Rebtel and Google Voice fall short on the one thing that is much needed: reliable in-call keypad tones (DTMF) for IVR menus. Rebtel's own help docs say they don't support toll-free numbers or switchboards, and the dial pad often stops working mid-call. Google Voice has the same problem; keypad presses simply not register with automated systems, which is a dealbreaker when you're trying to reach a bank or a government line.

Does PuchiDen handle this properly? Can you navigate phone menus during an active call, including from a phone browser, not just a laptop keyboard?

Microsoft retired Skype in May 2025. For twenty years it was the obvious answer when you needed to call an actual phone number in another country, whether a hotel, a bank, or your family on a normal landline.

I have spent most of my career in telephony (SMS, SIP, WebRTC), and even I struggled to find a clean replacement. Every option I tried wanted me to install an app, make an account, and accept a tracking pixel, just to place one call. WhatsApp, Signal and LINE only reach other people on the same app, which for obvious reasons don't want to work with one another and there is no help when the number you need to dial belongs to a bank, hotel, lawyer's or a government office.