[Linphone-users] "Linphone" Bluetooth and an update of how it is now.

[Stephen Peterson]

Hi Guys, I’m new to the list so please forgive me if I don’t know my way around 
yet.

I live in Australia and in an area with bad mobile reception. Been here more 
than 30 years and seen many changes to what’s available.

This is what is currently available.

Teltra block SIP. To get SIP through their network you have to take out a 
Business Account with them and then in addition apply to use SIP. I’m talking 
of course with self managed VoiP not if you get a telephone number through 
them. If you use Linphone I’m sure we are all on the same page with this. No 
Telstra Virtual Provider (MVNO) offers SIP either. SIP through the Telstra 
network was withdrawn completely sometime in October 2021. This is not likely 
to change any time soon as even the ACMA let them get away with it.

Optus support VoLTE, VoWifi and VoIP. Their MVNO’s rarely pass support for 
these services on. One that I’ve found that does is Moose Mobile, and the plans 
are far better value than going Optus directly.

Vodafone have just struck a deal with Telstra to share mobile coverage to 
increase their reach. So I don’t expect they are even on the playing field yet.

If you live remotely and are suffering from a lack of decent Internet or a lack 
of anything you’d call a decent connection speed and prepared to pay anything 
to be able to live a normal live remotely then Starlink is the solution. It may 
not be available in your area yet but if enough of the locals preorder it then 
you are more than likely to get it sooner than not at all. Set it up yourself 
in under 10 minutes and get speeds from 100 to 240 Mbps is my experience. And 
it’s still in Beta. With unlimited data this means you can stream all your TV 
so it also solves the problem of poor free-to-air reception.

iPhone as far as I know have never supported VoIP. I’ve never owned an iPhone 
so if I’m wrong about this I’m sure someone will update me.

Android withdrew support of any kind for VoIP when it replaced it with VoWifi. 
It’s gone completely from Android V12.

Now for the actual reason for this post. For many years Bluetooth has been a 
mixed bag with any soft phone running on Android. There’s been full 
compatibility, to ways around and fixes, to not really working, to not being 
able to answer a call to what I found today that inspired me to ask for help.

I’m using Linphone on my Galaxy A52. Dual SIM with a VoIP landline. I use a 
Bluetooth device that plugs into my cigarette lighter to play music and answer 
calls from my mobile using my radio as a hands free speaker. The streaming 
music stops automatically to answer a call. Yes I have a cigarette lighter 
which dates my car. For so long that I can’t really remember it wasn’t possible 
to answer a call from the soft phone due to restrictions placed by the Android 
Operating System. Privacy concerns and not breaking the ‘System’ used to excuse 
it.

Today I was able to answer the call and hang up using the button on my 
Bluetooth device. The incoming caller’s phone number was announced just like it 
would if it was coming through any of my 2 SIMs.

So something significant has changed. Android has had a couple of updates or 
Linphone has found a way through without having to enable any disability 
features in Android to get around the blockage.

My problem now is this. Despite sound being diverted to Bluetooth if available 
in the settings I have to pick up the phone and talk and listen into the phone 
itself. After sharing everything I know I’m hoping someone will share with me 
if I’m still missing something in the settings or if this is still a work in 
progress in the source code. I’m happy to be involved in any process needed to 
fix this although programming isn’t my strongest ability. I’m hoping someone in 
this list can help me in my search for an outcome that will help everyone.

Regards

Stephen