Has anyone used VIBER OUT (or other international calling systems) - a calling plan whereby unlimited minutes can be purchased to phone abroad? I currently use SKYPE to call UK numbers and these are the differences: SKYPE: You buy a normal phone number in the ONE country (UK in my case) you wish to call frequently for about £30 per annum. You then buy a certain number of minutes per month to call from Skype to that country - it is £2.40 for 100 minutes and £5 for 400 minutes (I think, as everywhere my wife and I looked we found different rates quoted). The recipient will see the phone number you purchased and the recipient can call you back at the rate for calling a number in his own country (so free on most mobile call plans). You can also buy credit to use for phone calls (instead of buying a monthly plan if use is infrequent) and for sending SMS. VIBER OUT: It appears you call from the Viber app and so do not buy a phone number in your calling country. But that means people in your calling country cannot call you back as they would be calling your Philippine phone at high costs. Costs are about £4.30 per month (it is actually quoted as $5.99) for unlimited calls to 60 countries (which they confusingly term "Call World") or various rates to call any country (e.g. 263 mins for $4.99). There appears to be no way to send SMS. So, has anyone used Viber Out or something else? If so, any advice please? I have read mixed messages about Viber Out call quality. Btw, I know helpful members will tell me to get my recipients to download Skype or Viber or other apps and to call direct - unfortunately my recipients have mobiles but don't even know how to send a text. So that one is out! I have to be able to call them in a way that is calling their mobile or landline. Future generations will not have this problem - they'll have different ones instead!
I use Whatsapp and Facebook messenger, both free. Whatsapp you need a phone number, any country. FB messenger just wifi But person at other end needs it
GOOGLE VOICE Same as Skype except it is free. (Free for me in the US. I am not sure about other countries.) You get a local phone number in the US. you can send and receive calls and text messages to anyone in the US for free. There are fees for calling and sending texts to countries outside your home country. For me calling/texting and receiving calls/texts in the US is free. Although I am in the Philippines I have to pay to call a Philippine land line. This happens occasionally for me because Philippine Globe does not make connections to Philippine land lines.
No chance they will ever have any of those - they have smartphones but use them as ordinary phones. I use ordinary phones I bought in the UK for £5 twelve years ago (and can still get the batteries).
Google Voice seems to be useable only for the US and requires being a member of Google Workspace if using for the UK (and some other countries). I try to remove everything Google from my computer (using DuckDuckGo and other map services, for example). Just come across TalkU (with mixed reviews) and might give that a try.
@Notmyrealname I call my sister in Florida for free as long as I call her mobile number. Same goes for my mates in Oz. All for free. I don’t pay for any calls as long as I’m calling a mobile number and the recipient has wifi. I think you only get charged if you use a landline? But mobile to mobile should not be a problem.
The 'wi-fi' part indicates the internet is required and they just use mobiles with monthly calling plans - that is why Skype, with a dedicated phone number in their country, is suitable but Viber is not. Still thinking of trying TalkU soon and if that is not good then I'll stick with Skype. But thanks anyway.
I use Viber out and just add $5 credit every few months. I dial international numbers, mostly banks and stuff in Australia where I might be on hold for 15-30 minutes. It is very handy as it allows me to use it for 13 numbers I just add the +61 and the 13 number (phone banking etc) and it works well. If Viber is registered to your number from back home it will show up as you calling, my Aussie mobile number shows up at their end. Service is good, rates are great. I recommend it at least for $5 trial credit. If your internet is good here at home then the calls are often better than direct dialing.
It might not be suited for you if you insist on having unlimited calls, but for the past 5 years I have been using something called DialNow to call any people/companies that you can't reach through Whatsapp/Skype/Messenger etc. No monthly or yearly fees, no setup fee, and you can call anywhere in the world for peanuts. Over the course of 5 years I have spent at most 30€ on DialNow credit in total to regularly call my mother, and occasionally a business or a government agency. From the Philippines you'd pay less than half a penny per minute to call a landline in the UK, and less than a penny to call a mobile number. You can send SMS also. You'd need to open an account at their website, buy 5 pounds minimum credit, download the app to your phone and off you go.
Certainly looks promising - I am surprised it is so little known. Actually I don't require unlimited minutes - I talk too much as it is! - but I was stating that is what Viber Out offers. I will look into it and give it a go. Looks like the best alternative to Skype for my purposes.
