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Mobile features

Below is a list of features that are available with The Phone Co-op mobile phone service.

Please note that some features are handset dependent.

Contents

Camera

Contacts

Email

Fax

Mail

Messaging (SMS and MMS)

Recording sounds

Video calling and Videomail

Virtual Private Network (VPN) access

Voice calling

Camera

Picture and video functions

You can take pictures and videos on your mobile phone, and then store them in your library. You can then send them to recipients, or use them as screensavers and wallpapers. You can also transfer the photos from your mobile phone to other electronic storage mediums.

Contacts

To add a contact:

  • Select View contacts.
  • Select Add new contact.
  • Enter the details.
  • Select Done or Add more details (where you have the choice to add more contacts).

Email

There are a number of email solutions that are available to Phone Co-op mobile users:

POP3 and SMTP forwarding

The email experience is better on some mobile phones than others, although most have the capability to run the free POP3 or SMTP forwarding email accounts. Both POP3 and SMTP forwarding email accounts come ready installed on the handsets and are provisioned from the handset itself. Whether you can run an existing email account will depend on the service provider you use for your email accounts:

Free with handset POP3 polling email account

The email service is free, however, you will incur data charges per MB.

To access emails from an external email account, your ISP must provide POP3 access and support POP3 polling. You will also need your ISP's POP3 server address and port number, as well as your username, external email address and password.

To set up POP3 polling:

  • Select Mail
  • Select Settings
  • Select Manage other mail
  • Select Add new account

Settings information:

  • Name this account:
    • enter a name such as your username or the service provider name. This is used to help you identify the account within Mail.
  • POP3 server address:
    • This is the name that your ISP gives to your POP3 server (often in the format 'pop3.domain' or 'smtp.domain' where 'domain' is your ISP’s domain name, for example: 'pop3.three.co.uk').
  • POP3 Username
    • This is the username you have set up with your ISP, which is often part of your email address (for example 'username@domain' or 'anything@username.domain').
  • POP3 user password
    • This is the password you use when you connect to your ISP.
  • Port number
    • This is the number your ISP allocated to your POP3 server (often set as '110', but you should check the setting with your ISP).
  • Leave mail on POP3 server?
    • If you tick this box, every time you poll your external email account you will receive duplicate copies until you access the other account directly and delete email manually. If you leave this box blank, each mail that is polled will be deleted on your external mail server and the only record will be in your mobile phone account.
Free with handset SMTP forwarding email account

The email service is free, however, you will incur data charges per MB.

To automatically forward email to your account, your service provider must support SMTP forwarding. Contact your service provider for more information.

Creating an email

To create an email:

  • Select Create email.
  • Enter the email address.
  • Enter a subject.
  • Enter the message.
  • Select Send or Save to draft.

If you want to add an email address from your contacts, select Address options. Select Add from contacts. Either enter the name or select Look up to find the email address.

Printing an email

To print an email:

  • Select the email item you want to print.
  • Scroll to the end and select Print to fax.
  • Enter the fax number of the fax machine you want to print to and select Done.
  • Collect your printed email from the fax machine.

Record redirection

If you have your own domain and it supports 'record redirection', you can arrange with your domain host to have your emails sent to another account.

Fax

Setting up fax

The default settings for a phone do not include fax.

Please call us on 0845 458 9000 to have this set up.

Using Faxmail

Faxmail is like having your own personal fax machine wherever you go.

Your handset does not come set up with faxmail by default, therefore this service would need setting up first in order to work. Please call us on 0845 458 9000 to have this set up.

Fax works as follows:

  • When someone wants to send you a fax, they need to give the sender your personal fax number.
  • You should ask them to send the fax to your personal fax number.
  • The sent fax is received and stored electronically in your inbox with an image attachment (.TIF).
  • When you are ready to print it, you can print faxmail to a fax machine or forward it to another person.

Printing a fax

Select the faxmail item you want to print then:

  • Scroll to the end and select Print to fax.
  • Enter the fax number and select Done.

You will then have the choice to send the fax to other fax machines.

How faxes are billed

The fax service is billed in a similar way to normal voice calls. When you dial 123 you are charged as per the normal rate for the duration of the time it takes to instruct the service to forward the fax to a fax machine. You are then billed for the duration of the time it takes for the fax file to be transferred to the fax machine for printing.

Mail

Introduction to Mail

You can do all kinds of things with Mail. You can:

  • access and retrieve your voicemail, videomail and faxmail
  • create and send multimedia messages
  • print faxmail to any fax machine
  • send voicemails to individuals and distribution lists

You automatically get:

  • 10Mb of mailbox storage

As you approach your storage limit, you will get this warning message: 'Your mailbox is reaching its limit, please delete any unwanted mail.'

