Why I Love Google Voice for International Calls!

I have recently helped my parents switch over to Google Voice as their main method of overseas communication and I have to say that I am really impressed with their service. One of the main attractions for switching to Google Voice for international calling is due to their very low call rates when compared to other similar services out there. Another important part of Google Voice is how easy it is to get everything up and working. This is the most important part because I had to teach my parents how to actually dial long distance calls with Google Voice and if it’s too complicated, they’ll definitely reject the idea even if it means paying less. But luckily that’s not the case.

The official Google Voice app does NOT allow you to leverage the free calling capabilities as you could in Gmail for Voice. I repeat, it DOES NOT allow you to make free outbound calls, even if calling within the United States. Google Voice can be very confusing for a lot of users as many people keep thinking that they are using VoIP technology (like Skype) but it is not. Using Google Voice will use your minutes if you do not have some sort of unlimited calling plan. The texting portion, however, is free provided that you use the Google Voice application to do the actual texting.
The good news is that there is a awesome app in the Apple store that allows you to place calls using Wi-Fi or 3G using your Google Voice number and best of all, it doesn’t count against your minutes. It actually uses your data plan (3G) or Wi-fi to place the call, similar to what you can do now within your Gmail account. Why this feature isn’t included in the native Google Voice app I have no clue. The app is called Talkatone and it’s completely free! Yups, free! To prove your calls are indeed free, simply yank your SIM card out, connect to a Wi-Fi access point and use the app to call a person within the United States. The call will still go through. You’ll also be surprised at the sound quality as well. TALKATONE IS A MUST HAVE APP if you are looking to make free outbound calls with your Google Voice number.

Google Voice is a recently launched service from Google that allows a user to use one phone number and be able to tie that number with all of the other phones the user actually owns or manages. Google will gladly give you a free US based phone number that is solely dedicated to you for Google Voice usage. This free phone number is what you use to tie all of your other phones together. It’s a little complicated at first so you’ll definitely need to learn more about it. Anyways, the point of this article is mainly using Google Voice for international calling and that’s what I’ll talk about next. Luckily, there’s not much to learn if all you’ll be doing is using Google Voice for international calling.

International Calling

In order to use Google Voice for calling international countries, you’ll need to first sign up for a Google Voice number. As mentioned above, this is completely free and you can even tie the number with your main Gmail account if you wish to. Any number will do. For example, I live in Hawaii and Google Voice doesn’t offer any phone numbers with my area code. Hopefully this doesn’t happen to you. However, I am still allowed to choose a number with a different area code. Since California is the closest to me, I chose a number with a 510 area code (Oakland). Once you have your number, you are then on your own. You will need to manage every setting from now on. But it’s not that hard and you really don’t need to do much if all you will be doing is making international calls.
When you first sign up for a Google Voice number, you are required to have at least one phone with a legitimate carrier. Once the setup process has finished, you can add more phones to your account to use with Google Voice if necessary. However, for making international calls, we are pretty much all set. By default, when you open a Google Voice account, Google provides you with a $.10 balance credit. Not much but hey, it’s free and if the country you are calling has a rate of less than $.10 a minute, you can easily make a long distance call paid for by Google themselves. For instance, my parents usually call to Hong Kong and China. Both countries have a insanely low call rate of just $.02 a minute. Therefore, my parents got to try out Google Voice for a full 5 minutes absolutely free! For others, you’ll need to add credits to your account before you can make international calls. Google forces a $10 minimum credit purchase. You can purchase these credits by selecting the link under Add Credit. You’ll then be taken to Google Checkout where you can select your method of payment. After making payment, you can expect to wait a few minutes before the credits appear in your Google Voice account. You can view the calling rates Google has to offer by viewing this page.

I find Google Voice much more appealing then compared with Skype, which is another popular service. For example, calls to Hong Kong and China were similar but calls to Vietnam on Google Voice only costs $.09 per minute while Skype charges nearly $.34. On top of that, Skype charges a connection fee of about $.04 (US) for each call unless you have a unlimited subscription plan. Google Voice doesn’t really have a connection fee unless no one picks up on the other side. If that happens you’ll automatically be charged for one minute.

Making Outbound Calls

Once you have successfully added credit to your account, it’s time to begin making international calls! You are allowed to make international calls on practically any phone you have. Here are the steps to follow when making an international call over your home phone:

1. Call your own Google Voice number from your home phone.

2. As soon as you hear a ring tone, quickly press the * button on the phone.

3. You’ll then be greeted by a female voice asking you to press your 4-digit PIN. This PIN number was created when you first set up your Google Voice account.

4. You’ll then be announced if you have any new voice messages. At this time, you’ll be allowed the opportunity to place a call by pressing the number 2. Do it.

5. Dial 011 followed by your country’s area code and the actual phone number followed by the # symbol. Your call will then be connected by Google and your call should go through.

You should also watch this short video for a nice explanation on how to dial international calls:

You can view your call log history (placed or received) anytime by heading back to your Google Voice home page.

Two Important Things to Remember!

1. There is no connection fee when using Google Voice to call international countries. However, if no one picks up the phone on the other side, you will still be charged one minute. So, if I’m calling a country with a call rate of $.05 a minute and no one picks up the call, then I will still be charged $.05. This isn’t a problem for countries with low calling rates but for higher rate countries, all those missed calls do add up so look out for that!

2. Your credits do not really expire but you must make an international call using your Google Voice account at least once every six months minimum or else you lose your credits. Once you do make a call, the expiration counter will reset itself and you’ll have another six months *from the date* you have last placed a call. For example, if you placed a call on 01/01/11, then you have until 06/01/11 before your credits expire provided that you do not make any calls in-between those two dates. However, if you make a call on 04/01/11 even if to talk for just one minute or one second, than you have until 09/01/11 before your credits disappear. Long story short, as long as you make one international phone call every six months, you have nothing to worry about.

In the End…

My parents cannot be more happy with the Google Voice service. The rates are cheap, the service is easy to use and it works. I on the other hand get to enjoy free text messaging! Also, I can also make free outbound calls within Gmail anywhere in the United States and Canada! Sadly, that feature will be cut off at the end of the year but if more users subscribe and support Google Voice, I’m hoping they will bring that feature back sometime in the future. But as far as international calling goes, it’s a major winner from what I have seen so far. As always, there’s much more to learn about Google Voice besides just international calling so check it out when you have a chance.

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