How to Call the UK From The United States For Free

Whether you need to call a UK landline or a UK cell phone, our guide on how to call the UK from the US dives into all the information you need to speak to your business partner, friend, or family member.

We walk through area codes in the UK and the UK country code and provide examples to ensure your phone call dials through. However, calling a UK landline with your traditional American phone network is an outdated way to make calls abroad. We offer tips on how to reduce calling costs and how even to make free phone calls to the UK from the US.

Calling the UK From the US

If you want to call someone in the UK using American phone networks, such as Verizon or AT&T, then you will have to consider a few factors:

• What is the area code of the place you’re calling in the UK?
• Are you calling a UK landline or a UK cell phone?
• What will be the cost of the call?

How to Call the UK From the US

What buttons to dial on your phone will depend on the call recipient. Have a look at the following two lists to find out how to call the UK from the US.

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How Do I Call UK Landlines From the US?

Follow these steps to call a UK landline while stateside:

1. Dial the exit code: This is (011) if you are calling from a landline and (+) if you are calling from a cell phone. This will inform your network that you are making a call internationally.
2. Dial the UK country code: The UK country code is 44. This informs your network to direct the call to the UK.
3. Enter the UK area code: UK area codes, which you can find below, are between 2 to 5 digits long.
4. Dial the phone number: When you call a UK landline, the phone number will have 10 digits, including the area code.

If you are using a landline to call a landline in Bristol, for example, your phone dial will read something like the following: 011-44-117-555-2000.

How Do I Call UK Cell Phones From the US?

Follow these steps to call a UK cell phone while in the United States:

1. Dial the exit code: This is (011) if you are calling from a landline and (+) if you are calling from a cell phone. This will inform your network that you are making a call internationally.
2. Dial the UK country code: The UK country code is 44. This informs your network to direct the call to the UK.
3. Dial the mobile code: The UK’s mobile code is 7. This informs the network that it is connecting to a mobile device.
4. Dial the phone number: When you call a mobile phone, the number will have 9 digits. British mobile numbers do not use area codes.

If you are using a cell phone, for example, to call the cell phone of someone in the UK, your phone dial will read something like the following: +44-7-555-333-111.

Area Codes in the United Kingdom

Jarrod Suda

Here is a list of area codes of 20 major cities in the United Kingdom. For a full list of UK area codes, have a look at this resource by Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator.

How Much Does It Cost To Call the UK From the US?

Making international calls with your American phone carrier network, like Verizon and AT&T can add up very quickly.

With a standard plan, calling a UK landline from the US can cost the following (calling a UK mobile phone will almost always cost more):

• Verizon Wireless: $0.08 per minute;
• AT&T: $0.07 per minute;
• T-Mobile: $3.00 per minute.

How Do I Reduce Costs for Calling the UK From the US?

If you want to make unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobile numbers alike for free, then consider Majority. By becoming a member for $5.99 per month, this innovative digital finance app connects you to your friends and family around the world.

Majority membership gets you access to:

• Majority debit card;
• US checking account;
• No fee phone top-ups, 
• Unlimited free or low cost international calling to any mobile or landline phone.

Prepaid Plans or Airtime Top-Ups in the US

Alternatively, you can purchase a prepaid international plan with your network provider. T-Mobile provides arguably the widest international plan among all American phone carriers. If you already have a plan with T-mobile, then you can add an international line for $15 per month to receive unlimited calling to landlines in 70+ countries.

If you are looking for an option that does not require a monthly subscription, then you can top up your current device with minutes instead.

How To Call the UK From the US for Free

If your phone call recipient in the UK has a smartphone device, then he or she can create an account on WhatsApp in a matter of seconds. Once you input their correct UK phone number in your WhatsApp phone dial, you’ll be able to call them for free for as long as you want.

WhatsApp will work if you have a wi-fi connection, or it will use your mobile data when you are outside of an internet connection. You can even make calls to other WhatsApp users from your desktop with WhatsApp Web. Note that WhatsApp will not work if you want to call a UK landline unless that landline has been registered with WhatsApp.