Typhoon Haiyan: Viber allows Philippine users to call non-Viber numbers

Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest typhoon of the year and one of the strongest on record,slammed into six central Philippine islands on Friday. It appears to be the deadliest storm - and natural disaster - on record to hit the Philippines, with officials saying that as many as 10,000 people are believed dead.

In a relief for those affected, internet free calling service Viber is letting Philippine users call regular (non-Viber) overseas numbers for free, in light of families being unable to contact their loved ones.

[caption id=“attachment_1221829” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Screengrab of Viber on phones. Image courtesy Viber website[/caption]

“In light of the current situation in the Philippines, we are opening a temporary service, allowing Filipino users to call regular (non Viber) numbers outside of the Philippines for free. Please note that this is not a final product, so not all countries are supported and quality may vary. You may have to restart your phone for this to work,” says the website.

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The temporary service is available now, and to call someone, users have to go to any contact andtap any of the numbers listed next to “Viber Out.”

Usually, if a Viber user calls a non-Viber user, it will go through as a normal overseas call with regular charges.

All numbers (both landline and mobile) are supported in a handful of countries, while landline-only numbers are supported in a wider range of regions - as listed on Viber’s site.