Ooma iPhone app disconnects on incoming cell call

[rpiotro]

Hello all. New to Ooma and this forum. I have had it for a week and find it works quite well.

I added the Ooma app on my iPhone a couple of days ago. I have used it twice on a solid Wifi network and it works as well as can be expected.

One unexpected side effect is this. When I am in an Ooma call and someone calls my regular cell number I get the "Decline" or "Answer" popup on the phone. Whichever I choose the Ooma call disconnects. This makes it unusable as I would be dropping a lot of calls.

Is this just the way it is or am I doing something wrong? Is there a workaround?

Thanks.

[murphy]

Do you have a Verizon (or some other company that uses Verizon's network) cell phone?
Verizon's network can't do phone and data at the same time.

[rpiotro]

Nope. AT&tT.

[lbmofo]

When this happens, you can decline the cell call, come back to Ooma app, you'd find the Ooma app phone call on Hold. Press the Hold button to unhold and continue conversation.

[rpiotro]

When this happens, you can decline the cell call, come back to Ooma app, you'd find the Ooma app phone call on Hold. Press the Hold button to unhold and continue conversation.

I ran this test. I was at home on my WiFi network. Solid and fast connection. I called my son's cell phone with the Ooma app. I then had him call my cell number from his landline. When the call came I declined it. There did appear a banner on top that my Ooma call was on hold. I tapped on it and it went back to the Ooma app and then the app promptly quit! When I restarted the app, the call was gone. My son said during that time he was still on hold.

So, my conclusion is that it should work the way that you described but the app is quitting (or crashing) as you come back to the call.

Does anybody from Ooma monitor this forum? Or, should I contact support? can anybody else verify this issue?

iPhone 4
iOS 5.0.1
Ooma Mobile HD 3.0.5
Provider is AT&T

[lite1]

Do you have a Verizon (or some other company that uses Verizon's network) cell phone?
Verizon's network can't do phone and data at the same time.

I am considering app (however several weeks ago it seemed like it was having issues with 4S phones). I am on Verizon. What might one expect in the situation described by OP? (Don't mean to hi-jack thread, but seemed to make more sense to ask here - apologies in advance if this was wrong choice on my part.)

[lbmofo]

This is only with AT&T iPhone 4S (Sprint and Verizon, 3G data doesn't work at the same time as a voice call so not sure if you even have a chance to decline to go back to Ooma app while Ooma runs in the background).

Here is what I found:

Older version that I had on my phone: 3.0.2 Date: 06/05/2011
I was using this version with iPhone 4S; the Ooma app ran in the background, I declined the incoming call and I was able to go back to Ooma app, unhold, and resume.

Latest version in iTunes: 3.0.5 Date: 01/17/2012
I just tried this version with iPhone 4S; the Ooma app ran in the background, I declined the incoming call and I tried to go back to Ooma app but Ooma app restarted (dropping the call already in progress). Must be a bug with this version.

I reverted back to the old version to try again and it worked as outlined above. BTW, one good way to test is to call your own cell phone, decline, come back to Ooma, unhold and you should hear your own cell phone VM greeting.

[rpiotro]

@ibmofo
Thanks for the info. That confirms a bug in the program. I don't have a copy of the older version so I will just have to wait for 3.0.6 I guess.

I'll open a support ticket in case the developers are not yet aware of this.

[rpiotro]

This is the answer I got from Ooma support. Not very helpful;


Dear Richard,

Thank you for contacting Ooma Customer Care.

I'm sorry to hear about the interruption of the call for Ooma mobile. This happens because you are calling using the Ooma mobile application. Just like any other application, the Ooma mobile gets interrupted whenever there is a regular incoming call for your phone.

[lbmofo]

Doesn't seem like the person answering gets it. I'd make sure to get the message across until bug is opened describing what the expected behavior is.