Google is currently allowing US-based Gmail users to make free phone calls throughout North America.
Yes, you read that correctly! Calls to the US and Canada will be free for at least the rest of the year, while calls placed to other countries are expected to be billed at low rates.
So, how does it work?
Well, just click “Call phone” at the top of your chat list and dial a number or enter a contact’s name.
If you have a Google Voice phone number, calls made from Gmail will display this number as the outbound caller ID.
And if you decide to, you can also receive calls made to this number right inside Gmail.
The feature is expected to be fully rolled out to US-based Gmail users over the next few days.
So, you’ll be ready to get started once “Call Phones” shows up in your chat list.
But please note that you will be required to install Gmail’s voice and video plug-in if you haven’t already.
