Alright, I have finally discovered the simplest way to transform your iPad and iPod touch into a fully functioning phone. (well, except being able to receive mms messages)
1. Use your gmail account to create a Google voice account. Select the option that allows you to have a separate Google voice number. Download the Google voice iOS app.
2. Download the Whistle app for your iOS device. Follow the in-app instructions and create an account. (You will be assigned a number.)
3. Open up Google voice in your browser and add your Whistle number as one of the linked numbers in your Google voice account. (one of the numbers the call forwards to)
4. Open the Google voice app on your device and try to call a number. When it asks you which number you would like to use for the call, make sure you select your Whistle number.
5. After you press dial, a push notification will pop up asking you whether or not you want to open Whistle to connect the call. Press answer and talk!
For texting, the Google voice app works beautifully, including push notifications for new texts.
If you found this useful, please follow me on twitter! @a_j_r or http://twitter.com/#!/a_j_r
Also, be sure to check out my company’s website, Codevs!
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Andrew Rauh 
Do I need WiFi to do this?
On the iPhone or iPad with 3G, no. iPod and iPad with no 3G, yes
heyyyy
This is awesome! It works great. I can’t believe it actually connected. lol. thank you so much for posting this.
sadly you can’t download Google Voice in the U.K 😦
Still? 😦
Hey as far as the MMS part goes, try an app called Heywire. it’s free and while it will give you another seperate number from your google account its a great txt application and works with no issue. Any one I’ve talked to with it doesn’t notice a difference from being txted by any other phone. Hope this helps a bit
~~Mike ^_^
or u could just get the textfree with voice app
True! But this is just one way I found that works nearly flawlessly.
i got stuck on #3. it said i had to verify the number but it would not connect to my itouch so i could answer the verification call and enter the verification code
I couldn’t figure out how to do step 3! Could it be more specific? Also, when opening my google voice app on my ipod (im on wifi) it doesn’t have the option to call. Do I need to pay?
Or you can just download the Textfree app with voice on it. It’s a free app. Works great.
very true! but at the time I wrote this post, no such app existed…. haha
Or you could just download the Textfree with Voice app, it let’s you make calls/text/send and receive picture messages/gives you your own phone number with an area code of your choice and it’s a lot quicker and easier than following all those steps.
Textfree WITH Voice app? How? Does that work in Australia?
Can this be done for Australia?
Does the iPod have to be a certain generation? If so, which one?
It works best on 2nd generation and up.
does it work when there’s no wifi around? like a cellphone?
You can’t receive calls can you?
When adding my whistle number in my google voice browser it always says unable to identify… can you help with this?
does it cost money