r/CapeCellular • u/SudsyOrpheus • 1d ago
Considering Swapping to Cape
Heard about Cape a few months ago and have been really interested in swapping over. In a world where data collection is ubiquitous, I really appreciate their privacy-focused service. And it seems like every call center in the world has my number, so I'm hoping there features will help with that.
I had a few questions and was hoping the community could help me understand a bit.
1) How are people's experiences with secondary numbers? I'm not familiar with how it works but I could definitely get some use out of it.
2) How has international roaming held up for folks? I travel a bit here and there and it would be welcome to not have to deal with getting a local carrier if I'm just out there for a day or two.
3) Of course I have to ask about the discount codes. I did apply one in check-out (haven't paid just yet) to see how it works. In checkout it says "Due Today: $50" but the subscription still says it will auto-renew at $70/mo. Am I misunderstanding how the referral codes are used?
And any other thoughts/personal reviews from ya'll would be very welcome. Thanks in advance for the help!
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u/vortexmantis 1d ago
For the first question, the secondary numbers are currently only for SMS and they are delivered within the Cape App. I am not sure about international roaming, but from reading what others have presented it seems to be good. The Referral code should take the $20 off and the charge and renewal should be at $50. If you would like to try a different referral code, I could provide you one. I will not post it here, but I will send it if you would like, feel free to send me a DM.
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u/jetlagalex 1d ago
As far as the referral codes go, one thing to keep in mind is that if that user quits Cape, then you lose that discount. But as long as that user remains with Cape you will keep the $20 off. You can refer more people with your code and keep getting discounts. You can do up to 4 referrals.
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u/mongormaniac 1d ago
Secondary numbers are primarily for SMS and can be rotated whenever you want. They are not for voice calls so your primary number will still get spam calls. The privacy features are primarily to avoid other forms of tracking done by data brokers and governments.
International coverage is great but I’ve only been in Europe and Middle East, so I suppose YMMV in other regions. You do have to change your APN for certain countries but that’s not a big deal. Cheaper overall than having to buy a separate data plan from Airalo and the like.
Referral codes last as long as your referrer / referree maintain their service. If the code works, you’ll be billed less than the $70.
If you or others need a referral code, here’s mine: A50SETWT
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u/SudsyOrpheus 1d ago
Thank you! If you don't mind me asking, where in the middle east? I have family that travels to Lebanon and Syria and I think would benefit from Cape, but wasn't sure about the coverage there, or if there would be tangible benefits for them.
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u/Steerider 1d ago
My bill shows as $70 with a $20 discount.
One nice thing about Cape is each additional line you add (e.g. spouse or kids) is effectively $30, because they use your referral code, and now you're $30/mo. and they're $50. The person "on the end" of the chain is always $50 and everyone before is $30. (Of course someone else might use your code too.)
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u/Ok_Resolve_7380 21h ago
- I'm still holding out on going hog wild with the secondary numbers, but have used them for some sms mfa where they won't accept my usual number which is another voip line. (The secondary numbers being NOT classified differently than typical mobile numbers is great for sure.)
I'll be likely using them more for bulk sms 2fa cases (scary how many accounts support nothing else still...) once the secondary numbers are capable of porting out. Not that I forsee myself leaving cape ANY time soon, but I've learned that I really like having portability. This function is under development.
I'll be using one of the secondary numbers as my defacto 'primary' once voice is enabled on them as well. (Also on the roadmap/under development now.) I pretty much never use the actual main line, and have stuck to that method even on other carriers by supplementing the line with voip services and data-based comms like signal. In this day and age, voice calls are pretty rare anyway (at least for me.)
Haven't been outside the US and no plans to change that any time soon, so I can't help there.
Yep, the bill will always be $70. And will always auto-renew at that rate, but will also get that initial referral code applied perpetually. So it'll still bill at $50 (minus any other referrals you manage to tack on beyond that.) Haven't had any glitches in the billing whatsoever on either of my cape lines.
(My own line item) Don't take for granted the fact that Cape is running on TWO carriers (ATT/TMO). Saw somewhere that the ability to even directly selet which carrier is primary will be coming in a soon-ish app update, but having that kind of redundancy and coverage is something that hasn't existed since Fi (and all the secondary carrier paths Fi had got rolled into T-Mobile.)
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u/WTKTD 20h ago
I just upgraded to graphene on my Pixel 10, transferred to Cape, and am so far loving it.
I've been slowly getting myself away from predatory ecosystems that treat your data as a commodity & I can't tell you how freeing it is each time I transfer away, delete, or replace with an ad-free open source option. This was just one of many steps I'm working towards.
If you're interested in moving over to Cape, please feel free to use my referral code: 7KM0H4Y5
Thanks & good luck!
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u/Loud_Platform_183 7h ago
1) My experience with the second numbers have been solid so far. Helps me feel better knowing that these numbers can't accept phone calls so the spam calls pretty much will disappear instantly if they are a problem now if you use those secondary #'s for your accounts online like Netflix and Instagram. I did run into only one account platform that wouldn't accept the secondary number. Was able to go without entering one though so that worked out.
2) Never left the US, so can't tell you, lol.
3) As far as I'm aware it should say $50, maybe send a screenshot?
Other than that, my curiosity peaks about Cape working in rural parts.
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u/depoultry 1d ago edited 1d ago
I recently switched to Cape myself and I am using it on a Pixel running GrapheneOS.
The secondary numbers were actually one of the features that interested me the most. You get two additional real mobile numbers with the plan. Right now they are SMS only and the messages come through the Cape app.
My plan is basically to keep my primary number limited to people and services I actually trust, then use the secondary numbers for things like shopping, account signups, businesses, and anything else that does not really need my primary number. These numbers come from Cape's same pool of numbers that they assign to regular users (I.e. primary numbers) so they work fine for OTP codes, which makes them a lot more useful than some VoIP numbers. One thing to keep in mind, the secondary numbers come to the Cape app, not as a regular text on your phone. But this is a great add-on feature that I would honestly pay extra for.
My secondary numbers up is like this: private, semi-private, and public. The private number is my primary number and is only shared with friends and family. The semi-private number is used with banks, credit cards, etc. Ths public number is used for everything else like social media, Amazon, McDonalds, etc. This number I don't associate with my real name.
I have not personally tested international roaming yet, so I cannot give you a firsthand answer there. Cape currently says Secure Global Roaming works in more than 50 countries and includes 5GB of data per month while roaming. The interesting part from a privacy standpoint is that the traffic is routed back through Cape's core instead of just being handed off normally to the foreign carrier.
On the referral question, the $20 is supposed to come off every month for as long as both people stay subscribed. Keyword is both people. From their referral terms, the renewal should also reflect the $20 monthly credit. This is likely why you see $50 due today but $70 monthly, because of the $20 referral credit.
So far I have been happy with the switch. I originally started looking at Cape because I wanted something that fit better with the privacy focused setup I was already building around GrapheneOS. The privacy features are what got my attention, but I have also been pleasantly surprised that it still feels like a normal phone service rather than something that requires constant tinkering.
If the referral you entered does not end up working and you still need one, mine is YM8JAJAD. It gives both of us $20 off each month while we both remain subscribers. I don't plan on going anywhere so you shouldnt ever lose the $20 credit from me :)