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Gmail Lets You Make Phone Calls from Your Computer for Free

by Josh Kirschner on August 25, 2010

Google announced today a new feature for U.S. Gmail users that lets you call any phone number—cell phone or landline—from your computer. And the Gmail calling feature is free to phones in the U.S. and Canada, with low rates available to other countries.

Other Internet calling providers, such as Skype, allow you to make computer-to-computer call for free, but calling a landline or cell phone require purchasing credits.

To use the Gmail calling service, you just click on "Call phone" in the Gmail chat list (the first time, you will need to download a small plug-in for your browser). You dial the number on a pop-up keypad, just like a normal phone, or enter a name from your Gmail contact list.

Gmail phone call

If you have a Google Voice phone number, calls made from Gmail will display this number as the outbound caller ID. And you can receive calls made to your Google Voice number within Gmail.

You should expect call quality to be on par with other Internet calling providers—not as good as your landline, but more than acceptable for the occasional chat.


Topics

Phones and Mobile, News, Computers and Software, Phone Accessories, Internet Calling, Money Savers


Discussion loading

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From hannah bingham on October 29, 2020 :: 4:39 pm


it wont work for me helllpppppp i also have a chrome and it is on school

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From christopher tallman on January 20, 2021 :: 9:41 am


its on you school

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From Ginger Kirkland on October 04, 2021 :: 11:20 am


It doesn’t work because it has a virus in the app and your virus protection is blocking the app

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From kyrika on December 09, 2020 :: 3:21 pm


pls help me im getting abused

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From Gentrie on January 03, 2021 :: 5:24 pm


I need this!!!!!!!!!!!1

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From Raja on March 08, 2021 :: 12:24 pm


Hii

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From kendra on March 16, 2021 :: 10:34 am


um i love the way they make this up

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From maryory on May 24, 2021 :: 1:42 pm


i wannna calll mom everybody

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From Albert Pritchard on June 27, 2021 :: 5:39 pm


Can you help ME with hooking up a phone number on my tablet

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From Albert Pritchard on June 27, 2021 :: 5:42 pm


I’m a literate when it co to hooking up a phone number on my tablet?

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From Suzanne Kantra on June 28, 2021 :: 10:20 am


With a Gmail account (which is also you Google account), you can sign up for Google Voice. Just download the Google Voice app for your iPad or Android tablet and sign in with your Gmail address and password. Then you’ll be able to select a phone number in your area. You do need a cellular phone or landline number to sign up for a Google Voice number.

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From Kaylah James on September 13, 2021 :: 7:14 pm


I want to be able to call my friend because I don’t have a phone

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From lilygoff on September 13, 2021 :: 9:41 pm


this app sucks theperson who created it is a f wite

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From Karl Rosenblatt on December 22, 2021 :: 10:04 pm


You cant make calls unless you already have a way to make calls.  That’s like a bank that won’t loan you money “because you need it”.  But if you had enough money to pay all your bills you wouldn’t be going for a loan.

It’s their way to keep track of you.  If you could just call from any computer for free all the phone companies would lose billions.  They want you to pay separately for phone service when you already have internet.  They fix it that way to force you to pay more when you shouldn’t have to.

That’s like the electric company charging you not just for electricity but how many devices are plugged in - its insane.

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