the new magicJack App, tabbed magicApp is for you. Previous versions of the device have either had their shortcomings or don’t provide quite the convenience that an App could.
The original device requires a computer, which often creates unfixable functionality problems due to differences in individual computers. In order to combat this issues the company developed the magicJack plus which takes things a step further by allowing direct connect from a router/modem to a regular telephone. A great advancement but one that still requires a landline telephone, and a home ridden phone line.
In taking things a step further in the products evolution they are soon coming out with the App. With the App you will get all of the benefits of magic Jack while being able to make your calls directly from your cell phone. Imagine that, whenever you are on Wi-Fi/ 3G/4G/high-speed LTE you will have unlimited minutes through your the App, from you smartphone all for one very low price.
And believe it or not but the deal gets even sweeter! Initial reports are saying that the App and calls will be free if you are already a magicJack user and are simply making calls to other users. However if are a current customer and want to make calls to landlines and mobile numbers you will have to pay a small $10 licensing fee. If you are a new user you will have to pay the standard $40 for the first year of service with all future years costing just $20 each.
The magicJack plus is suppose to be released in early July with reports stating that the magicApp should be released at or near the same time. The initial release is only expected to cover computers, all iOS device including iPhones and Ipads with an Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry compatible App coming soon thereafter.
Where do Download the magicJack App
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magicjack&hl=en
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/free-calls-with-magicjack/id463926997
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After 5 plus years of fighting the magic app for Android phone not ringing issue, it may be time to dump the whole thing and just strictly use my cell phone and also drop my MJ Go which always had tons of background noise. Yeah, changed power supplies with good ones and Inet is 150 mbits.
I hate the new app, it’s very hard to use
I just downloaded and installed the "upgrade" on my iPhone 7. The old version allowed me to make 7-digit phone calls. Now I'm forced to call the neighbor with a 10-digit number. That's not the phone system enforcing that rule, it's magicapp. I can't seem to shut that rule off. Otherwise I have been using this product for years and it is a wonderful alternative to the phone company offerings.
I have already received a call to my MJ phone and had my cell phone ring. I didn't look at the cell phone to see what the screen showed, but, noticed that it used my cell phone's default ringtone. I don't give my cell phone number to many people, but, I am guessing that some people have two different phone numbers for two different purposes.
So, a suggested improvement for the app would be for us to be able to select a ringtone so that without having to look at the screen I will know if the call is coming in to my MJ phone or directly to the cell phone.
I am a new user of the magicJack app and I have got to say it’s great so far. I have made several calls with no problems and the clarity is great. I understand that not all products work perfectly all the time and I may encounter problems in the future. That said, at basically a dollar sixty seven a month for phone service is pretty darn good. I have better connections and better quality calls with it than I do with my $180 a month mobile service with AT&T. So if there are dropped calls or bad connections once in a while, it won’t bother me too much. I get that everyday with AT&T!
I have been using the Magictalk web application and then magicJack App with a air card on my laptop and have had excellent results. We no longer have a phone line at home and go on extended RV trips multiple times a year. I am always on the laptop and the wife is always on the cellphone with her family, so I can receive and place calls without paying for a extra cellphone and a family plan (every little bit of savings helps). I am running windows 7 and it took about 5 mins to download, install and run. To be honest, I was surprised.
Nobody can tell that I am talking through the laptop or through a VoIP app and my aircard signal has been as low as 47% in some remote areas! It has voicemail and call forwarding too!
I have used the magicJack App for awhile now and I have yet to have a dropped call. It has gotten better (much better) with call quality over the years. I do not have a land line just my cell and the app is perfect on my wifi connection. I will buy newer devices once they are out in order to get access to their newer apps if needs be! I have saved $500.00 a year over the past 4 years. That's a total of $2,000.00!! Thank you magicJack