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For Professionals: Two iPhones? (One Work, One Personal)
- Thread starter NoCleverSNForMe
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I can't believe some of you are suggesting Google voice. It is unethical to use Google now that you are with Apple and have an iPhone 5. Please stay away from Google. All they want is your information.
You are in a situation that requires 2 lines, however you choose to do it is up to you. I run a business and run into the same time management issues that you do. The only way to shut down work properly is to start clean and get a second line. IMO no need for 2 smart phones. I use a flip phone for business and always have my iphone for personal calls and internet/email useage.
You can have multiple email accounts on the iphone. I groomed myself to be able to use the personal email portion of my phone and ignore business emails after hours, because i didnt want to pay for 2 data plans
You can have multiple email accounts on the iphone. I groomed myself to be able to use the personal email portion of my phone and ignore business emails after hours, because i didnt want to pay for 2 data plans
While I agree that Google Voice can do this, I understand that it can be difficult to set up properly - even for people pretty technically inclined.
What about Line2? People seem to rave about that service, and I suspect part of the reason is that it might be easier to work with than GV.
I also agree that IF you were to get a real 2nd phone, just add a second basic phone for $9.99/month or whatever your carrier charges. That will simplify making and receiving phone calls. You can still use your iPhone for work, just make sure that the work emails are not set to notify you - that will make it a lot easier to ignore them at night.
What about Line2? People seem to rave about that service, and I suspect part of the reason is that it might be easier to work with than GV.
I also agree that IF you were to get a real 2nd phone, just add a second basic phone for $9.99/month or whatever your carrier charges. That will simplify making and receiving phone calls. You can still use your iPhone for work, just make sure that the work emails are not set to notify you - that will make it a lot easier to ignore them at night.
I use two iPhones, one work(4) and one personal(4S). I've always had two phones since starting my current job as I am permanently on call after hours, and have had two iPhones for over two years now. I like it better than the alternatives mentioned, though I can't say I have tried them (I do use Google voice also for other reasons).
One has an unlimited plan, and the other I can use for tethering to my iPad. AT&T doesn't allow tethering on the unlimited plan. Also I have a couple one and two year olds that use my phone, and I can give it to them without worrying about them answering work calls or calling work contacts.
One has an unlimited plan, and the other I can use for tethering to my iPad. AT&T doesn't allow tethering on the unlimited plan. Also I have a couple one and two year olds that use my phone, and I can give it to them without worrying about them answering work calls or calling work contacts.
how is it difficult?
select when you want it active, and when you want it inactive. Pretty simple actually.
That is only one configuration screen, shown AFTER GV is configured for your phone.
Ask someone who is technically challenged to set up Google voice on their iPhone including giving themselves text and email alerts.
Ask them also how they will handle making calls or sending texts from their Google Voice line in such a way that the identifying number is correct every time.
I've used Google Voice for years, but at times the setup has its quirks. I can certainly see why someone who is not technically inclined would be overwhelmed.
A lot of good information in this thread. I've been using dual phones for years as an IT Professional. Really does help seperate work from personal life. One thing I highly recommend though, get a Bluetooth headset that is capable of pairing to two phones at once. I have been using blueant Bluetooth headsets for years as they were the first to offer dual phone pairing. Basically to answer it is usually one click for the first phone and two for the second and so on.
You type in your phone number, it calls you and you enter the numbers on the screen. It's not rocket science. It gives you step by step instructions. It seriously could not be easier.
Thank you for this post!
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Thank you so much for this!
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Yeah, here's a couple of reasons why I didn't use Google Voice:
- No MMS. This was surprising to me, but a lot of my clients will MMS me a listing to a house, a photo of a house, or even a contact card for their friend if they're referring me. I once had a past client call me and say, "You haven't called my friend! I sent you their contact info a week ago!" They could've emailed me, but nope - they sent it via "Send Contact Card" on their Android device. As a business person, I've learned that it's much better for me when I am open to receiving all types of communication instead of asking customers/clients to adapt to mine. No MMS; I miss stuff. I'd rather pay $40/mo to get that one lead and one sale rather than chide my client about emailing me in the future.
