Making a resolution to stay in touch with international friends and family in 2020? Read on for some simple ways to make free international calls!
Remember when you needed a landline to make an international call? Me neither! Gone are the days that we have to rely on international phone calling cards. Also, it’s no longer necessary to pay a ton of extra cash to our cell phone companies for international calling privileges.
We are free to call whomever we’d like, whenever we’d like, and wherever we’d like. After all, this is the 21st century. When it comes to staying in contact with our international friends and family, we’ve got options. All you need is a smartphone, tablet, or computer, as well as a decent WiFi signal to stay connected.
Here are a few of the best apps and options to make free international calls.
Call Me!
We’ve become a global community. We travel for family. We travel for fun. We travel for business. In fact, Americans make over 400 million work trips per year. The need to stay connected has become crucial. Social media is great to keep your friends, family, and followers up-to-date on your happenings. However, we still want to chat the old-fashioned way – with a phone call. Here are some of the best ways to make international calling simple and easy. There’s an App For That
Most free international call options revolve around an app. Although many cell phone carriers offer unlimited data and mobile hotspots, we still have to track a decent WiFi signal to make most of these calling apps work.
McDonald’s, Starbucks, most hotels, vacation rentals, and even AirBnB’s are a few locations that tend to offer free WiFi. If you are out and about, just look for the universal WiFi sign on the window. WiFi is, literally, everywhere. Find a place to connect. Then, download and use one of these calling apps to say hello to your friends and family.
Viber
Viber has become synonymous as the go-to app for making international phone calls. It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s free. Once you download the app, you’ll probably want to pre-plan and make sure your friends and family join. Viber calls will require both the calling and the receiving person to have the app downloaded on their phone or another device.
When Viber is, officially, downloaded – you can easily make phone calls, send texts, and stay connected with your friends and family. The best aspect of Viber is that it works on all types of smartphones and devices. Whether you have an iPhone, an Android, a Google Pixel, or any other video-capable smartphone, Viber will work.
Skype
Another quality app available for when you need to figure out how to make free international calls is Skype. Although not as popular as Viber for international calling, Skype still offers a strong phone chatting option. By letting users connect with screen names or phone numbers, Skype is probably the OG of calling options.
Trying to connect with co-workers during an international vacation or adventure? Skype for Business easily allows companies and their employees to connect over the network. Plus, Skype is a great example of the many advantages of SIP trunks. Thanks to SIP trunking we can seamlessly make voice calls and transmit data at the same time from thousands of miles away. If you can find an internet connection, you can make a Skype call. However, be prepared to pay a fee to make a call to a cell phone or landline number.
Talk Home App
If you’re looking to connect with friends, family, and acquaintances abroad without internet connectivity, international calling apps like Talk Home App are a great option.
This app allows users to make high-quality international calls at a fraction of the cost, send and receive text messages from any phone number in the world, send mobile top-ups to any PAYG phone number, and more.
Talk Home is one of the leaders in international calling solutions, particularly in the UK. They started with calling cards back in 1996, and have evolved into a one-stop calling app for expats, foreign students, travelers, and tourists, among others.
The calling rates are quite affordable, with most destinations costing as low as 1p/1c per minute. Talk Home App supports international calling in over 250 destinations worldwide. According to their website, they help make over 12M international calls each month.
FaceTime
There are over 700 million iPhones currently being used on Planet Earth. So, it’s no wonder that FaceTime is such a hugely popular app. All we have to do is click on a contact’s name. If they have an Apple product, we can quickly connect with an audio or video call.
It’s easy. It’s built into the phone. It works well on a wireless network. The only downfall of FaceTime is its inability to connect with other types of smartphones or devices. FaceTime is Apple-specific. Without an Apple product, there can be no phone or video chat option.
IMO
Don’t have 5G yet? No problem! IMO calling and messaging simply requires an internet signal. Americans enjoy 4G and 5G strength in almost every town in every state. However, some countries are just happy to have the internet. For chatting with friends and families in more remote areas in different countries – IMO is a great option!
This Facebook-owned power app allows users to easily connect through any type of WiFi connection. A great feature of this app is that you can send your location to friends and family. This is a great way to update your friends and family of your whereabouts. It’s also a great safety feature.
WhatsApp allows users to send written messages, audio messages, make audio and video phone calls, as well as send documents and share photos. Also, you can see who’s available with status notifications. This is a great way to know when friends and family are available to call or text.
Rebtel
Want to know how to make free international calls without a Wifi signal or data? Rebtel has the answer. For as little as one dollar, Rebtel users can call and message people without a wireless connection. Did you catch that last part? Without a wireless connection. App-to-app calls are available in 52 countries. For any country not covered in this one dollar per month option, there are $5 and $10 dollar/month calling options.
Give Me a Call
With status notifications, multiple call options, and a cheap or free price tag – we can make free international calls whenever and wherever we want. Have a wireless connection? You’ll probably want to consider one of the wireless calling options such as Skype, Viber, FaceTime, IMO, or WhatsApp.
Trying to reach someone in a remote area of the world? You’ll probably have the best luck with Rebtel.
Wherever you are on this planet and whomever you want to chat with on this planet – there’s an app for that. When you need to figure out how to call international for free, know that you have a ton of options.
Just because you are separated by an ocean or a long flight doesn’t mean you should lose contact with those you love. A free international call could not be easier in the 21st century. Download. Dial. Discuss.
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