Google has updated their iPhone app and now includes the Click2Call feature. This means you can make free phone calls on your iPhone using Google Voice.
Before this update, when you placed a phone call using the Google Voice iPhone app, your iPhone would be connected to the number you called. The caller would see your Google Voice number as the caller ID, BUT, you would use your cellphone minutes.
Now, with Click2Call, you can use any number of services like SipGate or Whistle VOIP to make free phone calls. You can also use a service like Skype or Line2 to make really inexpensive phone calls.
Hands on with Click2Call on the iPhone
Click HERE if you can not see the embedded video above.
How does it work?
When you enable Click2Call, GV will ask you to choose what phone number to use to connect your phone call. (These phone numbers have to verified in your Google Voice Settings.)
We will use Sipgate for this example because:
- It is free to sign up
- You get a free phone number (it might not be a local number but that doesn’t matter)
- You get free incoming calls
- It works many many SIP clients on the iPhone
When you choose to use your Sipgate number, Google Voice will call that number (this is an incoming phone call to Sipgate so it’s free).
You will have to setup a SIP client on your iPhone to work with Sipgate. Fring and Nimbuzz both work with Sipgate, both are free, and both have free push notifications for incoming calls.
The SIP client (Fring in this example) will send a push notification that you have an incoming phone call.
When you answer the call, Google Voice will connect you with the number you dialed.
That Is it! Make free phone calls on your iPhone using the Google Voice app!
What you need
- A free Google Voice account
- The GV iPhone app
- Enable Click2Call on the GV app under the settings button.
- A free account at Sipgate
- A free phone phone number from Sipgate (It does not have to be a local number, any US phone number will work).
- An iPhone app that works with Sipgate. The iPhone app must be able to send push notifications of incoming calls. (Fring and Nimbuzz both work and are both free).
- You must add and verify your Sipgate number in your Google Voice account settings.
The click2call feature has been available to use in a web browser for awhile. There are several good tutorials for using Sipgate with Google Voice, including this one at Lifehacker.com. The setup is the same, but now you can make the calls from both your desktop and cellphone.
You can also make inexpensive phone calls if you use your Skype or Line2 phone number with Google Voice. Either way, you can save your cellphone minutes.
Bottom Line
Real estate professionals constantly use their cell phone as a way to communicate with clients and colleagues. While is takes a few more clicks to make a phone call, using the Click2Call feature of Google Voice is an easy way to reduce your cellphone bill.
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