- Often, callers would get a busy tone instead of a ring or my voicemail. If they call several times, they would hang up and call someone else. For a personal phone, it's fine. For a business phone, especially in a competitive industry where you make $0.00 if you don't make a sale, it's a terrible position. Google Voice support is virtually non-existent, it's all through that forum on their website.
- I've read horror stories where people lost their phone number. I trust Sprint over Google Voice to take care of my number - a number that has been printed on 7 years worth of advertising and is known by 136 past clients. Again, for personal use - it's easy...get another number. For business, I want to get to a point where I can "sell" my business down the road, and that includes the phone number.
I've tried getting a temporary number through Google that I give to a few clients, but that's pointless. I already have that other number on everything else.
Again, Google Voice might be a good solution for others. It's not for me.
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This is a great suggestion!
I will look for these!!----------
Thank you all who posted. You've given me the encouragement and wisdom to keep both lines, and to separate business and personal.
I appreciate all the responses! Thank you so much for helping me figure this out!
Love you all!
amazing timing
I have a heap of Apple products, 3, 3gs, ipads, ipods, 4, 4s etc but i'm pretty agnostic. Due to my work and technical needs I'll be carrying around three phones; a samsung, 4s, and new nokia 920, plus a heap of other equipment.
Does anyone know of any health/science journals or articles that talk about the effect of multiple phones and the effect of their radiation on the human body?
I'm thinking of basically disabling everything but WIFI on the 4s and Nokia and routing it all through the Samsung 4G..
the benefit is that iMessage will keep working.
Lastly the reason why I split out my work and personal phone usage.
1. i engage in political discourse/groups that my employer disapproves of
2. I take a plethora of drugs and engaging the black market would be disapproved by my employer. (omg a functional drug user, and have been for the past twenty years)
3. obviously no porn/sex on the work phone.
4. i learnt a long time ago to ignore the racket of work when your off the clock and the only way to do that is to ensure that people can't get to you when your at home.
5. my companies security policies are annoying. Looking up jailbreaking articles triggers the damn thing.
6. functionality. only certain apps are available on IOS and Cydia. Whilst obviously the camera on the nokia is a killer. The Samsung for work of course.
7. keeping personal discussion private. I've done internal security/fraud/law enforcement and I'll tell you know people, employers are snoopy SOBs, if you come on the radar they'll read your stuff. Nothing is private.
I have a heap of Apple products, 3, 3gs, ipads, ipods, 4, 4s etc but i'm pretty agnostic. Due to my work and technical needs I'll be carrying around three phones; a samsung, 4s, and new nokia 920, plus a heap of other equipment.
Does anyone know of any health/science journals or articles that talk about the effect of multiple phones and the effect of their radiation on the human body?
I'm thinking of basically disabling everything but WIFI on the 4s and Nokia and routing it all through the Samsung 4G..
the benefit is that iMessage will keep working.
Lastly the reason why I split out my work and personal phone usage.
1. i engage in political discourse/groups that my employer disapproves of
2. I take a plethora of drugs and engaging the black market would be disapproved by my employer. (omg a functional drug user, and have been for the past twenty years)
3. obviously no porn/sex on the work phone.
4. i learnt a long time ago to ignore the racket of work when your off the clock and the only way to do that is to ensure that people can't get to you when your at home.
5. my companies security policies are annoying. Looking up jailbreaking articles triggers the damn thing.
6. functionality. only certain apps are available on IOS and Cydia. Whilst obviously the camera on the nokia is a killer. The Samsung for work of course.
7. keeping personal discussion private. I've done internal security/fraud/law enforcement and I'll tell you know people, employers are snoopy SOBs, if you come on the radar they'll read your stuff. Nothing is private.
Stop being lazy... (kind of a joke, kind of not).
I am a business owner that currently operates my business (eventually, I will just be an owner, and hire a replacement etc).
Being an owner/operator is NOT a 9-5 job. If you try to treat it like one, someone else will take your customers/clients away.
Reading some of the posts on this thread, just make me think "come on man". Has our generation (I am 31), really gotten that lazy?
