Fantastic APP for calling USA or Canada for Free

[oneday]

I recently needed to make a call to the National Visa Center in America. I knew I'd be on-hold for a very long time and it wasn't a toll-free number. I searched the internet looking for a way to call for free and found two ways, one of which is frankly unbelievable.

One way I found is using some voice aspect/function of GMAIL through Chat on your GMAIL account, but the voice or calling part of Chat doesn't seem to work in Thailand yet.

The other method was an APP called MagicAPP.

1. The APP is free.

2. The phone calls are totally FREE

3. You can call ANY number in the US or Canada from any country in the world (I use it even for Toll-free numbers because it's so much easier than Skype)

4. The connections I've had are as clear as if I were in the US

5. It is available for Android and iOS.

6. It allows you to make a phone call from your phone 100% exactly like making any other phone call in Thailand.

7. If you store the number in your contacts this APP has access to your contacts just like your phone does.

It's from the same people that came up with MagicJack many years ago.

[ryanhull]

I recently needed to make a call to the National Visa Center in America. I knew I'd be on-hold for a very long time and it wasn't a toll-free number. I searched the internet looking for a way to call for free and found two ways, one of which is frankly unbelievable.

One way I found is using some voice aspect/function of GMAIL through Chat on your GMAIL account, but the voice or calling part of Chat doesn't seem to work in Thailand yet.

The other method was an APP called MagicAPP.

1. The APP is free.

2. The phone calls are totally FREE

3. You can call ANY number in the US or Canada from any country in the world (I use it even for Toll-free numbers because it's so much easier than Skype)

4. The connections I've had are as clear as if I were in the US

5. It is available for Android and iOS.

6. It allows you to make a phone call from your phone 100% exactly like making any other phone call in Thailand.

7. If you store the number in your contacts this APP has access to your contacts just like your phone does.

It's from the same people that came up with MagicJack many years ago.

Any VOIP app requires a good internet connection wether that be 3G or WIFI, I have tried most of them and find Skype holds the clearest call quality, especially from a windows 8.1 phone.

Out of interest, when you call the US, what does your number show up as?

Also can you call the UK on this app?

Thanks

[bamnutsak]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magicjack&hl=en

This app. has been reviewed here extensively in the past. It used to be a bit lame, but it is much better now.

If you have an mJ adapter/account/10 digit number, then you can use this app via that account, incoming calls ring through as well. Very cool.

And they just added text/SMS capabilities on July 27, 2015.

Google Voice and Talkatone also offer similar capabilities.

what does your number show up as

Depends. If you have an account, and have signed up for a 10-digit telephone number then this number gets passed as a CPID. At least it does for my mJ, GV and Talkatone numbers. If you have a freebie account then it's often the port no. on the VoIP gateway.

Edited August 6, 2015 by bamnutsak

[oneday]

I recently needed to make a call to the National Visa Center in America. I knew I'd be on-hold for a very long time and it wasn't a toll-free number. I searched the internet looking for a way to call for free and found two ways, one of which is frankly unbelievable.

One way I found is using some voice aspect/function of GMAIL through Chat on your GMAIL account, but the voice or calling part of Chat doesn't seem to work in Thailand yet.

The other method was an APP called MagicAPP.

1. The APP is free.

2. The phone calls are totally FREE

3. You can call ANY number in the US or Canada from any country in the world (I use it even for Toll-free numbers because it's so much easier than Skype)

4. The connections I've had are as clear as if I were in the US

5. It is available for Android and iOS.

6. It allows you to make a phone call from your phone 100% exactly like making any other phone call in Thailand.

7. If you store the number in your contacts this APP has access to your contacts just like your phone does.

It's from the same people that came up with MagicJack many years ago.

Any VOIP app requires a good internet connection wether that be 3G or WIFI, I have tried most of them and find Skype holds the clearest call quality, especially from a windows 8.1 phone.

Out of interest, when you call the US, what does your number show up as?

Also can you call the UK on this app?

Thanks

For me this beats Skype for ease of use and it's free when calling any normal land based line other than a toll free number. This is not true for Skype. It's only free with Skype when calling toll-free numbers or another computing device using Skype.

Don't know what the number is that shows up.

Sorry, it only works for the US and Canada.

[ToddinChonburi]

Sure gets some bad reviews !!!!

[oneday]

Google Voice and Talkatone also offer similar capabilities.

Google Voice was the one I was talking about. It's accessed through GMail and does not seem to be available in Thailand yet. I couldn't get the phone ICON to appear on my chat and when I looked into it Thailand is not listed under the countries this works in right now.

Even if it was working I still prefer MagicAPP as it works just like making a normal call on my phone.

[bamnutsak]

Google Voice was the one I was talking about.

Yes, Google Voice is BRILLIANT, along with Hangouts/Hangouts Dialer. You'll need to present a U.S. IP address to register (use a VPN, have someone in the U.S. register you), which gives you a 10-digit telephone number.

So it works fine from an Android phone, and anyone in the U.S. can ring your U.S. number to call you anywhere. It is amazing.

Much, much, much better than this mJ app, IME, unless you have an mJ adapter/account/number.

Sure gets some bad reviews !!!!

Well, it was a steaming pile of poo, and all but unusable in its first few revs., but it's gotten a lot better.

Edited August 6, 2015 by bamnutsak

[chakeeoyen]

Google Voice was the one I was talking about.

Yes, Google Voice is BRILLIANT, along with Hangouts/Hangouts Dialer. You'll need to present a U.S. IP address to register (use a VPN, have someone in the U.S. register you), which gives you a 10-digit telephone number.

So it works fine from an Android phone, and anyone in the U.S. can ring your U.S. number to call you anywhere. It is amazing.

Much, much, much better than this mJ app, IME, unless you have an mJ adapter/account/number.

This. When I went back to the states last time, I made sure to get a Google Voice number and forward it to the prepaid sim number I had purchased. I now have that number and get all messages sent directly to Hangouts from my US friends and family. I can also call mobile numbers for free over data and I've only ever had a few hiccups with dropped calls/quality.

[VIPinthailand]

USA is a pain to call. they think they are alone in this world.

people in the USA told me they could not call me as they were restrict only to call inside the states...

in the future , I will cancel by accounts in the USA. just wait for the US dollars to go up and I transfer all to Thailand.

Edited August 6, 2015 by VIPinthailand

[jacklance]

All calls cut in and out and no one can call u till u call them first. Can't txt w/o them saying upgrade first. Time to get a real phone company

[oneday]

Thank you for some useful comments "Bamnutsak" and "Chakeeoyen".

Edited August 7, 2015 by oneday