To avoid losing any new mail items, you should reduce the amount of space you are using by deleting mail items. Items with attachments take up the most space, so please don’t store these any longer than you need to.

When your mailbox is full, you will get this warning: 'Your mailbox is full. You can't receive any new mail until you delete some existing mail.'

Calling Phone Co-op Mobile Mail

When you call in to Mail, you will hear how many new voicemails, videomails, and faxmails you have.

You can call in to Mail by:

  • Dialling 123 from your handset.
  • Dialling 07782 333 123 from any other phone.
  • Dialling +44 7782 333 123 when you're abroad.

You can record different voicemail greetings and record your name for other Phone Co-op customers to hear when you leave them a message.

How you set up voicemail

You can set up voicemail by carrying out the following steps:

  • Dial 123 from your handset
  • Choose a new PIN and press #
  • Confirm your new PIN and press #

You will then be asked to record your name. Your recorded name is used to identify you when you send messages to other Phone Co-op Mobile customers.

  • You should say your name clearly and press #
  • You will then press 1 if you are happy with your name (or press 2 if you want to listen to your name again, or press 3 to re-record your name).
  • You will be asked to record a personal greeting that callers will hear when they get to your mailbox.
  • You should say your greeting clearly and press #
  • You will then press 1 if you are happy with your greeting (or press 2 if you want to listen to your greeting, or press 3 to re-record your greeting).
  • You would then end your call.

How you can access your voicemails

The easiest way you can access your voicemail is to dial 123 from your Phone Co-op Mobile handset.

In voicemail you can:

  • Reply to voicemail sent from other Phone Co-op users
  • View all voicemail headers, along with your other mail
  • Delete items and move them to different folders (inbox, outbox, sent, trash and folders the customer has created for themselves)
  • Address mail either manually or from network-based contacts.

How to access Phone Co-op Mobile mail from abroad

  • You should dial +447782 333 123
  • You will be prompted to enter your Phone Co-op mobile number followed by #
  • You will be prompted to enter your PIN followed by #

In some countries, before you are prompted for your Phone Co-op mobile number and PIN, the first prompt you will hear will be: 'If you're calling someone to leave a voicemail, press 1. If you're calling to access your mail, press 2.'

Before you go abroad, you should ensure you know what your PIN is so that you can access mail when you are out of the country. All Phone Co-op phones have a default pin number of 0000, which can be changed at any time by you.

How to record different voicemail greetings

You can record different types of greetings that callers will hear when you don't answer your phone. For example, if someone calls you and they press the 'end call' button, you can set it up so that the caller hears a different message than if they had called and the phone was switched off.

  • You should dial 123 from your handset.
  • You should then press 3 from the main menu - to go to the main menu, press ** (star, star).
  • You should then select from options 1 to 5 depending upon which voice greeting you wish to create and follow the voice prompt instructions:
    • Option 1 sets up general 'all calls' greeting (this is what callers hear if you haven't recorded any other greetings).
    • Option 2 sets up 'busy' greeting (this is what callers hear if you reject an incoming call, i.e. if you presses the 'end call' button).
    • Option 3 sets up 'no answer' greeting (this is what callers hear if your handset is switched off, or if you doesn't answer when your phone rings).
    • Option 4 sets up 'extended absence' greeting (this greeting can be used if you won't be able to take calls for a while).
    • Option 5 sets up 'out of hours' greeting. Default working days and hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can record a greeting that callers will hear when they call outside these hours. To change these hours:
      • Dial 123
      • Press 4 from the main menu - to go to the main menu, press ** (star, star).
      • Press 4
      • Press 1 to manage your working days or press 2 to manage your working hours

How you record your name

When you record your name, this means that other Phone Co-op customers hear your name when they leave a message on your phone. You record your name by:

  • Dialling 123 from your handset.
  • Press 3 from the main menu - to go to the main menu, press ** (star, star).
    • Option 6 will manage your recorded name.
    • Option 1 will allow you to listen to your recorded name.
    • Option 2 will allow you to re-record your name.

Turning off Voicemail

When do I use this?

If you wish to have your Voicemail deactivated after it has been deactivated, then should you receive a call and not answer it, it will continue to ring rather than diverting to Voicemail.

What do I do?

Please call us on 0845 458 9000.

Messaging (SMS and MMS)

Text SMS and Multimedia MMS messaging

Text messages are a quick and easy way for mobile phone users to communicate. Multimedia messages are just as quick and easy but also allow the user to send pictures, videos and sounds.

