Free Phone Calls With Google Voice

Use Google Voice to make free internet phone calls

Illustration of a couple talking via laptop and mobile phone.

Lifewire / Theresa Chiechi 

Google Voice (formerly GrandCentral) is the best way to make free internet phone calls.

Being more of a "phone number management" service than a typical internet phone service, Google Voice does a lot more than let you make free phone calls.

Types of Free Calls With Google Voice

Google Voice can be used to make free PC to phone calls and free PC to PC calls.

The easiest and most common way to use Google Voice, however, is to allow the service to connect your phone to the destination number for free. You could call this a free "phone to phone" call.

Sign Up for Google Voice

You can sign up for Google Voice for free from your Google account, which uses the same information you use to access other Google services like Gmail and YouTube.

  1. If you don't already have a Google account, sign up for one at

    Google Voice account sign up page
  2. Read and accept any terms or policies, and then go into your Google Voice Settings. At the top of the page, inside the Phone numbers tab, select CHOOSE.

  3. You can then search for a number based on a city's area code. Type in Atlanta, GA, for instance, and you'll be given all the numbers you can choose that have Atlanta area codes. Choose SELECT on the number you want.

    Screenshot of the Google Voice setup page
  4. Then, go through the step-by-step process of linking your existing phone to your Google account so that you can use your Google Voice number with your tablet or phone.

How to Use Google Voice

To use Google Voice to make free phone calls:

  1. Log in to Google Voice and choose the Make a call button to the left.

    Make a call button in Google Voice
  2. Enter a name or number in the Call section. Select the green phone icon button to have Google dial the number.

    Green call button in Google Voice
  3. Google Voice will call your phone and connect you to the number.


Google Hangouts plugin

PC to PC calls, usually called voice chat or video chat, can be made using Google Hangouts.

You can also use Google Voice from a mobile application. Official Google apps are available for Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users.

Google Voice Limitations

Free calls made with Google Voice are limited to three hours in length, at which point you'll be disconnected. However, you're free to call the same number over again as many times as you like, so this is more of an occasional annoyance than a true restriction.

Also important to know is that calls with Google Voice are free only if you call numbers based in the United States or Canada. Calls to numbers outside the US and Canada will incur a small per-minute fee.

PC to PC calls using Google Hangouts aren't restricted.

Thoughts on Google Voice

We love Google Voice. We've used it since it was GrandCentral, before Google bought the company. The free phone calls are clear and it's a very easy service to use.

The mobile app we've used on an iPhone is user-friendly and works great each time we need it.

If not for any other reason, some people get a Google Voice number just so they can send certain people or companies to a number other than their main phone number. So, if you're signing up for a web service and you're required to enter your phone number, you could give out your Google Voice number so that all calls are sent there instead of to your everyday phone.

Since Google Voice supports voicemails, both regular callers and spam callers can leave you messages and they'll all be collected in Google Voice, not in your regular phone's inbox.

There are other ways to save money on your cell phone bill that are more reliable. Google Fi offers an affordable and reliable cell phone service.