How to get free cell phone service!

I have the lowest-cost cell phone service anyone has ever heard about. My cell phone service is FREE. This is about how I got free cell phone service and how you can also get free cell phone service. Last year (2023), I paid over $65 monthly for cell phone service in Canada and Alaska, which worked (without extra charges). After returning to the lower 48, I reduced this monthly cost to less than $25. I considered reducing it to a $15-a-month budget plan but decided to explore how to eliminate this bill. Now, I have FREE cell phone service.

Other low-cost cell phone plans

As a distraction from the main subject, there are many low-cost cell phone plans. Family Motor Coach Association partnered with T-Mobile and has a good monthly plan for $20, which attracts RVers. The lowest-priced cell phone service I have found is Red Pocket Mobile at $10 monthly. Multiple plans are available at $25-$30 per month. Most (if not all) of these plans come from cell phone service resellers. These resellers are known as Mobile Virtual Internet Operators. Here is a link to a discussion about these companies. Mobile Virtual Internet Operators

Brief Overview

• I still have the same phone number.
• I have free phone calls and text messages.
• I have free voice mail and translation into text and email messages.
• All cell phone apps and functions still work.
• Low-cost international phone calls.
• Free international messaging.

Getting free cell phone service requires rethinking what a cell phone does and how it works. My monthly cell phone bill is zero. I still use my free cell phone service to make calls, send text messages, and do everything else. The biggest thing that is missing is the monthly cell phone bill.

This article explains how I got free cell phone service and is written so you can do the same. Free cell phone service is available to anyone. It isn’t a government program. It has been available for years, but almost no one knows how to get it and how to make it work. I’m letting the cat out of the bag, and you can use the information to lower or eliminate your cell phone bills.

Some limitations

This article assumes that you are from the United States. Free cell phone service may exist in other countries, but I don’t know about them. Although the free cell phone service works in every country internationally, it must be established in the United States. You cannot establish free cell phone service, even on a U.S. phone number, except when you are in the United States. If you plan to travel outside the United States, you must set up your free cell phone service before leaving.

Google Voice

“Google Voice is a telephone service that provides a U.S. phone number to Google Account customers in the U.S.” Statement written by Google Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) describing Google Voice. Here is the link to Google’s webpage about the application. Google Voice

Google Voice is not Google Fi.

Google Voice’s free cell phone service is not the same as Google Fi. Google Voice is a phone number hosting and Voice over Internet Protocol feature of Google, while Google Fi is a reseller of T-Mobile service.

You don’t need a cell phone.

You are not excluded from this plan if you don’t have a cell phone. You can establish free cell phone service using any computing device, including desktop or laptop computers or tablet computers. To use the service to its fullest, you will eventually want to use it on a cell phone (with an e-SIM; more on this later at the very end). If you use Google Voice’s free cell phone service as a cell phone service, an actual cell phone has many advantages.

If you use the service on a cell phone, you must OWN your cell phone to establish free cell phone service. Many cell phones are financed as part of a monthly cost associated with cell phone service. You need a cell phone that is clear of restrictions and paid in full. You need to get your cell phone company to unlock the phone so you can move it to a different carrier. This isn’t possible if your cell phone is locked. If your cell phone purchase is part of your contract, pay it off to complete your contract.

Google Account and Google Voice

To get free cell phone service, you must have a Google account. You already have a Google account if you use Gmail (myname@gmail.com). The Google Voice app is a free “cell” phone service that is part of a Google account for residents of the United States. Google Voice works on free Google accounts and other Premium Google accounts that charge a fee. It works in the United States and every other country but is only available in the United States.

Google Voice’s “free cell phone service” features

• A free new phone number or transfer your existing phone number.
• Free phone calls and text messages.
• It can be linked so multiple devices can answer calls, including numerous cell phones.
• Emergency phone calls.
• Free voice mail and translation into text and email messages.
• Automatic spam filtering for both voice calls and text messages.
• Free email alerts for both voice mail and text messages.
• Do not disturb settings.
• Advanced call privacy settings, including hiding your ID on outgoing calls,
• Free international messaging.
• Low-cost international phone calls.
• It can be linked via e-SIM to connect to cell phone towers.

e-SIM technology

If you want to use your phone with cell phone towers, you need a cell phone that supports e-SIM technology to get cell phone internet data. A SIM is a small chip that you stick into the phone to allow it to connect to a cell tower. An e-SIM is a program inside the phone that eliminates the need for the chip. The e-SIM isn’t required to get free cell phone service but will be needed if you want to connect to a cell phone tower. I will discuss this more later in this article.

