Opinion
I heard about Hushed through a PC World promotion, which offered a lifetime subscription for US$26. I was intrigued enough to buy it. (If you buy it through PC World, then be sure to follow the instructions on the purchase page that has your redemption code; you can't redeem it thru the Hushed Web site.)
Phone Numbers
In short, Hushed gives your cell phone a second phone number, without your phone company knowing about it.
You can choose your number from three countries (UK, Canada, USA), and then an area code of your choosing. I selected Canada, area code 604, and then had about a dozen phone numbers from which to choose. (I am not stuck with the phone number I picked; I can switch it to another number, if need be.)
Cost of Plans
With the time-unlimited plan I bought, I get 6,000 texts and 1,000 minutes of calling for the lifetime. Normally, they would expire after 365 days, or less. I guess this is a way to get me to buy more time, after it runs out at some point in the future.
The catch is that it makes only "international" calls between Canada and USA at no extra charge. To call a phone number in Europe, I'd have to buy the international add-on, which "starts from" US$7 for 30 days.
Hushed makes it really hard to figure out what the pricing for add-ons is, so I don't know what "starts from" means. So internationally, I guess I'll stick to WhatsApp.
They also sell "credits," which they don't explain fully.
How It Works
Hushed works thru its app, using VoIP technology -- voice over internet protocol. This means it operates over data lines, not my cell phone line. It works when my phone has a WiFi or data connection. No connection, no calls.
I need to use the Hushed app to make and receive phone calls, and send and receive text messages. Since the phone number is attached to the app, I can have the app on any Android or iOS device -- even use it on a friend's phone There is, however, no Windows or Mac app.
Hushed includes:
- Customized voicemail greeting
- Redirect incoming calls on Hushed to another phone number
- Set rules to automatically respond to text messages sent to the Hushed number
DropBox and Slack integration works like this: send and reply to SMS messages directly through Slack; save voicemails, SMS message history, and picture messages to a Dropbox account. I have not yet tried this.
The good news is that Hushed is made by a Canadian company.
Applications of Hushed
Thinking about it some more, I realized that Hushed is like WhatsApp but with a telephone number. During the last business trip I made to the States, I used WhatsApp to call family back home, because they are also on WhatsApp.
I could use Hushed the same way, but to call people not on WhatsApp -- the airline, the hotel, business associates -- any time I am in the USA and I have WiFi access. (When in Canada, I'd just use my cell phone.)
The other use for Hushed is when a business or a classified ad wants my phone number, and I don't want to particularly give out my personal phone number.
Hushed could also be a back-up to my cell phone number, which sometimes has difficulties receiving phone calls down here in my basement office. My WiFi signal is stronger than the cell tower's signal.
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