Google announced yesterday that users in 25 countries will now get the first minute free on international calls to 25 countries they make via its Hangouts app.
Google’s Hangouts app for desktops and mobile has long allowed for instant messaging, video chat and calls to phone numbers (including free calls to US and Canada) using an internet connection. The free minute now lets you say a quick hello or deliver an important message at no charge.
However, you’ll need to have some calling credit in your Google account (that you can add with your credit card) to get your first minute free, as you’ll be charged for the duration of your call beyond that first minute. You can look up the rates for voice calls here.
I tried the service today and found it to work just fine on my iPhone — and a minute was enough to check in on my parents and find out how our dog is doing. You can try it too using Hangouts on your desktop or mobile device, and even try out the Hangouts Dialer app for Android if you like.
The free minute is available for calls made to numbers in these countries:
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- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- Dominican Republic
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Peru
- Poland
- Russia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
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