Understanding cell phones

I uncovered this when writing my article on how to get fast RV internet. Here is a link to this everything-you-need-to-know guide: FAST RV Internet!

Two years ago, in the Fast RV internet article, I mentioned that some clever people could get cell phone service without having a cell phone plan. Here is a link to that section of the Fast RV Internet article. Voice over Internet Protocol

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

The key to unlocking free cell phone service is Voice over Internet Protocol. This means that you will be using data to make your phone calls. If you have reservations about using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), don’t worry; you already use it and don’t know about it. If you have Wi-Fi, every cell phone provider will switch you to VoIP without asking you and act like they are providing the service. The only way not to use VoIP when connected to Wi-Fi is to disable it on your cell phone.

Cell phones operate similarly to internet connections for your computer. In computing, the simplest way to get an internet connection is by connecting to an internet data source (usually via a modem or router). To do this without a wire, you will make a Wi-Fi connection. Most of this article is focused on using a Wi-Fi connection for VoIP cell phone calls. The last part of this article will explain how I get data from cell phone towers to make VoIP calls when I don’t have Wi-Fi.

Cell phone numbers

The key to making phone calls is a phone number. The phone number is the difference between a computer (with an internet connection) and a phone connection. A (modern) cell phone can easily connect to a WiFi data source acting as a computer. Sometimes, the phone can connect to a cell phone tower for data without using a cell phone number. The cell phone number is used to make and get phone calls. You won’t get phone calls (or text messages) without a phone number.

A host for your phone number.

All phone numbers have a host. Verizon was my host when I had a Verizon cell phone service; the same is true for every other provider I have ever had. Cell phone numbers only work with a host. I use Google Voice to host my cell phone number and make this work. Without a host, your cell phone number doesn’t have a “home” and will not work.

I have used the same cell phone number for over twenty years and still have it. You might want a new phone number. In this article, I will tell you how to set up your free cell phone service and keep your old phone number. Later, I will outline a step-by-step plan to set up free cell phone service.

Using Google Voice to host your cell phone number

Using Google Voice to host a cell phone number has been available for over ten years. It is not new. Every cell phone carrier uses the same method to attract new customers. “Switch to XYZ, keep your number” is the number one marketing plan. The best part about using Google Voice to host your phone number is the free cell phone service. Other companies that I know about charge for this service. Google Voice hosting for a phone number is free.

Once you have a cell phone hosted with Google Voice, you can set it up to receive phone calls and text messages on your cell phone or even multiple cell phones and computers, individually or simultaneously, all for free. If you don’t like the Google Voice service, you can always go back to paying for your cell phone service with a different provider.

You don’t need a cell phone to have a Google Voice host a phone number. The key to keeping this service is that you will need to use the phone number. Google Voice cancels accounts where someone gets a phone number and does not use it. Google Voice only wants active customers, not people signing up and never using the number.

Changing the host for your phone number

Anyone who has switched cell phone carriers understands the process. You must post your cell phone number to Google Voice as you step through the transfer process. This transfer will cost a $20 one-time connection fee. This will allow you to use your old cell phone number. If you skip this step, Google will give you one of their numbers, and you won’t have to pay this fee. I paid the transfer fee because I didn’t want to use a different telephone number.

Once you transfer your phone number to Google Voice, anytime you use your phone (or other computing device), you will have free cell phone service when connected to the internet on Wi-Fi.

Free cell phone service.

There are more details about getting free cell phone service using your old phone number ported to Google Voice or a new number from Google Voice. When connected to Wi-Fi, you make calls through the Google Voice App. My phone already has the Google Voice App on it, but if yours does not, you can get it through the Google Play Store or, for Apple phones, through the Apple Apps Store. The Google Voice App is free. When you have the app, you can get free cell phone service.

When making or receiving phone calls or text messages, you will use the Google Voice App, not the Phone or Messages App. If you don’t have Wi-Fi, you cannot make VoIP phone calls (a fix for this problem will be discussed later).

Local phone calls are free.

