# Making calls using Viber - Are they free?



## Passport1

Hi 
I know that you can send text messages for free with the viber smartphone app

What about voice calls - are they free too when made using Viber app or is the cost taken from your monthly mobile package allowance ?

Thanks


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## GDUFFY

They are free , it uses your data , so if you have sufficient data included in your plan there is no cost for the call ,if you don't have sufficient data included in your plan you could be charged for data usage.I use it all the time and find the system great .Other person should have Viber downloaded too.


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## Passport1

Thanks for the reply and information - this is very interesting

Any idea how much data in terms of mb/gb making mobile to mobile and mobile/landline using Viber would use per minute ?

Thanks


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## WindUp

Google "viber data usage "


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## GDUFFY

http://www.viberfaq.com/are-the-calls-on-viber-really-free//


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## robbie00

You dont need to worry about how much data its using if you are connected to wifi at home or free wifi in certain locations it wont cost anything to make the phone call. You only need to worry about what a viber call will cost if you are using the data from your provider.

I use viber when im connected to my upc broadband doesnt cost a penny or use up my data from my phone package.


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## Palerider

It is a fantastic service too, I use it all the time when abroad...


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## Subtitle

cashier said:


> Can calls be made to any country in the world??


 
Yes, I phone my brother in Germany and sister in Australia using it.


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## Subtitle

Get him to download it too so you call viber to viber. The quality of calls are ok most of the time. But sometimes, not often, they arent great.
Another word of caution. A pal of mine was able to download it but couldn't make or receive a call using Viber with her phone. She had some kind of Samsung Galaxy 'light', not a Galaxy S. Hopefully you and your son won't have that problem!


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## SarahMc

I love this app, use it a lot to call people all over the world.


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## ajapale

I used Viber for a while last year but it needs a good steady broadband connection (good upload, good download, good pings and no jitter or latency).


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## demoivre

robbie00 said:


> You dont need to worry about how much data its using if you are connected to wifi at home or free wifi in certain locations it wont cost anything to make the phone call. You only need to worry about what a viber call will cost if you are using the data from your provider.
> 
> I use viber when im connected to my upc broadband doesnt cost a penny or use up my data from my phone package.



+1. Viber, Whatsapp and Cabbage are "free" when using wifi at home or using the ever increasing amount of free wifi spots. Just make sure your phone settings are set up to connect via wifi and not over mobile network !


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## godthe

Can you use viber to make call to ireland from america


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## Subtitle

godthe said:


> Can you use viber to make call to ireland from america


 
Viber to Viber, yes.

Edited to add that it only works with smartphones as far as I know. Just in case anyone thinks they can use it on a 'regular' mobile phone.


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## Palerider

I use Viber from an ipod not a phone so you are not limited to phone use only.


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## DrMoriarty

ajapale said:


> I used Viber for a while last year but it needs a good steady broadband connection (good upload, good download, good pings and no jitter or latency).


My experience too. What do use instead of it, aj, if you don't mind me asking?


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## Viber

Hi guys,
This is a member of the Viber R&D team.
I'm here to offer my assistance. 

Viber is free between Viber users, doesn't matter where you live or what device you have.
Viber itself is totally free, meaning we (Viber) don't charge anything from you.
Since Viber uses the internet, both sides of the conversation must be connected to either WiFi or 3G. If a user is connected to WiFi - that user is not paying anything for sure. If the user is connected to 3G, the user *may* be paying his cell company for the data (about 0.3MB per minute of call), but that depends on the specific data plan that he has with his cellular company, and needs to be verified with them.

* Note that when a user is abroad using the cellular network (and not WiFi), there may be high Roaming charges by your cellular company for the data used.

If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us.
Thanks,
Viber Team


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## shesells

demoivre said:


> +1. Viber, *Whatsapp *and Cabbage are *"free"* when using wifi at home or using the ever increasing amount of free wifi spots. Just make sure your phone settings are set up to connect via wifi and not over mobile network !



Beware calls are not free on Whatsapp - messages are but unlike Viber, you pay for calls through Whatsapp. A friend got badly caught thinking it was the same.


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## demoivre

shesells said:


> Beware calls are not free on Whatsapp - messages are but unlike Viber, you pay for calls through Whatsapp. A friend got badly caught thinking it was the same.



Don't think you can make calls through Whatsapp? The Whatsapp website describes Whatsapp as: " WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows  you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp  Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Android  and Nokia." No mention of calls !


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## shesells

You can..it looks like you're calling through Whatsapp but it's actually using your phone. A warning comes up but my friend didn't read it and called an Australian mobile


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## demoivre

shesells said:


> You can..it looks like you're calling through Whatsapp but it's actually using your phone. A warning comes up but my friend didn't read it and called an Australian mobile



From their FAQ. "WhatsApp does not provide a "calling" feature. If you  see a [ Call ] button within WhatsApp, it is the same as using the  [Call] button on your phone. Thus, mobile provider calling rates apply  for phone calls made using the [ Call ] button within WhatsApp."


