Google Home Can Now Make Free Calls in US and Canada

By Jessica Ferrera, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, August 20, 2017

Google has recently introduced the free voice call feature on Google Home speakers through Google Assistant.

In a recent announcement, Google confirmed that Google Home users in the United States and Canada can now ask their speakers to make hands-free phone calls. Based on the statement, Google Home owners can "call anyone" via their mobile phones and office lines.

Right now, Google Home can already make a call to people listed in the owner's Google Contacts. However, with the addition of the new feature, Google Home owners can now make hands-free calls to anyone in the U.S. and Canada — even to those who are not listed in a person's Google Contacts.

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Google Home speakers are enabled to recognize its owner's voice. So, for example, by simply telling the device to "Call Dad," it is expected to accurately make the call to the right person and Google assures: "You'll reach your dad instead of just any dad."

Aside from making personal calls, the new feature will also enable Google Home to dial the numbers of "millions of businesses across U.S. and Canada." That means Google Home owners can also make phone call purchases at nearby local businesses using their smart speakers and Google Assistant.

To activate Google Home's free phone call service, users only need to say "Hey Google, call (contact)" or "OK Google, call (contact)" to initiate a phone conversation. All calls are made through the home's Wi-Fi connection.

Receivers of Google Home free calls will, by default, get an "Unknown" caller ID.

However, if a Google Home owner has previously set up accounts in Google Voice or Project Fi services and has linked their mobile numbers to it, they can then set that as their official caller ID so the people they call via Google Home can easily recognize them.

Meanwhile, reports have also clarified that 911 calls via Google Home are not yet available. This is because emergency call dispatchers locate 911 callers through mobile signals which would not be possible with Google Home calls since these are made through a Wi-Fi connection.

It is yet unknown when Google plans to roll out this free call service to other regions.