In Google Voice, all local phone calls and text messages are free. A local phone call is any call within the United States, regardless of whether you are there when you make it. For example, if you are in Italy and call someone in Florida using Google Voice, this is a local call. Try using your paid cell phone service to call from Italy to Florida and stand by for extra charges.

International phone calls are inexpensive.

Any phone call from your United States phone number to any phone number not from the United States is an international call. It does not matter where you are when you make the call. If you are in Italy and use Google Voice to call someone in Italy just down the street, it is an international call as if you were making the call from Florida to Italy. Every country has different rates for international phone calls. Many international phone calls cost less than one cent per minute. This price is similar in most of the major European countries. Here is a link to the per-minute price list. Google Voice International Calling Rates

Sample international phone call rates at ONE-CENT per minute (landlines): Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France,  Germany, Iceland… (This is only a sample list)… Sometimes, prices for international calls vary inside countries. Check the international calling rates to ensure your international prices are as anticipated. Someday, when I have enough experience, I will tell you how to make free international calls. For now, check the price on Google Voice International Calling Rates.

To use Google Voice to make international phone calls, you must prepay with a deposit into your credit account. Here is a link to make international phone calls and deposit money in Google Voice. Google Voice credits

Later, I will tell you how you might want to prepay for international calling using an e-SIM and not use the Google Voice free cell phone service to make this work.

Getting cell phone service from cell phone towers with eSIMs

In the United States, cell phone companies control access to cell phone towers by using cell phones that connect to towers individually. T-Mobile cell phones connect to T-Mobile cell phone towers. The same is true for Verizon and AT&T. Each wants you to buy your cell phone from them, host your cell phone number with them, and control access to their towers as the first step in a phone call. When you make a phone call from company XXX and use company XYZ’s cell phone tower, it is called roaming.

Using eSIMs, I get access to cell towers when I want them and turn off access to cell towers when I have other acceptable Wi-Fi that will accomplish the same thing. My eSIM plan allows me to access AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and multiple other cell phone towers automatically without selecting a tower and deciding which to use. Using my e-SIM is not roaming. I will discuss my e-SIM choice at the end of the article.

Call quality using VoIP and cell tower data.

I said I mostly use VoIP for phone calls and have been doing so for years. Sometimes, I experience delays when using VoIP. Most of the time, I can’t tell that there is any difference in call quality using my Google Voice account versus any of my other cell phone service providers. When using cell towers as data sources, I get the same call quality and data speed as when I was a direct customer of the cell phone company. VoIP depends on the quality and speed of your data source.

Intermission

I have more articles on this subject, including one that explains how cell phone service works. Next, I will give you a step-by-step plan to set up Google Voice free cell phone service. After that, the article will explain how to transfer your cell phone to Google Voice and how to obtain international calling.

Finally, we will explore the features of eSIMs to link your new free cell phone service to local and international cell phone towers to get data at a very low price for local and international cell phone service anywhere in the world. If you are interested in how cell phone companies deliver service, here is a link to a very long article on that subject. How to get FAST RV Internet in 2024

Step-by-step plan

This is the step-by-step plan for getting free cell phone service to eliminate cell phone bills. It details how I established free cell phone service using my 20-year-old cell phone number. This section is part two of my free cell phone service and details how to migrate to free cell phone service. The information above this point in the article is a little scattered; here are your step-by-step instructions.

Key points to remember

• I still have the same phone number.
• Free phone calls and text messages.
• I have free voice mail and translation into text and email messages.
• All cell phone apps and functions still work.

The first part of this article explains how I obtained free cell phone service. It is a step-by-step guide to getting free cell phone service and using Google Voice to keep your cell phone number. This next section will outline a step-by-step plan for establishing your free cell phone service.

Overview

• Get a Google account.
• Setup a Google Voice Account
• Deposit money into your Google Voice account to fund international phone calls.
• Transfer hosting of your old cell phone number to Google Voice

Get a Google Account

This is the first step to getting free cell phone service if you don’t already have a Google Account. You can skip this step if you already have a Google Account. If you are unsure if you have a Google account, the easiest way to know is if you have a Gmail address. The only way to get a Gmail address is to have a Google account. If you don’t have a Google account, you can get a free Google Account by following this link. Free Google Account

Here is a link to the Google Account help page if you need assistance. Google Account Help

What is a Google Voice account?

