What is the best free internet phone service?

[giddyup]

After years of sending emails and FB messages to my friend in Australia I now realise (yeah, I'm slow) that I could be making phone calls. What's a good free service that allows me to call them and possibly have a video connection as well?

[Eindhoven]

WhatsApp

LINE

VIBER

FaceTime

 

.......

[Antonymous]

Skype?

 

If you both have Skype, phone calls and video are free.

[terry Meltham]

I find Wechat the best

 

[giddyup]

Just now, terry Meltham said:

I find Wechat the best

 

Any particular reason?

[Digitalbanana]

1. Zoom Meeting. Best all-around video chat and conferencing app. ...
2. Skype. Best easy-to-use multiplatform video chat. ...
3. Google Duo. Best video chat for Android users. ...
4. Discord. Best video chat for gamers. ...
5. FaceTime. Best video chat app for iPhone users. ...
6. Facebook Messenger. ...
7. WhatsApp.

[Speedo1968]

Don't forget you also need a good internet provider at both ends.

What I find confusing as an "at last" Smart phone user is the differences on the conversation in both forms, voice and message.

I have Whatsapp and LINE on my laptop and phone.    I have Skype on my laptop but only used a few times in the past for contacting family in UK.  My children in UK have both Whatsapp and LINE.

 

[Thomas J]

If both parties have Facebook messenger you can call and even have a Video call for free.  

[giddyup]

5 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

If both parties have Facebook messenger you can call and even have a Video call for free.  

Have tried that, but I keep getting message that contact is "unreachable", whatever that means.

[bkk6060]

We Chat is a Chinese run platform with suspicion that they collect data and spy on their users.

Up to you..

[Mavideol]

2 hours ago, terry Meltham said:

I find Wechat the best

 

Wechat is a Chinese app and 100% controlled by Chinese government... goodby privacy

Edited November 23, 2020 by Mavideol

[Mavideol]

2 hours ago, giddyup said:

Any particular reason?

maybe he/she is Chinese, no other plausible reason 555

[Golden Triangle]

I use Facebook Messenger all the time, never had a problem.

 

Is your friend also on Messenger ? Is there a green dot on their profile when you call ? Maybe email your friend and ask him or her to try calling you at a specific time so you will both be online at the same time, I sometimes call my brother or sister when they are off line or busy elsewhere, they usually see a missed call when they check messenger, if your friend isn't a regular user they may not be aware of your call.

[Thomas J]

4 hours ago, giddyup said:

Have tried that, but I keep getting message that contact is "unreachable", whatever that means.

Basically it means that the person does not have Facebook Messenger turned on.  For a conventional phone service try Viber.  Cheap phone calls like 2 cents  USD per minute.  You can even get unlimited for $4.99 per month. 

 

[vinci]

use what you already know, FB messenger, you can call or facetime with them

Quote

Have tried that, but I keep getting message that contact is "unreachable", whatever that means

mean that they are not online, they turn off FB/messenger

[Thomas J]

5 hours ago, Mavideol said:

Wechat is a Chinese app and 100% controlled by Chinese government... goodby privacy

True

However consider how many of you have used google to search for something and then suddenly find ads from company promoting it.  If I search for something on google I suddenly get ads even on Facebook.  I did a search the other day on lens coatings for glasses on the internet.  Suddenly I get a response in my email to a virtually identical question on Reddit.  And I did not search the question on Reddit. 

Do you really think the US government is not also monitoring messages.  They are grabbing metadata from every source and looking for keywords.  I don't know what they have to find in order to go further with their surveillance but I am certain if you used certain keywords on Facebook, searches on Google, or started looking at sites they view as evidence of some form of criminal activity, you will soon have all of your communications monitored. 

 

[Stocky]

6 hours ago, Mavideol said:

Wechat is a Chinese app and 100% controlled by Chinese government... goodby privacy

You seriously think they're the slightest bit interested in your talking about the weather and your bunions?

 

As for the OP's question, I use variously Skype, Zoom, Line and Whatsapp

 

.

Edited November 23, 2020 by Stocky

[cucme]

When it comes to privacy, Wire is No. 1!

