[APP][2.3+] Awaaz - Free & Secure Calls 3.6

Awaaz is a "plugin" for your Android phone that enables it to make direct phone-to-phone calls without using the cellular network if both phones have the application installed and are accessible over WiFi. It effectively makes all phone calls free, even while roaming!

There is no user signup, you never need to give any details, and you never even need to start the application (except for the first time). Awaaz runs in the background and automatically takes over any phone calls that meet its requirements. You just need to install and run it once, and you're done!

Awaaz is completely free.

FEATURES:

• Establishes a direct P2P connection between the two phones. Capable of punching a hole through NAT, or being used on the same internal network.
• Uses the Opus codec for unmatched voice clarity.
• Uses just 8 KB/s of bandwidth (upstream and downstream combined).
• Uses a hybrid cryptographic system to exchange a 256-bit AES key using 2048-bit RSA. New public and private keys are generated every single time, thus theoretically making decryption impossible.
• Uses GCM (Google Cloud Messaging) for push messages thus eliminating the need to run a service in the background.
• Has the ability to use 3G / 4G as well. Please enable the option in the preferences if you want it.
• All calls are logged in your regular call history.

HOW TO USE:

1. Install and run it once. The app will register itself on the server.
2. There is no Step 2! From here on, when you make an outgoing call the app will automatically check if the other person also has it installed, and if both phones are connected to WiFi. If so, Awaaz will automatically take over the call and you will see a slightly different calling screen. The same is true for incoming calls.
   
   If you have any trouble with an ongoing call, hit the "X" button on the bottom-left to terminate the app and make a regular call.
   
   As of version 3.00, you can see which of your contacts are currently online by running the app.

DOWNLOAD:

Play Store Link

BETA TESTING:

To stay current with the latest & greatest version of Awaaz, please sign up to be a beta tester using the following links -

First, join the Google+ community that has access to the beta
Second, agree to be a tester!

FEEDBACK:

I am highly dependent on feedback from users like you! Please share your opinion here, and if you have any suggestions or complaints just let me know. Also, do mention which phones are at both ends of the conversation, since a lot of issues are handset specific.

KNOWN ISSUES:

Speakerphone is noisy. Echo cancellation is required and pending.

VOTE FOR AWAAZ:

If you enjoy using Awaaz, please consider nominating it for an award using the link below!

Nominate it!

FAQ

1. It's not working! (outgoing or incoming calls are not getting routed over Awaaz)

There are multiple possibilities here. First and foremost, both phones must have the app installed. Second, both phones must be connected to WiFi, or 3G / 4G (if that has been enabled in the preferences). Also, check your phone number as mentioned in point 6 below.

2. I see a message "Callee is not on Awaaz", and then "Bypassing Awaaz".

This means that the person you are calling has Awaaz installed, but is currently not available on WiFi. Hence the app makes a regular outgoing call.

3. Voice is unclear.

Awaaz uses Opus, which is probably one of the best audio codecs currently available. Despite this, some phones may have issues with audio capturing. If this happens with you, please write an email to awaaz-feedback[at]jainanuj.com, and mention what phone is at the other end of the conversation (the one that is sending the unclear audio).

4. There is a persistent echo.

I am currently working on a AEC (acoustic echo canceler). Meanwhile, if you hear an echo it will help if the person at the other end of the conversation reduces the earpiece volume on their phone.

5. More info on the encryption?

Privacy is, and should be sacrosanct. Hence Awaaz deploys some very advanced encryption which should be unbreakable, unless some of the really wild conspiracy theories about the NSA are true! This does not create a very heavy burden on the CPU, but you can switch it off nevertheless if you so wish, either permanently through the app preferences, or through the encryption button while you are in a call. If you're really paranoid about eavesdropping, you should vocally confirm with the person you're speaking with that the app has displayed the same encryption hash on your screens.

It should be mentioned that by using Awaaz you won't be able to hide who you are talking to. Since it establishes a P2P connection, any agency sufficiently motivated can find out where the connection is terminating. Some metadata could also be gathered, like how long a conversation lasts. However, the encryption will ensure that what you said remains secret.

6. How do I change my phone number?

A common problem is that Awaaz picks up a wrong phone number. This can prevent it from working correctly. First, to check if it has the right number, open up the app preferences, scroll down to where it shows your phone number and see if it is correct. The phone number should be your complete number including the country code. For example, if you're in India and your number is 9810012345, then it should say 919810012345.

If the number shown is incorrect, please tap on it and a window will open up from where you can change it.

7. What is your privacy policy?

Since the architecture of Awaaz has been made with privacy in mind, it stores the absolute minimum data required. This basically means your phone number (for receiving calls), phone model (for debugging purposes) and your last IP address (of which no history is maintained). Nothing else is ever stored, including any and all information on calls made. From version 3, Awaaz "synchronizes" your contacts with its server, but this does not mean that your contacts are uploaded - instead, an MD5 hash of telephone numbers is stored. This means that we are unable to see any phone number of yours, but if somebody calls you on Awaaz we can hash their phone number to match to your contacts.

Major update coming soon..

Hi,

Just wanted to let everyone know that there is a big upgrade in the works that is going to take care of most of the major complaints against the app. Give me a few days and it should be out!

Beta v 2.011 out

Uploading a new beta to the Play Store as I type this. Should be available to everyone in a couple of hours. This is a major update (like v3.00 worthy!)

The two most common complaints I've received have been that a) there is no way to see who is using the app and who's online, and b) there is an unacceptable delay in making outgoing calls (while the app checks the server to see if the callee is on awaaz and available). Both of these problems have now been taken care of. Awaaz now keeps track of which of your contacts are online and which are not. It will show you this information in an activity (screenshot attached). Also, since it no longer needs to poll the server outgoing calls are super quick!

The only downside has been that I've had to compromise on my initial decision to never upload your contacts. However, even here I believe I've reached an acceptable compromise. The app only uploads an MD5 hash of the phone number of your contacts, and absolutely nothing else. So no names, and not even any way to reverse the hash to the original number.

Since this is a beta release, the UI is a little unpolished. I really need people to test this out and give me feedback before I roll out the changes to production.

EDIT: After you run the app, you will now see a small "next" button on the bottom right. Press this to get to the contacts screen.

v1.621 in beta!

Hi everyone,

I have just uploaded a new beta to the Store. Please join the beta program (instructions in first post) and try it out.

New features -

- Possible HTC fix!! I REALLY need someone with an HTC phone to try out this build and tell me if the other party is able to hear you clearly. There should be voice quality improvements for everyone else too.

- Sharing option. I know you've all been dying to let your friends know about the app. Now there is a share button (next to preferences) that you can use for Facebook, Google+, Whatsapp etc etc.

- Possible proximity sensor fix. Unfortunately none of my phones have ever had any trouble, but if yours did then please let me know if this version fixes it.

- Other misc bugfixes.