“Google Voice is a telephone service that provides a U.S. phone number to Google Account customers in the U.S.” Statement written by Google Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) describing Google Voice. When you select a Google Voice account for one phone number, select “Personal.” Here is a link to the Google Voice App page Google Voice

Don’t cancel your cell phone plan (yet)

Google Voice is a free application for subscribers to Google services. To use Google Voice, you must have a Google account and a Gmail address. The exception to this rule is for subscribers to Google Workspace, a paid business subscription to Google services. As for me, I only have a free Google Account and will not be covering Google Workspace. My experience is with the free option, so this will be the article’s focus.

Setup a Google Voice Account on your computer

You might already have the Google Voice application if you have an Android phone. If not, you can get the application from either the Google Play Store or the Apple Store. Here is the link to Google’s webpage about the application. Google Voice at the Google Play Store or Apple Store–Google Voice

You are going to get a new (temporary) phone number

If you already have a Google Account (and Gmail address), you are invited to subscribe to Google Voice. When you open the Google Voice service, you will first use a phone number assigned by Google. Later, you will change this phone number to your cell phone number.

You can choose a local phone number or even one in a different part of the country. If you are going to transfer your phone number to Google Voice, the area code of this Google Phone number won’t matter. You will be using this new Google phone number as a placeholder.

Verify your new Google phone number.

Enter a currently monitored phone number into your new Google Voice to claim your new Google Voice phone number. You will receive a text message to verify the creation of your new Google Voice Account and Google phone number. Google uses this as a two-factor authentication to safeguard Google Voice Accounts for only legitimate users. Google will then send you a verification code to complete the setup process.

Allow Google Voice to use your computer devices.

You can enable Google Voice control of your computer devices by selecting the headphone icon in the upper right corner of your Google Voice App browser window.

Test the Google Voice account on your computer.

If you are following along with me and setting up your Google Voice account on your computer, you must enable some features. To do this, click on the “gear” icon in the upper right part of your screen. This will give you an overview of your Google Voice account.

The same gear icon will control your Google Voice account, including using your old phone number. I recommend waiting a few days before porting your phone number to Google Voice.

I will not highlight every feature, but I will highlight some interesting things in the account settings.

To use your new Google phone number on your phone (not required)

You don’t need a phone to use Google Voice, but if you are going to use the Google Voice app on your phone, the next thing you will want to do is download the Google Voice app to your phone. I started using Google Voice on my computer and then added my phone to my Google Voice account. I already had the Google Voice App under the Google Chrome browser on my computer. You could describe it as the first time I set up Google Voice on my computer to get my free cell phone service started, and then I added my cell phone to the plan along with my old phone number.

I used my new Google Voice temporary phone number to make calls from my computer before I transferred my cell phone number to Google Voice so I could use my new phone number. I was testing both Google Voice and my data connection speed. Both worked fine.

Deposit money into your Google Voice account to fund international phone calls. (not required)

Google Voice is a pre-paid service for international calls (free for calls within the United States). To make international phone calls, you must deposit money in your Google Voice account to fund them. I recommend this step to ensure you can make International calls if needed. For me, my deposit was ten dollars. Two months later, my balance is still ten dollars.

Transfer hosting of your old cell phone number to Google Voice (not required, but isn’t this why we have a cell phone?)

Do not complete this step for at least 24 hours after establishing Google Voice on one of their phone numbers. If you want to use your old cell phone number, post it to Google Voice and go through the transfer process. Transferring your old number to Google costs the $20 transfer fee. Test your Google Voice using the Google-supplied phone number before porting your old phone number to Google.

The transfer process will cancel your old cell phone account, and you will probably need a port-out code from your previous provider.

As a critical side note, you must post your cell phone number to Google Voice hosting while in the United States. You can only set up a Google Voice account in the United States, including porting your phone number to Google Voice. If you are going to travel internationally, do this at least a few days before departing the United States.

Final limitation

Just like any cell phone, you have to have a data source. Typical cell phones get data from cell towers. Without e-SIMs, you will be turning off your cellphone connections. The same goes for a computer; a computer without data doesn’t do much. Google Voice does not somehow create a free cell phone service out of thin air. Instead, it uses the data you probably already purchased differently to make phone calls.

How do I get data for my free cell phone service?