I grew up on Crabbing boats (Bering sea, deadliest catch stuff etc, grandfather and father were captains). And while I did not make that my career, I sure as hell can reply to an email or take a phone call " after-hours" without a second thought.
Now to answer your question If you are on AT&T, look into office@hand. Works really well, you can set "work hours", set up a greeting, hold music, etc.... The one thing I would like it to have (and maybe there is a way to do this on the iPhone), is assign a ring or some other prompt when a call comes through that, as opposed to a personal call. Not to screen to not take the call, but to screen to know what type of greeting I should answer with.
(kind of a joke, kind of not).I am a business owner that currently operates my business (eventually, I will just be an owner, and hire a replacement etc).
Being an owner/operator is NOT a 9-5 job. If you try to treat it like one, someone else will take your customers/clients away.
Reading some of the posts on this thread, just make me think "come on man". Has our generation (I am 31), really gotten that lazy?
I grew up on Crabbing boats (Bering sea, deadliest catch stuff etc, grandfather and father were captains). And while I did not make that my career, I sure as hell can reply to an email or take a phone call " after-hours" without a second thought.
Now to answer your question
If you are on AT&T, look into office@hand. Works really well, you can set "work hours", set up a greeting, hold music, etc.... The one thing I would like it to have (and maybe there is a way to do this on the iPhone), is assign a ring or some other prompt when a call comes through that, as opposed to a personal call. Not to screen to not take the call, but to screen to know what type of greeting I should answer with.I did this for a little while. I had a work blackberry and an iphone. i thought it would be sensible to keep work & personal separate. But eventually I got really really really tired of carrying 2 devices. Eventually, I left that company and had to give up the BB anyway but it worked in my favor since I hated it anyway. I got a GV # so I use that to give to work people. I just have it set to a schedule so it doesn't ring me after a certain time but I can check the app for calls & VM if I need to. Never know when there will be a work emergency! Has worked very well for me.
resurrecting this to ask those of you with 2 iPhones - how do you handle apps installed on both iPhones, syncing, notifications, etc.? its pretty annoying to have to deal with it having an iPhone and iPad and i would assume the same for you guys. any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.
There is the answer right there, why has it been glossed over ?
Having 2 phones and twice the cost sounds ridiculous to me
There is the answer right there, why has it been glossed over ?
Having 2 phones and twice the cost sounds ridiculous to me
Wow, this thread was resurrected!
I get your point. However, everyone's situation is different.
Imagine this for my personal situation: you're a real estate agent and your phone number is listed online in listings, in print advertising, in the newspaper, in the MLS, on thousands and thousands of business cards spread out through friends and happy past clients who give out your info. Now imagine you're at a restaurant, trying to take a photo of you and your girlfriend on a random Thursday night. An incoming call comes in. Decline. Another call comes in. Decline. Another call comes in. Decline. You're just trying to take a photo, and you can't without getting distracted and interrupted by these phone calls. You can't use Google Maps, you can't use the iPod function, etc. without getting a phone call that takes over your screen. How is the Do Not Disturb feature going to stop this from happening? All it does is stop it from ringing; it doesn't send those calls to voicemail automatically.
I have T-Mobile. To me, the craziness of not having to get those incoming calls is worth an extra $50/mo, $600/yr. I will happily pay that.
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I keep the work and personal lives as separate as possible.
For my business iPhone, I have it set to my professional email. I have just the apps I need for work-related stuff. For my personal iPhone, I have personal email. I have all my "fun" apps on this one, including my photos and movies/TV shows. I have a 64GB personal one.
Any banking/stocks/sports/etc. (personal) notifications are set to go off on the personal, and any work (email) notifications go off on my business.
I have them both syncing to iCloud, and surprisingly it accepts both as separate devices and separate backup files.
Hope this helps.
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Wow, awesome man. Respect.
More power to you. I wish I had the power you have to not be bothered by those incoming calls.
Wow, this thread was resurrected!
I get your point. However, everyone's situation is different.