[marin]

On 11/23/2020 at 12:32 PM, giddyup said:

Have tried that, but I keep getting message that contact is "unreachable", whatever that means.

It simply means they are not online. You do have to be online for any of these services to work. Simple

[Seeall]

On 11/23/2020 at 10:18 AM, giddyup said:

After years of sending emails and FB messages to my friend in Australia I now realise (yeah, I'm slow) that I could be making phone calls. What's a good free service that allows me to call them and possibly have a video connection as well?

AU is a pain in the butt as usual .... finally now theres a system to call ALL phones unlimited in AU and TH and most other countries for 14USD/month  Its worth it just for TH, you know when you get transfered 5 times then hung up on.....

[hkt83100]

For privacy reason, I am using Line. Anything related to Facebook is a no-go. Facetime is Apple, and that stuff will never step in my house (or mobile).

[Tick Nurner]

1 hour ago, Seeall said:

AU is a pain in the butt as usual .... finally now theres a system to call ALL phones unlimited in AU and TH and most other countries for 14USD/month  Its worth it just for TH, you know when you get transfered 5 times then hung up on.....

What is that system?

[PDPA2024]

On 11/23/2020 at 11:12 AM, Digitalbanana said:

1. Zoom Meeting. Best all-around video chat and conferencing app. ...
2. Skype. Best easy-to-use multiplatform video chat. ...
3. Google Duo. Best video chat for Android users. ...
4. Discord. Best video chat for gamers. ...
5. FaceTime. Best video chat app for iPhone users. ...
6. Facebook Messenger. ...
7. WhatsApp.

Thanks Google!

[wwest5829]

I have always used Skype and never have had problems. My calls are invariably to the USA.

[scorecard]

On 11/23/2020 at 2:29 PM, giddyup said:

Any particular reason?

Been using LINE for many years within Thailand and across all countries as long as both parties have an internet connection.

 

No need to change any settings when your in another country, and if you do change your SIM when your in another country to make mainstream local (paid) calls you still get instant connection on LINE.

 

From Thailand and from Australia I regularly call friends/colleagues in Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia/Bali, Germany, England, Canada, Colombia and USA. Never failed to get a quick connection as long as both parties have LINE installed and have an internet connection. 

 

Both video and audio very clear, very rare to have a bad connection. 

 

Works for calls, messages and video-chat, all totally free.

[jimn]

If you want to call friends obviously Messenger, Skype, Whats App are best. However sometimes you just need to make an international call to a company or someone who is not on these platforms. I use a VOIP app called Vyke. You buy credit in dollars and it is mega cheap to call everywhere. I paid for 3 dollars months ago and still nowhere near using my credit. Give it a try.

[GreasyFingers]

I use Skype on the computer but while it works it is a dog of a program ever since Microsoft took it over. As I do not have internet on my phone I cannot use any of the other suggestions.

[GreasyFingers]

5 minutes ago, jimn said:

If you want to call friends obviously Messenger, Skype, Whats App are best. However sometimes you just need to make an international call to a company or someone who is not on these platforms. I use a VOIP app called Vyke. You buy credit in dollars and it is mega cheap to call everywhere. I paid for 3 dollars months ago and still nowhere near using my credit. Give it a try.

You can always make a phone call. True costs 1 baht per minute to a landline or 6 baht a minute to a mobile.

[Stocky]

27 minutes ago, jimn said:

If you want to call friends obviously Messenger, Skype, Whats App are best. However sometimes you just need to make an international call to a company or someone who is not on these platforms.

Easy enough to use Skype Out, just put credits on your Skype, can call landlines, mobiles no problem very good rates.

[Namrevlis]

TOTALLY FREE CALLS TO ANY PHONE IN THE WORLD

I have been using this service for 4 years and have made hundreds of calls to normal (non-internet) phones in more than a dozen countries and have never paid any money at all. It takes about 4 or 5 minutes a day to check in and you get a few credits. You can get more credits by playing games or short quizzes. I must emphasize no money required ever. 

Download it so you can make free calls and send free messages. http://dingtone.me/and/fwa/en/e/?i=aqC9di .

 

Note: I don't make any money for this referral, however I make 20 phone credits if you sign up. Dave