Google Voice allows you to make free calls to the United States. That’s right; you can use your mobile phone to call the US for free from anywhere in the world. There are no strings attached. There are no charges. Our good friends at Google have made this service possible.
As a budget traveler, I use Google Voice Number to communicate with family and friends back home in the United States. Although Google Voice is only available to those who already have a phone number in the United States, this blog post aims to help Americans call home for free while travelling abroad.
How to Use Google Voice Number for International Calls Without Charges
Unfortunately, the top four cell phone companies in the United States—Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile—do not make international calls to the United States without incurring substantial fees.
I do not suggest using your US-based mobile phone provider when travelling outside of the US. They will overcharge you for everything, including calls, text messages, and, most importantly, data. T-Mobile has the best rate of these firms, with calls to the US starting at $0.20 per minute.
For example, I should also mention that AT&T offers international day plans beginning at $10 a day for a limited number of countries. You’ll be able to make unlimited calls inside the foreign country and back to the United States, as well as send unlimited texts around the world. However, if you intend on travelling for a long time, the expense of this plan will quickly add up; remember, this is in addition to the regular monthly service costs.
Making Free Calls with Google Voice
Getting a free Google Voice number, which allows you to call and text the US for free while on WiFi, is a much better and fully free alternative.
You get a free phone number with Google Voice that you can use for calls, texts, and voicemail. You’ll connect your new Google Voice number to your existing mobile or landline number when setting up your Google Voice account.
Then, while you’re abroad, you can use your Google Voice number to call back to the US for free over WiFi. Furthermore, you can accept calls from the United States without being paid, either by you or the caller. Your Google Voice number will be a US phone number, allowing you to make free calls to any US phone number from anywhere in the world using WiFi.
You can also buy a cheap local SIM card when travelling. As long as you have mobile phone coverage with your SIM, you’ll be able to make calls over WiFi.
Using Google Voice for the First TimeThere are a few things you’ll need before your journey abroad:
- An iOS or Android smartphone.
- a working phone number in the United States
- A Google account is required.
You can sign up for Google Voice online or through the Google Voice app for Android and iOS. You’ll need to download the software in either case. To make calls, you’ll use the Google Voice app on your computer.
After checking your current phone number, you can use your new Google Voice number to make and receive calls right away.
Google Voice’s Other Features
There is a slew of other Google Voice features and allowing free calls to the United States.
- Text messages can be sent from your phone.
- Voicemails that can be transcribed and searched
- Make low-cost international calls.
- Unwanted callers and spam calls are blocked.
- Calls may be forwarded to different numbers.
Though most people won’t switch to Google Voice from their current carrier, it’s an excellent choice for international travellers.
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