My Review: magicJack Provides Affordable and Reliable Phone Service
magicJack® VOIP Phone Service
magicJack offers affordable plans so that you can stay connected with friends & family and enjoy...
Pros:
- Slash expensive landline bills for fixed-income savings
- Keep your existing number and phones
- Easy plug-and-play set-up with no technician
- Excellent call quality based on real-world use
- Reliable 911 emergency access
Cons:
- Requires stable internet connection
- Won’t work in power outages
- E911 address must be properly set
- You may have to pay 911 fees directly to your locality but they are minimal. This will be handled in setup.
After over 20 years of advising seniors on products to improve their lives, I’m confident to give magicJack® my highest recommendation as a landline alternative. Through extensive personal testing and feedback from other users, I’m convinced it delivers an exceptional experience.
For seniors specifically, magicJack hits all the right notes. It is far more affordable than increasingly expensive landline service while retaining everything you need, like your number, 911 access, and excellent call quality.
Set-up is a breeze with their user-friendly plug-and-play design and optional tech support. You can keep using your existing phones too.
While not perfect, magicJack’s downsides, like power outage limitations, are manageable for most with the right backup plan. You may have to pay local 911 fees directly to your local government too. But, this is all explained and handled for you in the setup process.
It is important to understand and manage the risks of eliminating a landline phone service.
Ultimately, magicJack’s purpose is simple – keeping seniors affordably and reliably connected to their loved ones with none of the hassles. And, after my personal experience with the device, I’m proud to recommend it wholeheartedly based on personal experience.
magicJack is a registered mark of magicJack, LP. I purchased my own product for this review and no compensation was received.
Many seniors I talk to about money and budgets express the frustration of paying enormous monthly bills for their landline telephone service.
You rely on your landline to stay in touch with all your family and friends. But the costs keep going up while your fixed income stays the same.
You know you need to make a change, but changing something as vital as your telephone feels risky. You don’t want to deal with complicated new technology or give up the phone number you’ve had for years.
The good news is you don’t have to put up with sky-high bills or unnecessary hassles to have affordable and reliable phone service. There is a potential alternative to your landline that costs much less per month and is surprisingly easy to set up and use.
Read on to learn how magicJack can save you money every month and connect you with family and friends without the headaches.
Stop Wasting Money on Your Landline
Let’s start with the biggest reason you’re probably looking for an alternative – saving money. If you’re like most seniors, you are on a fixed income, but your landline bills keep going up and up.
With magicJack, you can slash your phone bill down to a fraction of what you currently pay while keeping the same features. Here are the key cost savings:
- No Monthly Fees – With magicJack, you pay one low annual fee of $35 to $50 per year, depending on features. No more fluctuating monthly bills.
- Inexpensive International Calls – magicJack offers discounted international calling plans for just $10 annually. Keep affordably connected with loved ones worldwide.
- No Nickel and Diming – Local calls, long distance, voicemail, caller ID, and all standard features are included for free with your low annual fee. No add-ons or surprises.
- Affordable Emergency Calls – You still get reliable access to 911 emergency services. Important for peace of mind.
A traditional landline can cost $20, $30, or even $50 per month plus taxes and fees. That’s $240 to $600 per year! With magicJack, you get comparable service starting at just $35 annually.
Now you can stop stressing about phone bills inflating your expenses and redirect that money to other priorities in your retirement. The savings with magicJack are just too good to pass up.
Keep Your Current Phone Number
Giving up the landline number you’ve used for years is one of the biggest headaches when switching phone services. This can be especially anxiety-inducing and inconvenient for older adults.
You don’t want to have to notify all your family, friends, businesses, and contacts that you have a new number. And you definitely don’t want people trying to reach you on your old number that is no longer connected.
The good news is that with magicJack, you can take your current landline or cell phone number with you. magicJack makes it easy to “port” or transfer your existing number to their service so that nothing changes for your contacts.
You get to keep the number you know and love.
Porting your number is included at no extra cost when signing up for magicJack service. Just provide your current number during registration, and the porting is handled for you seamlessly behind the scenes.
Easy Set-Up – No Technician or Tech Skills Required
Many seniors I work with express frustration when dealing with complex new technology. You just want phone service that works without headaches, right?
The great news is magicJack is extremely simple to set up and start using. You do not need any technical skills, it works on both Macs and Windows PCs, and you don’t have to wait around for a technician installation appointment.
See my video above for a full walk-through of this process, but here is how quick and easy it is to set up magicJack:
- Plug into Router – Simply plug the magicJack device into your wireless router using the included Ethernet cable. This connects it to your home internet.
- Connect Phone – Then plug your existing home phone into the magicJack device. That’s it!
- Create Account – Follow the on-screen prompts to easily create a magicJack account and activate your service. This only takes a few minutes.