Now imagine you're at a restaurant, trying to take a photo of you and your girlfriend on a random Thursday night. An incoming call comes in. Decline. Another call comes in. Decline. Another call comes in. Decline. You're just trying to take a photo, and you can't without getting distracted and interrupted by these phone calls. You can't use Google Maps, you can't use the iPod function, etc. without getting a phone call that takes over your screen. How is the Do Not Disturb feature going to stop this from happening? All it does is stop it from ringing; it doesn't send those calls to voicemail automatically.
I have T-Mobile. To me, the craziness of not having to get those incoming calls is worth an extra $50/mo, $600/yr. I will happily pay that.
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I keep the work and personal lives as separate as possible.
For my business iPhone, I have it set to my professional email. I have just the apps I need for work-related stuff. For my personal iPhone, I have personal email. I have all my "fun" apps on this one, including my photos and movies/TV shows. I have a 64GB personal one.
Any banking/stocks/sports/etc. (personal) notifications are set to go off on the personal, and any work (email) notifications go off on my business.
I have them both syncing to iCloud, and surprisingly it accepts both as separate devices and separate backup files.
Hope this helps.
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Wow, awesome man. Respect.
More power to you. I wish I had the power you have to not be bothered by those incoming calls.
And more power to you for using two phones....not my way of doing things, but only matters what works for you
And more power to you for using two phones....not my way of doing things, but only matters what works for you
True, my friend!
Have a great day!
I have a personal iPhone 4 and a work Nokia (nearly) feature (-less) phone for work. My work emails come through to my iPhone.
I was offered a blackberry for work but my colleagues, who are similarlyiPhone users, hated them enough to make me decide to stay with a basic phone for work.
I was on holiday last week and my work phone stayed at home - though I did check emails. You can of course turn off email accounts and I do that when I am properly on holiday. My work phone generally stays in my jacket pocket when at home.
A couple of colleagues have 2 iPhones - one has an iPhone provided by a more generous boss than mine, and the other is using his old 3GS for work.
I wouldn't feel confortable using a work iPhone as my only phone.
I was offered a blackberry for work but my colleagues, who are similarlyiPhone users, hated them enough to make me decide to stay with a basic phone for work.
I was on holiday last week and my work phone stayed at home - though I did check emails. You can of course turn off email accounts and I do that when I am properly on holiday. My work phone generally stays in my jacket pocket when at home.
A couple of colleagues have 2 iPhones - one has an iPhone provided by a more generous boss than mine, and the other is using his old 3GS for work.
I wouldn't feel confortable using a work iPhone as my only phone.
great info, thanksWow, this thread was resurrected!
I get your point. However, everyone's situation is different.
Now imagine you're at a restaurant, trying to take a photo of you and your girlfriend on a random Thursday night. An incoming call comes in. Decline. Another call comes in. Decline. Another call comes in. Decline. You're just trying to take a photo, and you can't without getting distracted and interrupted by these phone calls. You can't use Google Maps, you can't use the iPod function, etc. without getting a phone call that takes over your screen. How is the Do Not Disturb feature going to stop this from happening? All it does is stop it from ringing; it doesn't send those calls to voicemail automatically.
I have T-Mobile. To me, the craziness of not having to get those incoming calls is worth an extra $50/mo, $600/yr. I will happily pay that.
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I keep the work and personal lives as separate as possible.
For my business iPhone, I have it set to my professional email. I have just the apps I need for work-related stuff. For my personal iPhone, I have personal email. I have all my "fun" apps on this one, including my photos and movies/TV shows. I have a 64GB personal one.
Any banking/stocks/sports/etc. (personal) notifications are set to go off on the personal, and any work (email) notifications go off on my business.
I have them both syncing to iCloud, and surprisingly it accepts both as separate devices and separate backup files.
Hope this helps.
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Wow, awesome man. Respect.
More power to you. I wish I had the power you have to not be bothered by those incoming calls.
Not really reading the other comments besides the post of OP
I have two iPhones one black one white
The business phone gets powered off when I get home or when I am not in the mood to be harassed
Email set up on both of them, in case of anything urgent that comes up
iMessage is also synced between each other
I have two iPhones one black one white
The business phone gets powered off when I get home or when I am not in the mood to be harassed
Email set up on both of them, in case of anything urgent that comes up
iMessage is also synced between each other