Use your Google Home to make phone calls

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Smart speakers come loaded with thousands of features. There are so many features that it’s nearly impossible to get the most from them. However, beyond listening to music, controlling your smartphones, and playing the news, there is one feature you should know how to use: how to make phone calls. The Google Home, Google Home Mini, and Google Max are all capable of making calls over WiFi completely free of charge. They’re not capable of taking incoming calls, and can’t make calls to other Google smart speakers, so don’t expect to replace your dedicated home phone with it. Lastly, they’re also not capable of making calls to emergency phone services like 911. They can, however, call cell phones, home phones, and business lines completely free of charge.

Making calls is extremely easy to do with your Google Home. All you need to do is to make sure your Google Home is connected to a smartphone with the Google Home app, on Android or iOS devices, and is running the latest software. This last bit is easy since the speaker updates itself.

To call your contacts, make sure Personal results is turned on.

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app .
  2. Make sure your phone or tablet is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as Google Home.
  3. Tap Menu Menu and confirm the Google Account listed is the one linked to Google Home. To switch accounts, click the triangle to the right of the account name.
  4. In the top left corner of the app Home screen, tap Menu Menu and then More settings.
  5. Under  “Devices,” choose the desired Google Home.
  6. Under “Personal results,” slide the slider to the right On.
  7. Repeat these steps for each Google Home device where you want to turn on calling contacts.

With Personal Results turned on, your Google Contacts are available for calling.In addition, you can call the contacts stored on your phone if they’re synced.

Here is one way to ensure your device contacts are synced:

  1. Open the Google app.
  2. Tap Menu Menuand thenSettingsand thenAccounts and Privacyand thenGoogle activity controlsand thenDevice information.
  3. Make sure the correct account is displayed at the top under “Activity Controls”. If not, tap the triangle next to the account name. Tap the correct account and then  Device information.
  4.  Turn this on On.

If desired, outbound calls can display your own phone number. Note: You need a phone that accepts SMS messaging. Standard rates may apply.

Display your own number

  1. Open the Google Home app Google Home app.
  2. Tap Menu Menu and make sure the Google Account listed at the top is the one linked to your device.
  3. Tap More settings.
  4. Under “Services,” tap Calls on speakers and thenEdit and thenAdd or change phone number and thenenter your phone number and thenAdd.
  5. A code will be sent via SMS to the phone number you entered. Type in the code and then Verify.
    1. If you don’t receive a code, wait 30 seconds, then tap Send new code. 
  6. You’ll see the phone number under “Your own number”. This number will be displayed on outgoing calls. It may take up to 10 minutes for the change to take effect.

Note: You may have to re-verify your phone number every few months. This is to confirm you still own the number. Complete the verification steps and you can continue using your personal number. Learn more about how phone numbers associated with your account are used.

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