How to send a text message

Type a message and then find the person you want to send it to in your contacts, or enter their mobile number. Then you would press send. Each handset is different, so refer to your handset’s user guide to find out exactly how to send a text message from your handset.

SMS message size

Each text message you send can be up to 160 characters long. Many handsets allow you to enter more than 160 characters, and will then deliver the message in more than one SMS. For example, if you send a text with 400 characters, the text message recipient will receive three texts, and you will be charged separately for each. It would be better value for you to send long messages using text-only multimedia messages, if the person you are sending the message to also has a multimedia-messaging capable handset. Or, you could send a message to a recipient’s email address.

Predictive text and other text entry methods

When you are writing a message, you can choose from two different text entry methods. One method requires you to press each key as many times as needed to display the character you want to enter. The other method is called predictive text and lets you enter words easily with a minimum number of key presses. You would need to refer to the relevant user guide to find out exactly how to change your text entry method.

Sending messages to many people at the same time

When you send a message to more than one person at the same time, you will be charged separately for each person you send the message to. For help with sending messages to many people at once, refer to the handset user guide.

What are text short codes?

A text short code is usually a five-digit number that you can use to enter competitions, subscribe to information services and look up information.

Subscribing to text short codes

For example, to set up an Channel 4 News alert, which costs 10p to request and 25p for each alert the user receives, you would text 'NEWS' to 83188.

When you send a text message to a shortcode, you will normally be charged the standard rate, but not always. Make sure you read the details of the advertisement to find out the exact price, as the short code service provider must include details of any non-standard charges in all of their advertisements.

Short code checker

Go to the short code checker for details on specific short codes.

Unsubscribing from text short codes

Check the very first message they received from the service, which should tell you how to unsubscribe. Usually, you have to text 'STOP' to the number that you received the first message from. If you have subscribed to more than one service, you must text 'STOP' to each service. If the messages don't stop, go to the Short code checker and enter the short code number you are receiving messages from in the box, to find out where the messages are coming from. You can then contact them directly.

How to use multimedia messaging MMS

From the handset menu select the option for writing or sending a new MMS (sometimes called a Picture message). The interface will be much the same as for writing a text message, however, there will also be menu options allowing you to attach photos, sound clips or video clips from your handset to the message before you send it. You will then need to select a recipient, or recipients, and send the message in the usual way.

Message size

All handsets that are able to send and receive multimedia messages can support messages of up to 30Kb, which is normally enough for a single picture. However, with Phone Co-op Mobile handsets, a user is able to send and receive messages larger than this. Therefore, if you send someone a message larger than 30Kb, they may not be able to receive it, depending on what handset they have and what network they are on.

You can also send multimedia messages to email addresses, where size restrictions for receiving messages are generally not a problem.

All Phone Co-op Mobile handsets have a default size limit set to 100Kb for sending multimedia messages (which is about 12 seconds of video). On some handsets you can change this default setting up to the maximum value that the handset will allow (subject to an upper limit for multimedia messages that is set within The Phone Co-op network at 500Kb).

The maximum size of an MMS that you can send or receive varies by handset type.

Sending and receiving text and multimedia messages abroad.

You can send and receive text messages abroad. To find out how much this would cost, you need to consult our international tariff rates.

Full inbox

If you are trying to send or receive a message and your inbox is full, you will get a 'memory full' message on your screen. Delete some messages, including any unwanted items in your 'sent' or 'draft' folders, to make space for new messages.

Recording sounds

You can record sounds on your mobile.

Each handset is different so refer to your handset's user guide to find out exactly how to do these things on your handset.

Video calling and Videomail

Not all phones have a camera.

If your handset does not have a camera, it cannot make video calls, and you cannot access Videomail. However, that phone should receive video calls.

What is a video call?

A video call is a call between two video mobiles where both people on the call can see as well as hear each other.

To make a video call to another Phone Co-op Mobile user or to someone on another 3G UK network, both users must: have video mobiles; and be in a 3G service area.

Video calling features

When you are on a video call you can:

  • Alter the images you see on your screen. You can make your video image the main image, minimise the image of the person you are talking to, or stop viewing your image altogether.
  • Switch the camera on your mobile to show the other person on the call what you want to show them
  • Reject incoming video calls
  • Mute the audio part of the incoming video

Add a video number to a contact

As handsets differ, refer to your handset user guide to find out exactly how to do these and other video calling features.

How to make a video call

As handsets differ, refer to your handset user guide to find out exactly how to make a video call on your mobile.

