Revealed: Top 5 Free Mobile Phone Apps for International Calls & 4 Ways to Reduce Data Usage on iPhone

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1. KakaoTalk

 

Upside:  If you are looking for more than just a free app to call Nigeria, this is a great choice for you. Featuring a whole load of fun features, games and stickers, KakaoTalk is a lot more than just a free calling app.

 

Downside: If your friends and family back in Nigeria aren’t using the app, they won’t be able to talk to you. KakaoTalk is unable to make calls to landlines and non-users.

 

2. Hangouts

 

Upside: It is one of Google’s premier apps, which features some interesting ways of keeping you connected with those you love. Its reliable text service allows you to chat with people all over the globe through the SMS and email.

 

Downside: Video calling functionality has yet to gain adequate prominence in Nigeria.

 

3. WeChat

 

Upside: It is very efficient while calling on this app. The social media application is most unique for its method of ‘shaking’ phones to add contacts. It took over the Nigerian mobile social media space using local radio stations to give out money prizes.ý ýMost experts have described it as the face of modern technology. Its voice clarity is second to none.

 

Downside: It has been inconsistent in the last one year.

 

4. Viber

 

Upside: It is available across the world and is incredibly popular in many regions. Its iOS app is well designed and a lot less likely to crash than many of its more popular rivals.

 

Downside: If you’re not making calls to numbers/people without the app, you may find yourself paying more per minute than comparable rivals.

 

5. ChilliTalk

 

Upside: ChilliTalk offers users completely free calls and texts to other users. Additionally, users can make calls back to Nigeria on the landlines. So, whether you have access to the Internet on your smartphone or not, you can always make a call home.

 

Downside: We can’t find any faults with it.

 

Note: If you’re looking to find a free call app for Nigeria, it is clear to see iPhone users are spoiled for choice. The downside to the vast majority of these apps though is that they require both users to have the application on their phone in order to make free calls. This perhaps gives ChilliTalk app a slight edge: allowing you to switch to local dialling for extremely low cost calls.

 

Try them all out and see for yourself. Be sure to take advantage of the power of free iPhone calling apps!

 

Four Ways to Reduce Data Usage on iPhone

 

1. Disable cellular app updates

 

Automatic updates of apps will always take a toll on your data allotment. So, make sure apps are updated only when you are on WiFi. Go to Settings > iTunes & App Stores and turn off Use Cellular Data.

 

2. Disable WiFi Assist

 

Wi-Fi Assist is a great feature where your iPhone hands off a weak Wi-Fi signal to your cellular network to prevent pages from loading slowly or not at all as it clings to the last remnants of a Wi-Fi signal. If you sit on the edge of a Wi-Fi network at work, say, then your cellular network may be assisting more than you’d like and running up data charges.

 

To disable Wi-Fi Assist, go to Settings > Cellular and scroll all the way to the bottom to turn off Wi-Fi Assist.

 

3. Disable background app refresh

 

iOS apps can update in the background, grabbing new content as they sit idle so they can show you the latest news when you return to them. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and you can turn this setting off completely or go the a la carte route from the list below and choose which apps update in the background.

 

4. Disable iCloud Drive on cellular

 

If you use iCloud Drive to shuttle documents in and out of the cloud, those data transfers can add to your bill, especially over a cellular connection. You can restrict iCloud Drive to Wi-Fi only by going to Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive and scrolling to the bottom and turning off Use Cellular Data.

 

Credits: Punch / Nairaland / ChilliTalk