To make the call, remember to use the Messenger app for your smartphone, or regular desktop Facebook. Plus the audio quality is generally excellent. With nearly 1 billion users, the odds are your friends or loved ones are already there, which is why I'd recommend starting here first. Give it a try: it's the most colourful and fun of the free phone apps, best known for introducing 'stickers,' to instant messages to pretty up your texts, from the likes of Pokemon and Mickey Mouse, to Dragon Ball and Star Wars.įacebook Messenger. The Line app dominates in Asia, but it's starting to make inroads elsewhere with a delicious offer: free international calls to land lines as long as you watch a 15 second ad first. Look for the green camera icon on your mobile screen or in the menu of your desktop.

It comes installed on all new iPhones, iPads and Macs. Unlike the other apps, FaceTime isn't a download. You'll want to consider one of the other options.

But if your mum is on Android and you're on Apple, you're out of luck. All you need is a phone number or Apple ID to begin making free calls. Recently WhatsApp expanded beyond basic free calls and messages to copy communications app Snapchat with a similar 'Story' feature that lets members show off collections of photos and videos.Īpple's FaceTime couldn't be any simpler to operate, and should be your first choice if you have an iPhone, iPad or Apple Macintosh computer. Like Skype, the app works when your friends are there. WhatsApp is probably the most popular app right now among people in Europe for free calls, with over 1 billion global users on the service. You can't make calls until you both accept the request. Calls are easy to make, but the invite process is clunky. Rates vary depending upon which country you call. It also offers a monthly subscription. As it always has, calling 'Skype to Skype', is free, but making a call from your smartphone to someone's landline or cell phones will cost you. Skype has been the pioneer of free calls since it started in 2003. Each app works differently, but in a nutshell, look for the phone or video camera icon for guidance to where to make your free calls. If they like to connect there, it will be the easiest place to find them. Which app to use? A good basic rule of thumb: use the app where your friends or family are. And now you have the option of either making a voice or video call, along with various features from the apps, like chat and group calls. Charges may occur if you try to call someone's landline or cell phone from the app, but if you call app to app, it's most often free.

International calling with whatsapp