To all TracFone users/lovers - Page 9

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

I have the LG Treasure. How do I check my minutes? Do I need to download an app? If so which one?

We have addressed so many different types of phones on here that I'm not sure which information relates to mine.

I can't tell you how much your info has meant to me. You are all wonderful. Thanks very much.

JGalt · ‎03-10-2010

@Zhills, Did you set up an account at tracfone.com? I've used tracfone for years now, and I go online to my account to check my minutes, and service date ending, etc.

On tracfone.com, upper right is a green box "My Account". If you have set up an account, then you enter your email and password. If not, then you can set up an account on that page too. After that, you will be at a page with your phone listed and a list of items to the right of that phone. Click on "check balance/service end date"

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

Thanks. I did all my activating over the phone because they had to get my number released by Verizon, so I probably did not do that. I guess I can do it now. I have all my info. I'l give it a try. I just thought it would be on the phone from some of the posts I've read on here. All phones must be different. Thanks again.

JGalt · ‎03-10-2010

@Zhills, yes, you can download an app that will show you the minutes/service date info.I just chose not to do that. I don't mind going to the website to get the information. I don't remember why I got into that habit. I think that a couple years ago folks were saying the data from the app wasn't very accurate. But it must be OK now because I know people use the app. I don't think the info. just shows on the phone like it did on the non-Smartphones. I think you open the app, but I'm sure that isn't any trouble. (But I think you use data getting that info....hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong about that)

The other advantage of setting up your account is a quick way to get access to the tutorials on how to use your phone, and the detailed manual for your phone.

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

@jGalt, @Zhills, @Marp, when you download the Trackfone My Account app from the Play Store you will also get a widget that you can position on your screen for checking your minutes. I never had trouble with either Trackfone app or widget, but I understand people in some areas did in the past.

I check/update my minutes every Sunday and keep a running photographic record of each phones minutes, text, data usage.

Turn on either Wi-Fi or data, and tap "update" on the widget. It may take a minute or two to update. It's faster if you're in a location with good reception.

I use phone A to photograph the phone B widget.

Phone B photographs phone A.

I position a digital clock on screen above the widget.

I store my weekly photos in the clouds just in in case.

I do this because if for any reason my minutes and air time are lost, it isn't just me claiming that I had that many minutes. I have a photograph of their widget confirming I had that many on that phone on that date.

This came in handy when one of my phones showed zero minutes or air time due to a technical error.

In an online chat with their tech he claimed it showed I'd had the phone disabled, and said there cannot be airtime or minutes on a disabled phone. He claimed they had no record of the time or minutes in that phone before "disabled" status.

I insisted nicely I didn't ask for it to be disabled. It happened due to technical error. Further, I had a photograph of their widget showing exactly how much air time talk text and data I had on THAT phone a minute before the whole phone blanked out and went to zero.

I offered to share my photo with him.

He restored service to my phone and all my minutes.

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

Got my phone working. Had to open a Gmail account but that's OK. Got Alexa on both the phone and my Kindle. With the help you have given me I may just survive all these new technical toys yet! Thanks again.

P.S. Also got my TracFone acct working! What a day!

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

Got an email yesterday, "Called your cell. Could not leave a message. You need to set up your mail box on your new phone!"

Forgot all about that. Found directions and will do that today when the house is quiet. DUH, this phone has made me feel so insufficient!

sueinsf · ‎03-13-2010

@Zhills wrote:
Got an email yesterday, "Called your cell. Could not leave a message. You need to set up your mail box on your new phone!"

Forgot all about that. Found directions and will do that today when the house is quiet. DUH, this phone has made me feel so insufficient!

I don't think I ever set that up either!!

I also have a question for those of you that have been using this phone for some time (I activated about 2 1/2 months ago I think, but have still only used the phone a limited amount) -- @Julius Seizure, @x Hedge, @JGalt, @Marp, @Zhills

I notice that when someone sends me a long text, it comes to me broken up into smaller texts and they are a little out of order. Clearly not how they were sent. Has anyone else experienced that and it's normal? Do I need to change a setting? Or do I have something weird with my phone? I've also not received some texts but this is from the same person, so I don't know if it's her phone or mine with the problem -- she said in one case they didn't go through but not sure why that would be. And she texts a lot from an iphone.

Also, since I'm not used to using data I wanted to see if someone sends me a video in text and I watch it, does that use data? Or taking/sending/receiving any pictures? Because I see I used a little data when I checked my balance and I wasn't sure if it was from that since I couldn't think of what else it might have been from. I also used more text time than I expected but I'm guessing it's because one long text would come through as 6 smaller ones, so that would be more used up. Still have plenty for the year, so I'm not worried.

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

@sueinsf,

>I don't miss constantly dialing in and listening to voicemail as I did for business.

Personally I don't set up voicemail on my own phones. My phone tells me if I missed a call and I decide who to call back without hearing a message. I don't want to waste phone minutes to retrieve messages, and I think being able to leave voicemail just encourages junk robocalls. My friends know better than to call me and they send texts or emails.

You aren't required to set up voicemail, but be advised if you do there's no way to DE-activate it.

>A "text" is 160 characters maximum per text.

Letters, spaces, punctuation marks, various symbols are all equal to one or more characters. When you receive a text consisting of 161 characters you will see 160 characters on one text and 1 character on a second text.

Yes, that cost you 2 texts.

If they wrote a really long text it may arrive as three four five maybe six separate texts on your phone. Yes it's my experience that loooong texts are often out of order

This is normal. There's no setting to correct this except to tell your friend to break up their texts.

As you compose a text, there is a counter. Some phones start at 160 and count down. Other phones start at zero and count up to 160. Either way the purpose is to show you where you are in regards to maximum characters, before you go over 160 and into a second text.

This is why spelling and punctuation go out the window when texting. Unlike writing a letter, or a post in a forum, texting uses a "shorthand" language to enable you to convey the most meaning using the fewest number of characters.

When you receive a text that exceeds 160 characters there's no way to stop it other than block the sender's phone number. Some people don't grasp the concept of short, concise messages in texting, and just like to blabber on and on in their texts. It IS cheaper than having them blabber on a phone call. Tell your worst "blabberers" to forget the text and send you emails instead. No limits.

>When your friends message failed it's likely they were in an area with a weak signal.

>When you receive a text with a picture or short audio recording, you will have to turn on your Mobile Data, tap that text and wait for the picture to appear, then turn off your Mobile Data again rite away to conserve it.

>You don't say whether you have access to Wi-F.

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

@sueinsf, since this seems new to you, I wanted to add when you receive a picture in a text:

One finger tapping the picture in the text enlarges it, touch and hold one finger on the picture to reveal a menu.

You don't have to scroll thru texts over and over looking for a picture. You can save it in your photo gallery. Once there you can move pictures around, edit them, make copies, albums, send them to others.