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## shesells

My point was that my friend hadn't read that part, was used to making calls through Viber and assumed Whatsapp was the same. My post was to prevent someone else making the same mistake. Not everyone reads the FAQs when they download an app


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## graham21

Viber said:


> Hi guys,
> This is a member of the Viber R&D team.
> I'm here to offer my assistance.
> 
> Viber is free between Viber users, doesn't matter where you live or what device you have.
> Viber itself is totally free, meaning we (Viber) don't charge anything from you.
> Since Viber uses the internet, both sides of the conversation must be connected to either WiFi or 3G. If a user is connected to WiFi - that user is not paying anything for sure. If the user is connected to 3G, the user *may* be paying his cell company for the data (about 0.3MB per minute of call), but that depends on the specific data plan that he has with his cellular company, and needs to be verified with them.
> 
> * Note that when a user is abroad using the cellular network (and not WiFi), there may be high Roaming charges by your cellular company for the data used.
> 
> If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us.
> Thanks,
> Viber Team




Hi 
Just wanted to check if you will be in a position to tell how  texts sent from viber outside data allowance will be charged.
Will any calls outside the allotted data allowance be charged as additional data usage charges. Any help would be great. I have an issue with O2.

THANKS


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## Leo

graham21 said:


> Hi
> Just wanted to check if you will be in a position to tell how texts sent from viber outside data allowance will be charged.
> Will any calls outside the allotted data allowance be charged as additional data usage charges. Any help would be great. I have an issue with O2.


 
You mean your provider's data allowance? Then it should be detailed in your contract with O2.


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## graham21

Leo said:


> You mean your provider's data allowance? Then it should be detailed in your contract with O2.



Yeah I meant my O2 data allowance. There is nothing in the contract regarding that.

I know it is difficult for you to answer how my service provider would charge me for any viber texts that I have sent when I didn't have any data allowance.

The only confusing part is I have got charged for texting even though I had unused text allowance.


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## Leo

graham21 said:


> Yeah I meant my O2 data allowance. There is nothing in the contract regarding that.
> 
> I know it is difficult for you to answer how my service provider would charge me for any viber texts that I have sent when I didn't have any data allowance.
> 
> The only confusing part is I have got charged for texting even though I had unused text allowance.


 
Texting via services such as Viber isn't using SMS, so can't make use of text allowances. It's standard data usage, so the O2 plan you're on determines what the costs are.


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## dt12345

Viber said:


> Hi guys,
> This is a member of the Viber R&D team.
> I'm here to offer my assistance.
> 
> Viber is free between Viber users, doesn't matter where you live or what device you have.
> Viber itself is totally free, meaning we (Viber) don't charge anything from you.
> Since Viber uses the internet, both sides of the conversation must be connected to either WiFi or 3G. If a user is connected to WiFi - that user is not paying anything for sure. If the user is connected to 3G, the user *may* be paying his cell company for the data (about 0.3MB per minute of call), but that depends on the specific data plan that he has with his cellular company, and needs to be verified with them.
> 
> * Note that when a user is abroad using the cellular network (and not WiFi), there may be high Roaming charges by your cellular company for the data used.
> 
> If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us.
> Thanks,
> Viber Team


 
Hi,

Could you please explain how calling a landline number (or mobile number which doesn't have Viber) works? Would that type of call still be made using data?

Thanks!


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## DrMoriarty

It doesn't. It's a data application that needs internet access, either via your mobile operator or, preferably, via wifi. So basically it has to be used between smartphones running either Android, IoS or one of the other operating systes supported. You can't call an "ordinary" mobile phone or a landline as you can with Skype (for a fee).

More here.


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## Nacres

Hello
I just contacted my provider (t-mobile) as I realized that my Viber calls were using my minutes instead of data. I have a $30 100 minutes and unlimited data (5GB in 4G) and unlimited text plan. Here is the answer from the t mobile agent:

"_The use of Viber will deduct the minutes of your 100 minutes call, since this will not get through to the use of your data, Viber or any other third part applications sometimes or often deduct the minutes that you have, that's why we advise our customers to use Wi-Fi instead of using the Data on the phone when they are going to use Viber, or any other apps that requires calling._"

It shouldn't use my minutes, but data instead. I really don't understand what happens, but anyway, be careful.


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## vandriver

Nacres said:


> Hello
> I just contacted my provider (t-mobile) as I realized that my Viber calls were using my minutes instead of data. I have a $30 100 minutes and unlimited data (5GB in 4G) and unlimited text plan. Here is the answer from the t mobile agent:
> 
> "_The use of Viber will deduct the minutes of your 100 minutes call, since this will not get through to the use of your data, Viber or any other third part applications sometimes or often deduct the minutes that you have, that's why we advise our customers to use Wi-Fi instead of using the Data on the phone when they are going to use Viber, or any other apps that requires calling._"
> 
> It shouldn't use my minutes, but data instead. I really don't understand what happens, but anyway, be careful.


Were they all viber to viber calls,that were deducted from your call plan minutes?


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