How to Make Free Phone Calls on Your Computer

Key Points

• You can make free phone calls on your computer using Google Voice in four easy steps.
• Having a second phone line on your computer can be helpful for business or personal use.
• Using Google Voice for phone calls can be a cheaper option for international calls and keeping phone bills low.
• Google Voice offers extra features like call forwarding, voicemail transcription, and texting capabilities for free.
• To make free phone calls on your computer, you need a Google email account and navigate to Google Voice.

No matter why you need to make phone calls from your computer, it’s possible to do so without paying a small fortune. Whether you’ve forgotten your phone, need a second number, or hate paying for too much data, here’s how to make free phone calls on your computer in four easy steps.

What You Need Before Making Calls via Your Computer

Before you start making free phone calls on your computer, there are a few items you’ll need. First, you’ll need either an internal microphone (if using a laptop) or a headset with a microphone attached.

Your computer or laptop type shouldn’t matter, as long as you can access Google Voice. If you plan on using an external mic and headphones, be sure to connect them to your computer before making your phone calls.

The Benefits of Using Your Computer for Phone Calls

If you’re wondering why you should make free phone calls on your computer, let us explain.

You Can Have a Second Phone for Free

If you own a business or have a side hustle, you may want to be able to keep your work and home life separate. Having a second phone line that can be accessed wherever you are and via your computer can be helpful.

But that’s not all. If your phone dies, or if you don’t have data, it’s easy to log on to your computer and make a call. And since it’s free, you won’t have to worry about paying anything extra.

It Can Be a Cheaper Option

If you need to make international calls, don’t have unlimited data, or want to keep your phone bill low, using an app or service like Google Voice can be helpful and much cheaper.

Google Voice offers free calls and texts and can be used via your computer or an app on your phone and tablet. It can certainly be beneficial if you’re tired of spending extra money on your phone or have a second phone you no longer want.

Extra Features

Using an app like Google Voice offers quite a few extra features. These include rejecting and muting calls, having a “Do Not Disturb” mode, call forwarding, transcripted voicemails, and texting capabilities — all for free.

If you have a business, you may be able to use other features like group conference calls and connecting your number to a CRM tool.

How to Make Free Phone Calls on Your Computer in 4 Steps

Now that you know the benefits and reasons for using your computer for phone calls, let’s talk about how to make the calls!

Step 1: Navigate to Google Voice

Before you’re able to make free calls, you’ll want to have a Google email account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for an email for free. When you have your email set up, you’ll need to navigate to Google Voice.

When you first go to Google Voice, you’ll be prompted to set up a new phone number. To do so, you can enter your city or zip code. Then, Google Voice will recommend a few free numbers that you can use.

Step 2: Choose a Phone Number

Once you’ve clicked on a phone number to use, Google Voice will prompt you to confirm an existing phone number. You can use a current cell phone number, a home phone, or even a work phone.

Google will then text or call the number to verify it’s real. You’ll need to enter the code Google Voice sends you.

Step 3: Add Numbers

This step is optional, but before you start making calls, you can add numbers to your address book via Google Voice. We skipped this step to save time on setup, but you can do so if you need to.

Step 4: Make Your First Call

Now is the time to make your first phone call via your computer! You can do this easily with the number pad on the right-hand side of Google Voice. Simply type in the number you want to call and press the green phone icon.

Google Voice will ask you to verify your microphone before your first call. Simply click “Allow” when your computer prompts you to connect your microphone. From there, the call will be made.

It’s incredibly easy to make free phone calls, you just have to:

• Go to Google Voice
• Sign up and choose a number
• Add numbers to your phone (optional)
• Make your first phone call!

How to Make Free Phone Calls on Your Computer: Wrap Up

You’ve officially made your first free phone call via your computer! Remember to keep your Google Voice account active by texting or calling someone once a month.

Once you’ve reached three months of inactivity, Google Voice will remove the number from your account, and then you’ll have to sign up again.

Overall, it’s simple to make free phone calls on your computer, and you can get everything set up in less than 10 minutes!

Summary Table

The image featured at the top of this post is ©NOBUHIRO ASADA/Shutterstock.com.