How to call for free on your iPhone

[Paul Daniel Ash]

image source: Cult of Mac

Out of minutes on your iPhone account? Tim Cox at Cult of Mac reveals the details of this tidy hack to both send and receive calls for free on the iPhone, using Fring for the iPhone and free Gizmo VoIP (voice-over-IP) and Google Voice accounts. Outgoing calls are limited to three minutes, but you can talk as long as you want on incoming calls (thanks, Google!).

Fring is a free app that aggregates multiple online accounts (AIM, ICQ, Google Voice, SIP VoIP, etc.) onto a single front end on your iPhone. Gizmo is a VoIP provider that offers free calls out up to three minutes, and Google Voice is, well, Google.

The VoIP part does require you to use WiFi rather than your 3G connection, and the three-minute cap is a real drawback. However, it's awesome creativity, and it begins to point the way to true VoIP capabilities on a jailbroken, unlocked iPhone... at some future unspecified time, of course, when such activities would be free from legal sanction.

[billchase2]

Interesting. I don't think I've ever gone over my minutes but for those who come close, this could be a possible solution.

[rwin84]

Pretty F'in Sweet!

[bettyjordi]

Is the hack available in other languages?

[awesomeSlayer]

Does it support the iPod touch?

[madness3881]

its keeps saying when i try to verify the number from google voice to enter the 2 digit activation code they give me and when i do it says it doesnt understand my entry? Any help would be great.

[Kiserai]

This is sweet, but with a current rollover balance of about 3600 minutes I think I'll be alright without it.

[vinaygoel2000]

Lol. Me too, sittin on 4000.

[xgus69]

i wish t-mobile had rollover...
im on a family plan at the max 2000 and always manage to go over lol

[Channan]

Texting saves me so many freaking minutes. lol I even text my bosses sometimes when I'm gonna be late. If I wasn't on a family plan and had to get my own, 450 would be too many. I wouldn't need any more.

[mombopete]

its keeps saying when i try to verify the number from google voice to enter the 2 digit activation code they give me and when i do it says it doesnt understand my entry? Any help would be great.

Same with me. It seems like Fring doesn't make the tone sound when you press the numbers. Please help.

[eremeya]

I have it setup on my iPhone with GV dialer and Siphone off of Cydia and can make free calls for how ever long I want.

I have found the call quality having it set up this way tends to be better from my 3GS then it is from my Macbook.

[Rescuer]

This is old news I thought there was already a news thread about this a couple months ago?
Google Voice applications pulled from the App Store.
Happy noodle boy also posted the link for the information in the thread.

i originally saw it here
Google Voice + Gizmo5 + ATA = Free Voip - SlickDeals.net Forums

when gizmo first added GV it, the calls were 20 minutes. then tons of people signed up that same day, and on the 2nd or 3rd day they reduced the outbound minutes

and the google voice app got pulled from the appstore the next day as well.

i believe when this GV + gizmo thing hit, it put the google voice app into the spotlight. that is when apple quickly removed it

[koolpenguin89]

Wait, so if this works over WiFi, wouldn't is be possible to make phone calls without even having a SIM card (assuming the phone is jailbroken)? This is HUGE news! We can now use our iPhones to make and recieve calls anywhere that has Wifi, and not even have to have a wireless carrier. Awesome! Someone please correct me if i am wrong.

Dylan

[GregTheWang]

lol i need to kill rollover minutes too... and the 3 minute thing wouldn't affect me too much. Usually when i call someone, they hang up on me within 3 minutes.

[bigorangekitty]

now to find an invite to google voice?

[alek]

where does everyone have google voice accounts from, signups have been blocked for months. Is it invite, if so someone plz send me one!?!?!

[Rescuer]

click here to request an invite

https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/

Please note that Google Voice is only available for sign up in the US.


sometimes it comes in a day, sometimes a couple weeks.

[StealthBravo]

They have been sending invites slow for the past few weeks from what I have heard.

[GenesisDH]

If you use GV Mobile or the Google's official mobile site, you can bypass that 3 minute for outgoing calls limit (instead you'll have a 180 minute limit, as imposed by GV itself):

1) Make sure your GV number forwards only to your Gizmo number
2) Go to GV Mobile's dialer and dial the number (or use the address book linked to your Google Contacts), and let it start the dialing. If you're using Google's mobile site, look for 'quick call,' type in the number and hit the call button (you can also select a contact from your Google Contacts at the top of the page). Make sure it calls your Gizmo number.
3) Go into Fring (or your VoIP app of choice configured for Gizmo) and wait for it to ring so you can answer.

This route does work best if you're jailbroken and have Backgrounder operating on the VoIP app. Nonetheless, you can get free phone calls for up to 3 hours doing this.