My Favorite App

Happy Monday everyone! This week my husband, Nick, is in Costa Rica for work. Staying in touch while he is away is really important to both of us. In the past, the only way we have been able to communicate was if his work provided him with an international cell phone, and even then it was limited because we wanted to be respectful and not run up a huge bill for his company.

My sister told me about Viber back in March when she was getting ready to head to Haiti on missions trip with an organization called My Life Speaks. My sister and I have formed a mini co-dependency since I've moved to Michigan. We talk, text, or e-mail everyday and have grown even closer in the last two years. So, of course, we wanted to keep in touch when she went to Haiti (and for emergency purposes, too). She found Viber, a free app for Androids and iPhones. We both downloaded it and she was able to call me from Haiti, we texted constantly, and she sent pictures of the work she was doing. I was so thankful for Viber when she came down with a fever there and I was able to talk and text with her and reassure her that she would be okay!

My sister, Courtney, in Haiti - April 2013

With Viber, everyone in the world can connect. More than 200 million Viber users text, call, and send photo and video messages worldwide over Wi-Fi or 3G - for free. The only thing you have to remember is that when you leave the country you will want to use the Wi-Fi, not 3G. You may see extra charges if you use 3 (or 4) G and your service plan. Luckily, phones have a feature that you can turn off your 3G. This allows you to know for sure that you are using the available Wi-Fi and there will be no surprise charges on your next bill!

Nick and I also used Viber in Europe to let our families know that we arrived safely and to send some cool pictures in real time (ok, so I mainly sent some to my sister). The only downside was the European countries are nowhere near as Wi-Fi-centeric as the United States and we found limited WiFi hot spots, but we were on vacation and there to enjoy the experience - not to text or talk!



Me and Nick on the Charles Bridge in Prauge, Czech Republic - May 2013

Viber is a great app for inside the United States, too. You can use it for free calls when you are running low on talk minutes from your plan. You can text and send pictures using Wi-Fi if your running low on data. Here are some stats:

• Free text, calling, photo messages and location-sharing with Viber users*
• No registration, alias or invitations required
• Instantly integrates with your own contact list
• Best-quality mobile calls using 3G or Wi-Fi
•  Text with your friends

• Make free calls with HD sound quality
• Groups with up to 40 participants
• Send stickers and emoticons, making messaging fun!
• Share photos, videos and locations
• Create and send doodles
• Push notifications guarantee that you never miss a call or message, even when Viber is off
• Respond immediately to messages using quick reply
• OS integration – share photos and videos straight from your device’s gallery
• Designed with the Native Android UI in mind
• Support for the Viber Desktop application on Windows and PC
• No ads and 100% free*

I'm super excited that Viber has made it way easier for Nick and me to stay in touch when he is out of the country on business trips. I can text him during the day and not have to wait for a ten minute phone call before bed!

This is probably my first and last techie post  because I can barely figure out how to use our TV with the surround sound system. I hope you have enjoyed it! Don't forget to enter my giveaway. It ends tomorrow - Tuesday 9/11!