How to Make a Call with CallTuv

With CallTuv you call regular phone numbers. The person you're calling answers their ordinary phone, exactly as they always do - they don't need CallTuv, an app, or even an internet connection. Only you use CallTuv, and it works from two places: your computer's internet browser, or the CallTuv app on your phone. This guide covers both, step by step.

Before your first call - a 30-second checklist

• Some credit on your balance. Starting a call needs enough for at least 3 minutes at that destination's price - usually well under a dollar. If you haven't topped up yet, see How to Top Up Your Balance.
• A microphone, if calling from a computer. Almost every laptop has one built in, so there's usually nothing to do. (Phones obviously have one.)
• An internet connection. Wi-Fi or mobile data both work.

Calling from your computer, step by step

CallTuv's website works as a full phone dialer in your browser - your laptop becomes the phone, no software to install.

1. Open your browser, go to calltuv.com, and sign in.
2. Click Call in the menu. The dialer appears - a screen with a number pad, like a big telephone.
3. Choose the country you're calling. Click the country selector (it shows a flag), start typing the country's name - for example "United Kingdom" - and click it in the list. CallTuv automatically fills in the country code (+44 in this example), so you don't have to remember it.
4. Type the person's phone number using the number pad on screen or your keyboard. You can also click into your saved contacts and pick a person instead of typing.
5. Look just below the number: CallTuv shows you the exact price per minute for this call before you dial, and whether the number is a landline or a mobile. No surprises.
6. Press the call button (the button with the phone symbol). The very first time, your browser shows a small message asking permission to use your microphone - click Allow. This is your browser being careful on your behalf, and it only asks once.

You'll hear ringing, the person answers, and you talk normally. On screen you can see how long you've been talking and what it has cost so far. When you're done, press End Call.

Calling from the mobile app, step by step

1. Open the CallTuv app and tap the Call tab at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap the country selector, find the country you're calling, and tap it.
3. Type the number on the keypad - or go to the Contacts tab and tap the person you want. The price per minute shows before you dial.
4. Tap the call button. That's it - the phone rings on the other side.

One tip for phone calls: the call travels over your internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data), so a steady connection matters more than signal bars. If a call ever sounds choppy, the connection is nearly always the reason - see Fixing Microphone and Audio Issues.

During the call

While talking you can mute yourself, switch to speakerphone, or open the keypad to answer automated menus ("press 1 for..."). All of these are explained gently in In-Call Controls: Mute, Speaker, and Keypad.

Want to keep a recording of the call? Switch recording on before you dial - the how and the why are in Recording Calls.

What does the other person see when I call?

By default, their phone shows a real number from CallTuv's shared pool - not your personal number. If you'd rather they see your number (so they recognize you and can call you back), you can set that up once in about a minute:

• What Recipients See: Shared Numbers Explained
• Verify Your Own Number as Caller ID
• Rent Your Own US Phone Number - the same US number on every call, $5.95 a month, outgoing only.

Good to know

• Calls are billed per minute, rounded up to the whole minute - full details in Understanding Rates and Per-Minute Billing.
• If a call doesn't connect - no answer, busy, wrong number - you're not charged anything.
• You can run one call at a time on your account. If a call is already ringing or connected - even on another device - the dialer tells you, and a second call won't start until you hang up the first. On a team, each member has their own call, so colleagues can talk at the same time.
• For some well-known numbers - banks, airlines, tax offices, big companies' support lines - a green Verified label appears under the number as you type, with the company's name and which of its lines it is (for example "Wells Fargo - Claims Assistance Center"). It means our team confirmed that exact number belongs to that organization, so you know who will pick up. A number without the label is not suspicious; it just isn't on our list yet.
• You can call from any country to any country - see Call From Any Country: Where CallTuv Works.
• One important exception: CallTuv can't be used for emergency numbers like 911 or 112 - see Emergency Calls Are Not Supported.