Prepaid lines are useful for some specific situations. However, your main problem is the need to recharge the balance before making a call. If you have run out of money in your account, but need to contact someone, in this article we give you some totally free alternatives.
Notify others that you have run out of balance or ask for an advance
The most effective way to contact another person when you have run out of balance is to ask them to call you. The main telephone companies have a free service that can help you in this case. It is an SMS notification that tells your contact that you have no balance. When the other person calls you, you can reply and have a conversation even if you don’t have credit on your account. This is how you can do it with the main operators in Spain:
- Movistar. Service They want to talk to you. Activation by dialing 223505. The SMS is sent when trying to call without balance. Maximum of 5 notifications per day.
- Orange. Call me service. Activate it when you have less than 1 euro of balance by pressing * 111 # and touching the call key. Answer the call and choose option 4. Maximum of 10 SMS alerts.
- Vodafone, for its part, allows you to request a balance advance. Thus, you will be able to make a call even when the credit of your account has been exhausted. You must type * 111 # and press the call key. The company will add 3.50 euros to your account. This amount will be discounted the next time you add balance. The service costs an additional 0.52 euros.
If you are a user of another company, find out about the options it offers in case you have run out of money and want to call. In general, only the largest operators offer this type of service.
Use applications to call for free online
If it is not possible for you to recharge your account balance or your operator does not have services such as those mentioned above, you still have an alternative. We mean using an application that allows you to call using the Internet connection. In that case, even if you don’t have the data, you can call using any Wifi connection. Next, we tell you how to do it with the main applications.
WhatsApp is the most recommended application to call for free. The main reason is that practically everyone has an account on this platform. To start a call you just have to access the conversation and click on the phone icon.
Start call on WhatsApp
Next, confirm that you want to start the call.
Confirm the start of the call
During the call you can mute the microphone, activate the video or use the hands-free system.
App interface during call
End the conversation using the central red button.
Spanish
Android
free
Telegram
The next alternative is Telegram. It’s also a popular app, so you will likely find a lot of your contacts there. Access the conversation with the person you want to call, open the contextual menu and press on Call.
Start a call on Telegram
Then use the onscreen controls to enable video or mute the mic.
Appearance of the interface during the call
End call the connection will end.
Spanish
Android
free
Viber
Viber is an application focused on calls over the Internet. It is less popular than the previous ones, but it can help you connect with a few specific people. Access the calls section by tapping on Calls. Then click on the phone icon that you will see next to each of the contacts in your phonebook.
Viber call box
The appearance of the call screen is very similar to the rest of the options.
Call interface in Viber
Remember that it is also possible to use Viber to send messages.
Spanish
Android
free
Messenger
You only need a Facebook account to call your contacts on Messenger, even if you don’t have a balance. To do so, open a conversation in this messaging app and tap on the phone icon.
Open conversation in Messenger
In the dialer you have options such as activating the hands-free system, mute the microphone or enable the camera.
Screen appearance during call
Hang up at any time using the red button located at the bottom side of the screen.
Spanish
Android
free
Direct messages from Instagram are a great ally when it comes to calling for free with your phone. It is possible to contact the vast majority of the users of the social network using this means. Just open a conversation.
Open chat conversation on Instagram
Tap on the camera icon. You should know that, by default, Instagram does not allow voice calls.
Start video call on Instagram
However, to enable the call function, all you have to do is deactivate the video.
Turn off video during a call on Instagram
Then continue speaking normally. Your contact will hear your voice, but will not be able to see you.
Spanish
Android
free
Skype
We’re done with Skype, Microsoft’s Internet calling platform. Access the section Calls and tap on the phone icon.
Skype contact list
Select option Free on Skype to call for free.
Call options
During the conversation you will see options such as accessing the messages, activating the loudspeaker or enabling the video.
Appearance of the interface in the call with Skype
End the call with the lower red button.
Spanish
Android
free
Other apps to call for free if you have no balance
In the previous list we have included the most popular applications that allow you to call other people for free. The objective when selecting them has been to cover the largest number of users. This will make it more likely that you can contact everyone for free. However, they are not the only ones that will help you. On Android you will find a long list of apps to call for free.