In my RV, I have two different cellular data sources. The one I had the longest was AT&T. The newer one is T-Mobile. The AT&T plan is unlimited and costs less than $25 per month. The T-Mobile plan is $10 per month and is limited to 50GB per month. I also have Starlink in my RV, which has unlimited data for $120. So, given these three data sources, I am paying for plenty of data. I didn’t need an additional bill or data source from my cell phone. Since I already have data, I can use this data for my Google Voice free cell phone service.

I also have an AT&T unlimited hotspot in my car, which costs an additional $25 monthly. When not in my RV or car, I can carry the hotspot and have data anytime near a cell tower, so when in my car, I still have free cell phone service.

How to connect your cell phone directly to cell phone towers.

Remember I keep mentioning e-SIMs? This is the key to making your phone connect to cell phone towers. Even though I rarely use it (to save money because I am cheap), I have an e-SIM in my phone that allows me to connect to any cell phone tower in almost any country and use their cell phone towers to get data to make my phone calls.

Be careful to get the right e-SIM that provides service in your country. E-SIMs are available in three flavors: global, regional, and country-specific. If you are only going to use your cell phone in the United States, you don’t need a global e-SIM. Likewise, if you travel through Europe, you would be better off with a regional (Europe) e-SIM. If you live in the United States and are visiting Italy for two weeks, you might want a United States e-SIM and an Italy e-SIM. Some phones can host up to eight e-SIMs at the same time.

Phone e-SIM or data e-SIM?

When picking an e-SIM, you might want to choose a data-only one or a phone e-SIM. The difference is that if you get a phone e-SIM, you will get a phone number that goes with your e-SIM, and you can make phone calls using that phone number. If you get a phone e-SIM for Italy, you could then use your phone in Italy to make calls within Italy without Google Voice international calls and calling rates.

If you get a data e-SIM, you will connect to the cell phone towers for data only and won’t need an additional phone number. All calls will be data only via Voice over Internet Protocol and come from your Google Voice account. I got a data-only e-SIM and made all my calls via my free cell phone service, Google Voice account.

My e-SIM provider

There are multiple e-SIM providers. My choice was Flexiroam, and my data-only e-SIM allows me to connect to nearly every cell phone provider in the United States. Here is the current list of cell phone companies my cell phone can connect to (if I turn on the e-SIM) in the United States.

United States – Alaska Wireless, AT&T, Carolina West Wireless, Cellular One, Choice Wireless, Cincinnati Bell Wireless, Commnet, DoCoMo, GCI, GTA Wireless, Indigo Wireless, Limitless Mobile, PTI Pacifica Inc. (IT&E), Sprint, T-Mobile Denver, Tampnet, Union Telecom, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, Viaero, West Central Wireless.

FlexiRoam focuses on selling data to travelers for limited periods and limited data caps. If you want your phone to connect directly with a cell phone tower, you must choose your eSIM plan to connect to cell towers when you don’t have a Wi-Fi data source. Here is a link to FlexiRoam.

Conclusion

I don’t do endorsements; I am just telling my story, and you can adopt or might assume I am going through lots of effort to save ten bucks. I am satisfied with my decision to adopt the free cell phone service. I will keep you up to date on any changes or obstacles I encounter. As for now, my free cell phone service plan is working great. I don’t have cell service everywhere unless I turn on FlexiRoam, and even then, I wouldn’t have service in the most remote locations except via Starlink.

Please subscribe and join us on our journey.

We will add you to our email list and send you updates once a week. Here is a link. Subscribe

About our links

Our blog income is zero, allowing us to be independent and tell the truth.  We do not get income or commissions. No, we don’t make paid endorsements.  We don’t make recommendations; instead, we will tell you what we like (or dislike). The links are only provided as a quick reference to help our readers.

Links

Family Motor Coach Association Tech Connect

Free Google Account

Google Account Help

Google Voice

Google Voice International Calling Rates

Google Voice at the Google Play Store

Apple Store–Google Voice

FAST RV Internet!

FlexiRoam

Starlink

About Comments

We love seeing your comments, but they are not automatic. I get about twenty spam comments daily, so I don’t have automatic comments. I read and then publish every comment personally to protect the blog and keep it on-topic. So this means that you will not see your comment right after you hit submit. Sorry for the delay in publishing your comments. Please know that we would love to hear from you.