Google now makes phone calls?

[Stephen Tashiro]

Is Google going to make phone calls for people? - without purchase of any device or service from Google?

Today I looked up the phone number of a local company on Google When I absent mindedly clicked on the number, a screen popped up saying it was making a call to that number. i clicked on "cancel", so I don' t know whether that that feature works. I don't have any device or service sold by Google.

[Matt Day]

You clicked on it from your PC or phone?

If you have a gmail account? It might be google voice.

[Frank Pratt]

If I press on any number on any page that is formatted as a phone number, the phone offers to dial it for me.

[Kev Williams]

My wife got me a smart phone last Xmas, an LG Rebel/Android/TracFone. I'm finally learning how these stupid things work. But I wanted to share something: When I first got it, every time I looked at it, Google was wanting me to sign up for this, click on for that, get Google Voice, blah blah-- I decided NOT to sign up for Google anything. One of my kids disabled everything Google on the thing, and I've never been bothered by Google since. A few other ads for apps and stuff yes, but not Google.

And these days I notice EVERYONE with a smart phone keeps getting endless robo-calls, IRS calls, Social Security scam calls, auto warranty calls, house replacement windows calls, etc etc etc etc, and every forum I chat online on has a thread somewhere about all these calls..

But-- In 11 months with my phone, there's has NEVER been ANY type of robo call, advertising call, or scam call. Or TEXT. Not one. The ONLY odd numbers that have called were from someone calling whoever had my number last, the only texts other than from the wife are phone notices about them auto-paying themselves.

And then there's my old LG flip phone, probably around 10 years old, and it's phone number is 25 years old- it's still up and running, and it's never received a robo-scam-ad call either..

So guess who I'm thinking is responsible for this robo-scam-ad-call epidemic? And FWIW, I also have zero social media apps, so maybe they get to share some of the blame.

I've come to the conclusion that Google, Suri, Alexa, Social Media et al-- they're not our friends...

[Matt Day]

Again, are you on a smartphone or computer? That makes a BIG difference. Smartphones do what you’re talking about on purpose to make it easier to dial phone numbers.

[Stephen Tashiro]

You clicked on it from your PC or phone?

From a PC

If you have a gmail account? It might be google voice.

Interesting, I have a gmail account. I haven't heard of Google voice before.

[Frank Pratt]

I've come to the conclusion that Google, Suri, Alexa, Social Media et al-- they're not our friends...

Bingo! I generally embrace new tech, at least long enough to get to know it, but those things you mentioned just don't turn me on at all. Way too much baggage comes with their use.

[Curt Harms]

So guess who I'm thinking is responsible for this robo-scam-ad-call epidemic? And FWIW, I also have zero social media apps, so maybe they get to share some of the blame.

I've come to the conclusion that Google, Suri, Alexa, Social Media et al-- they're not our friends...

i think your conclusion is correct. Very few things are truly free, there's always a cost. That cost may not have a $ sign in front of it, the cost may be in privacy if you value that. I guess a lot of young people don't these days. I use noscript, a javascript blocker only available on Firefox AFAIK. I'm amazed by the number of companies that want to try to sell me something or track what I'm doing. I just loaded CNNs home page, there was only CNN wanting to run a script so I clicked on that. Now there's a nice even two dozen sites wanting to track me or try to sell me something. Including of course at least one google script; most commercial sites have at least one google service running, most have more than one. And I'd never know it without noscript. There are other script blockers for other web browsers but I'm doubtful about how effective ad blockers are going to be on Google Chrome. Google has made $billions slinging ads, Google is going to provide an effective way to block their primary source of revenue? Somehow I doubt it.

[Steve Demuth]

My wife got me a smart phone last Xmas, an LG Rebel/Android/TracFone. I'm finally learning how these stupid things work. But I wanted to share something: When I first got it, every time I looked at it, Google was wanting me to sign up for this, click on for that, get Google Voice, blah blah-- I decided NOT to sign up for Google anything. One of my kids disabled everything Google on the thing, and I've never been bothered by Google since. A few other ads for apps and stuff yes, but not Google.

And these days I notice EVERYONE with a smart phone keeps getting endless robo-calls, IRS calls, Social Security scam calls, auto warranty calls, house replacement windows calls, etc etc etc etc, and every forum I chat online on has a thread somewhere about all these calls..

So guess who I'm thinking is responsible for this robo-scam-ad-call epidemic? And FWIW, I also have zero social media apps, so maybe they get to share some of the blame.

Google is not responsible for the scam calls, either directly or indirectly. If you never give your cell # to anyone outside those you expect to call you, and they are reasonably careful with it, it won't end up on any "active phone" databases, and you won't get many or any robo calls. Once it leaks out though, and gets into those lists, Katie bar the door.

[Stephen Tashiro]

Google is not responsible for the scam calls, either directly or indirectly. If you never give your cell # to anyone outside those you expect to call you, and they are reasonably careful with it, it won't end up on any "active phone" databases,

We should keep in mind that Google has permission to read all your incoming and outgoing gmail. That would include phone numbers you send to people.

[Frank Drackman]

" And FWIW, I also have zero social media apps, so maybe they get to share some of the blame.

I've come to the conclusion that Google, Suri, Alexa, Social Media et al-- they're not our friends...

I always get a laugh when someone complains about social media on a social media site.

[Matt Schrum]

Google Voice has been around for a decade-- I used it when I lived overseas so I could have a "local" number for my folks to call. I now use it for my landline phone (you can buy a $35 box and it has a phone jack on the side. Works great) for the same reason-- I'm a few states away, but I have an area code that is local to my folks (they live in a rural area and still get long distance charges for call to outside of their area). Plus, cell phone signal can be spotty at our place sometimes, where as the little box that lets me use Google as my landline is directly connected to my internet router, so it has consistently decent quality if my internet is working.

Anyways, it's a service by Google that gives you a number than you can call from and to. If you don't recall setting one up, then Google may have expanded the service somewhat so you can call from your PC without formally setting up an account.

[Jim Becker]

If the computer is equipped with a microphone, it's "Internet calling ready" for browser based applications as well as for applications that support communication. If it has a camera, too, then it's "Internet video calling" ready, too.
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Matt, I use GV for my business number so that I don't have to put my wireless number out publicly. It works great and as you note, one can choose a number from virtually anywhere in the North American numbering plan spectrum. (I'm not sure if the service is offered in other geographies)