Best Ways to Stay in Touch with Family Overseas from Australia
Australian families are scattered across the globe. The grandchildren are in London, a son is in Melbourne, a daughter is in Canada. For an older parent, the distance can feel vast, and the old worry about huge phone bills lingers from the days when a call overseas cost a fortune.
The happy news is that staying in touch is now free, or close to it, as long as there is internet at both ends. You can see faces, send photos, and chat any time, without watching the clock. Here are the easiest ways to do it. If you are helping an older parent get online, see our wider guide to helping a parent go online.
Quick answer
The simplest way to see family overseas is a video call over the internet, which is free. Use whatever the family already uses. WhatsApp and Messenger are the most common in Australia, FaceTime is ideal if everyone has Apple devices, and Microsoft Teams replaced Skype, which closed in 2025. Pick one, set it up once, and the distance shrinks to a screen.
Video calls are the closest thing to being there
Nothing beats seeing a face. A video call lets you watch the grandchildren open a present, see how someone really looks, and read the smiles you miss over a normal phone call. Over the internet these calls are free, no matter how far away the other person is or how long you talk.
A tablet is lovely for this, because the screen is large enough to see everyone properly. Our guides on video calling on an iPad and on a laptop show how to make that first call.
Which app should you use?
The best app is almost always the one the rest of the family already uses, because then there is someone to call and someone to help. Here is how the main ones compare.
| If the family uses | Good to know |
|---|---|
| The most used in Australia. Calls, video and messages, works on any phone or tablet. | |
| Messenger (Facebook) | Very common too, handy if they already have Facebook. |
| FaceTime | Lovely and simple, but only between Apple devices like iPhones and iPads. |
| Microsoft Teams | The free replacement for Skype, which closed in 2025. |
You do not need all of these. Pick the one the family uses most, learn that, and ignore the rest. If they use WhatsApp, our guide on setting up WhatsApp on iPhone gets you started.
A quick note on Skype
For years Skype was how families kept in touch across the world. It closed in May 2025. If your parent still has Skype on a device, it no longer works, and Microsoft now points people to Teams, which is free. If they only ever used Skype, this is a good moment to move them to whatever the family uses now, like WhatsApp or FaceTime.
Messages and photos for everyday closeness
Not every contact has to be a scheduled call. The small, daily things keep families close too. A quick message, a photo of the garden, a voice note where they hear your actual voice. The same apps that do video calls, WhatsApp and Messenger, do all of this.
A family group chat is a lovely way to fold an overseas parent into the daily chatter, so they see the school photos and the funny moments as they happen. It is one of the warmest uses of a phone or tablet there is.
Mind the time zones, not the cost
The cost worry is gone, but the clock is not. Australia is hours ahead of most of the world, so a comfortable evening call here might be the small hours over there. Agree a regular time that suits both ends, perhaps a Sunday morning your time, and it becomes a happy ritual rather than a near miss.
One practical tip. These calls use home internet, so they are free on Wi-Fi. If your parent makes a long video call while out on mobile data, it can use a fair chunk of their plan. At home on Wi-Fi, talk as long as you like.
Before you finish
Download the free Family Tech Safety Checklist to help check phone safety, passwords, scam messages, emergency contacts and medical alarm details.
FAQ: Staying in touch with family overseas
Does an overseas video call really cost nothing?
Over the internet, yes. Apps like WhatsApp, Messenger and FaceTime are free to call and video, anywhere in the world, as long as both ends have internet.
What happened to Skype?
Skype closed in May 2025. Microsoft now points people to Teams, which is free, but most families use WhatsApp, Messenger or FaceTime instead.
Which app is easiest for a beginner?
Whatever the family already uses, because then there is help on hand. FaceTime is the simplest if everyone has Apple devices.
Will it use up my parent’s data?
Not at home on Wi-Fi, where it is free. Long video calls on mobile data when out can use a fair bit, so keep those for Wi-Fi.
How do we deal with the time difference?
Agree a set weekly time that suits both ends, since Australia is hours ahead of most places. A regular slot becomes a lovely habit.