- Port Number (Optional) – If transferring your number, provide the details during activation to port it over automatically.
And just like that, you are up and running with crystal clear digital phone service through magicJack!
The whole process only takes about 10 minutes without any technical know-how required.
Reliable Call Quality Based on My Extensive Testing
When it comes to something as vital as your telephone service, you need to know the call quality will be excellent. I’m happy to report that after extensive testing, magicJack delivers crystal clear call quality you can count on.
I am using magicJack exclusively as my own business phone line. I make calls daily across the country and hold conference calls over magicJack. The voice transmission is perfectly clear in both directions.
In all my testing, magicJack maintained the call quality you’d expect from any landline. There is no static, echo, or garbled voices like you sometimes get with low-quality internet calling services.
As long as you have a sufficiently fast and stable internet connection, magicJack’s voice traffic is reliably transmitted without noticeable delays or disruptions. I never experienced a dropped call.
Of course, call quality can suffer if your internet goes down. But the same would happen with many traditional landline providers that now use connected VOIP technology.
Overall, you can feel confident magicJack’s call quality will be as good if not better than what you’re accustomed to. I’m happy to vouch for that personally as an expert senior advisor who relies on magicJack daily for my business.
Reliable Access to Emergency Services
Having reliable access to emergency services through 911 gives you an important layer of security living independently. You need to know help is there if an emergency occurs.
With magicJack, you get full 911 access just like any landline or cell phone service. When you call 911, the operator will automatically receive your registered address allowing emergency responders to be dispatched to your location.
This is why it’s critical to set up your E911 address correctly in the magicJack account portal. Take the time to verify it is your full physical address. This ensures 911 responders can find you. I demonstrate this for you in the video.
Remember that magicJack will not work in a power outage like any landline unless you have a backup power source. I recommend having a charged mobile phone as a backup option for maximum emergency preparedness.
But you can have confidence that under normal circumstances, magicJack provides reliable 911 access with your location details provided to emergency services.
Keep Your Current Home Phones
If, like many seniors, you have a corded or cordless landline phone that you’re comfortable with, I have great news. You can keep using your existing devices with magicJack!
magicJack works with most analog telephone hardware. All you need is a standard telephone jack adapter. Simply plug the magicJack device into your router, then plug your phone into the magicJack utilizing the adapter.
Using your current home phone maintains the familiar experience you’re used to. You don’t have to spend money on new devices or learn another new system.
Between using your existing number and your existing phones, switching to magicJack feels seamless. It integrates into your current setup.
Is magicJack Right for You? A Few Cautions
While magicJack can be an excellent landline alternative for many seniors, it isn’t a perfect solution for every situation. Before eliminating your landline phone service, consider these cautions:
- Internet Dependency – magicJack requires a stable broadband internet connection. If your internet service is unreliable, you may experience disruptions.
- Power Outages – Like any landline replacements, magicJack will not work in an outage unless you have backup power. Keep a charged mobile phone as a backup option.
- Number Porting – Number porting does not work with some smaller rural carriers. Verify it’s supported.
- Emergency Location – Make sure to correctly set your E911 address in the magicJack portal for accurate dispatch.
- Travel Use – magicJack works best from one location. Using it while traveling can be more complicated.
MagicJack’s advantages, like cost savings and keeping your number, outweigh the limitations for most seniors. But consider whether any of these factors are dealbreakers for your situation before switching. I’m happy to advise if you have any uncertainties.
Infographic: Guide to Using magicJack for Older Adults
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The bottom line is that magicJack can provide seniors like you the communication solution you need, without the expenses and hassles of traditional landlines.
It keeps you affordably connected with those who matter most. The switch is quick, easy, and low risk with their money-back guarantee.
Take control of your phone expenses while keeping the number and service you love. Experience the simplicity and savings of magicJack for yourself today. You won’t regret it.
I’m currently paying 19.99 for spectrum home phone. I would not want to lose that if majicjack doesn’t work. Plus, I question how easy setup actually is plus will it work with my set of home phones. Can I plug in my contacts? What is initial setup cost? Can I try it for a month and if it doesn’t satisfy me , can I send it back and just setup back to spectrum? Thank you.
Hello Chris – take a look at the video on this article and it will walk you through the set up procedure step by step so you can determine if it’s something you want to tackle – it’s not very difficult. magicJack does offer a 30 day money back guarantee on their site and you can also return to Amazon if you buy it there subject to their normal return policies. If you are able to use your existing phones, your contacts will stay programmed in the phone. I can’t guarantee it will work with your particular phones but it does work with most. Currently the price is $49.99 for one year including the hardware. THere is no set up cost except to move move over your current phone number which is subject to a $19.99 fee. Hope this helps! –Scott