Coverage for video calling

There are some areas in the UK where you may not be able to make video calls. Enter the place name or postcode in the Coverage Checker on 3's website to find out if you live, work or travel in a video service area. If you are on a video call and you move out of a 3 video service area, the video call will drop.

Making video calls abroad

You can make video calls in some other countries too. You can find out where there is international coverage by going to the international coverage page of 3's website and selecting the country in question. On a specific country's page, there are details of whether you can carry out video calls there and, if you can, what geographical parts of the country are included.

Note: Call rates on these 3 website pages are not The Phone Co-op’s call rates, they are 3's own market call rates and are therefore not correct for you.

Tips to improve the quality of video calls

  • Don't move too fast. Sometimes too much movement can look blurred to the person watching your video on their phone.
  • Lighting is important. Make sure it's not too bright or too dark.
  • Get up close, but not too close. Make sure the subject of the video is the right distance from the camera to get the best picture quality.
  • Speak up. Make sure the recipient can hear the sound clearly.
  • Using a headset or a Bluetooth headset is perfect if you need to keep the call more private.

Videomail

Like voicemail, the phone also has an answer phone for video calls. With Videomail, you can:

  • Create a greeting that callers see when they leave you a Videomail
  • Create a Videomail and send it to someone
  • Leave someone a Videomail when you try to video call them but they're unavailable.

If you haven't set up your voicemail, you will need to do so before using Videomail.

You will automatically have a Videomail account. You will need to record a greeting or choose a greeting before you can retrieve any Videomails.

How to use Videomail

To access Videomail, you need to video call:

  • 123 from your handset; or
  • +44 7782 333 123 when you are abroad.

Note: To access Videomail abroad, you must be roaming in a country where 3 has a network or 3G roaming agreement.

The prices shown are 3's retail rates and are not applicable to you.

For instructions on how to make a video call, refer to your handset’s user guide, as it differs between handsets.

The Videomail greeting

Before you can retrieve any Videomail, you need to create a greeting that callers will see when they leave you a Videomail.

The first time you want to access Videomail, you have to record your own personal greeting. This will be the greeting callers see when they try to make a video call but can't because you are not available.

Instructions on how to record or re-record a Videomail greeting

  • Make a video call to 125 from your handset (or +44 7782 125 125 when you're abroad). If you're not sure how to make a video call, refer to your handset's user guide.
  • Record a greeting and then hang up (your greeting is automatically saved). If you want to change your greeting, you can start this process again.

If you want to re-record your personal greeting at a later date, you would:

  • Go to Videomail
  • Press 3 (manage greetings)
  • Press 1 (general)
  • Press 2 (re-record)

Once you have recorded your personal greeting, you can:

  • Create a Videomail and send it to someone.
  • Leave someone a Videomail if they are unavailable when you try to make a Video call to them. You can leave a videomail of up to one minute, and the recipient will get an SMS to alert them to it.
  • Retrieve new Videomails. You will get an SMS telling you that you have received a Videomail. Simply accessing Videomail automatically plays the new videomail to you.

How to create a Videomail

  • Go to Videomail
  • Press 2 (create) from the main menu
  • You will be prompted to enter the phone number of the person you want to send a Videomail to
  • You will then be prompted to record your Videomail
  • You will then have the option to review and re-record as many times as you want

Virtual Private Network (VPN) access

Does The Phone Co-op support VPN access?

Yes. The Phone Co-op does allow the setting up of Virtual Private Network access on Phone Co-op handsets.

Can VPN access be set up on any handset?

Most 3G phones allow the setting up of VPN access across the data connection. Please call us on 0845 458 9000 to ensure the "Mobile Data" option is enabled on our portal.

What to do if something goes wrong with a VPN connection

Although The Phone Co-op allows VPN set-up over the network, we cannot support technical enquiries or fault reporting. This is due to the VPN set-up which, by its nature, is an "in-house" affair and so should be supported by the IT support staff at the company which has set it up.

Voice calling

With voice calling, you can do more than just make and receive calls. You can also:

  • Make a three-way call
  • Use features like call waiting and hold
  • Divert calls to another number
  • Use caller ID so the person you are calling doesn't know that it is you calling.

For detailed information on how to do these things, refer to your handset user guide.

Emergency Services

To phone Emergency Services (Police, Fire, Ambulance and Coastguard), dial:

  • 999 (inside the UK) or 112 (inside and outside the UK)

 

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Questions?

Call us on 0845 458 9000

or write to us at:

The Phone Co-op, 5 The Millhouse, Elmsfield Business Centre, Worcester Road, Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5XL

Need help?

Call us on 0845 458 9000 for assistance, or send us an e-mail and we'll call you.

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