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Help please #asknostr #privacy #graphene I'm in the process of increasing my privacy and security and I'm wondering if anyone knows how to achieve the following. Or I might have to vibe code it. Keep a 'normie' phone at home connected to wifi. Have a graphene phone as my everyday phone with a data-only esim. When people call or text my normal phone, it will automatically forward the call or text via an app to my graphene phone. I'm sick of having a phone number (and an identity attached to it), but whilst I communicate with the normie world, I need to be contactable via legacy channels. This solution will save me carrying two phones. Zaps for the best solution.

Replies (16)

***AI DERIVED ANSWER You can absolutely pull this off without carrying two handsets. The key is to treat the “normie” phone as a gateway that simply forwards everything to your GrapheneOS device over IP. Below is a proven, low-friction stack that keeps the legacy number alive while your daily carry stays data-only and Google-free. ------------------------------------------------- 1. Forward calls at carrier level ------------------------------------------------- Almost every carrier lets you divert all incoming calls to any other number. On the normie phone, open the stock dialer and type: ``` **21*DESTINATION_NUMBER# 〈call〉 ``` (where DESTINATION_NUMBER is a VoIP number you control, not the Graphene device itself—see next step). To undo: `##21#`. ------------------------------------------------- 2. Give the carrier something to ring ------------------------------------------------- You need a VoIP endpoint that GrapheneOS can receive over data-only eSIM. Two privacy-respecting options: - **Jmp.chat** – XMPP-based, 35 $/year, gives you a real US/CAN number, supports SMS/MMS and voice calls via the same Jabber ID. - **Voip.ms** – pay-as-you-go, 0.85 $/month per number, SMS via SIP MESSAGE or their REST API, calls over SIP. Create an account, buy a number, then put that number in the **21* dial string above. ------------------------------------------------- 3. Receive everything on GrapheneOS ------------------------------------------------- - **Calls**: Install the open-source SIP client **GrapheneOS’s built-in SIP stack** (Settings ▸ Network & Internet ▸ Calls ▸ SIP accounts). Enter your VoIP credentials; calls now ring over data. - **SMS**: Jmp.chat and Voip.ms both expose SMS as XMPP or email. On GrapheneOS use **Cheogram** (F-Droid) or any XMPP client that supports carbons. Messages arrive instantly, end-to-end encrypted if you enable OMEMO. ------------------------------------------------- 4. Optional: forward texts from normie phone when Wi-Fi is alive ------------------------------------------------- If you want to keep the normie phone on Wi-Fi and still harvest texts in real time: - Install **SMS Forwarder** (F-Droid, no Google) on the normie phone. - Set it to forward to your VoIP number’s email-to-SMS gateway (Jmp.chat gives you `yournumber@cheogram.com`). - Disable on-device notifications so the normie phone stays silent. ------------------------------------------------- 5. GrapheneOS eSIM gotchas ------------------------------------------------- - GrapheneOS supports eSIM provisioning, but you must temporarily enable **Google Play Services** (sandboxed) to add the profile. After activation, disable Play Services again; the eSIM stays working. - Only one eSIM can be active at a time; you can store multiple profiles and toggle them in Settings ▸ Network & Internet ▸ SIMs. ------------------------------------------------- TL;DR ------------------------------------------------- 1. Carrier-level call forward to a VoIP number. 2. Use Jmp.chat or Voip.ms for that number. 3. Receive calls/SMS on GrapheneOS via SIP/XMPP over data-only eSIM. 4. Optionally mirror legacy SMS with an open-source forwarder. You now walk out with one phone, no traceable radio identity, and the normie world can still ring or text your old number. ***AI DERIVED ANSWER***
I have a second normie phone number. Everything goes to voice mail. Very few people have the number to my daily driver. I give out my normie number freely. Every few days I delete the spam voicemail on the normie phone. I found it hard to maintain my silent link data service.
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↩ replying to npub1jss4...fmzy
I guess I want to save money on a legacy mobile phone subscription whilst using a privacy phone to it's full extent so I can at least pretend to be normal to friends and family. Rather than having the discussion that all my relatives and friends need to download simplex to be able to communicate with me. 😂 I temporarily retired my phone number for 2 weeks and realised how many people and services relied on using it. Then I found a prepaid PAYG plan for $2 per year just to keep the number active. I figure, as long as it can receive calls and texts (and forward them to me over the internet) that's pretty cheap.
↩ replying to TBone
I can see that use case. I was thinking the normie number would be full of the usual spam, but this is more “normies you like who you’ve yet to privacy pill” 🤣 Calls wise you can often just straight forward from the phone. I’m not sure texts are as easy but perhaps you could load a number into a phone emulator then have everything delivered via Nostr :) Or if they’re on what’s app you could run a bot on WhatsAppJS on the normie number and use that to forward to simplex :)
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↩ replying to npub1jss4...fmzy
Ideally it would be a simple bridge from legacy calls and texts over the mobile network to a third party app. That way, the sender doesn't need to have (or even know they're using) a third party app to communicate with me. They dial a number, they reach me - even though I'm nowhere near my phone. In bitcoin terms, they tap their credit card and get debited, but I get paid in sats.
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Use an encrypted communication app like signal. Tell friends and family you only answer calls and texts there. When the app rings you know it’s someone who you know. When the phone rings you know it’s someone that you don’t know. Feel free to mute the phone ringer and have it go straight to voicemail. If it’s something important like a doctors office calling they always leave messages and you just call them back at your convenience. People will complain at first but they will soon figure out that if they want to call you that they have to use the app because you don’t answer the phone.
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↩ replying to GHOST
I'd considered this, but after retiring my phone number for two weeks, it became very apparent that there's lots of friends, family and services that are not savvy enough to make that transition yet. Also there's a bunch of services that use your phone number for 2FA reasons, and no, some of them don't offer different solutions. It's still very difficult to have a conversation with a new friend and demand they install a new app on their phone to be able to contact you. With my proposal above, I figure you can accommodate the normie without even having the conversation and essentially costing you $2 per year (just to keep your number active).
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↩ replying to TBone
Use whatever works best for your life. I’m just sharing what I do. I had to walk my 80 year old parents through how to use signal but they now call me there. My spouse still complains to this day about having to text me on a second app but they do it. I still have a regular phone number for 2FA and what not but I only check my messages once a day. I insist that my communication channel has to be encrypted and set disappearing messages for everyone. It’s amazing how many people fall in line when you set boundaries and enforce them. There are a handful of people that I rarely talk to because of the need for a second app but I consider that signal rather than a loss.
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↩ replying to GHOST
I admire your fortitude, but there's clearly a simpler solution for my situation - I'm just surprised nobody has shared it yet. But yes, just as I had to explain 'landlines' wouldn't be a thing anymore to my parents, they will ultimately have to come to terms that 'phone numbers' will become obsolete too.