Want to make UK phone calls for FREE? Just buy a Google Home

A new feature for the Google Home smart speaker lets you make voice calls to UK mobile and landline numbers for free – and we've got all the details

GOOGLE is now letting anyone who owns its smart speaker in the UK make calls to landlines and mobiles for free.

So if you already own a Google Home, you'll now be able to place voice calls using your home Wi-Fi internet – without paying a penny.

A software update that rolls out this week will add the new feature automatically.

But if you've never heard of a Google Home, it's basically a "smart" speaker that works using voice controls.

You can ask it about the news or weather, and even control your other smart home gadgets.

The ability to make phone calls for free is the latest reason to buy this artificial intelligence-powered gadget.

With Google Home's calling system, you can call any number in your Google Contacts, and even businesses too.

However, you won't be able to place free calls to premium-rate or international numbers.

Here's what you need to know

To start a voice call, just say 'Hey Google, call...'
Then, say the name of the person you're trying to call
You'll need to make sure they're saved in your Google Contacts on your phone or laptop first
You can also set it up so your Google Home phone calls have the same caller ID as your mobile phone number
But it gets better – Google will learn your voice, too
That means different people in your house will be able to call their personalised contacts
So if you say 'call mum' and your partner says 'call mum', the Google Home will know which parent to call

Smart home products like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple's HomePod are constantly getting smarter.

That's because they're powered by AI software that learns about your habits, and improves over time.

The cheapest way to invest in Google's smart home speaker ecosystem is with the Google Home Mini, a cute but powerful speaker that costs just £39:

You can also buy the larger Google Home speaker, which offers more impressive sound – but will set you back £129:

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