WhatsApp Voice Calling: Everything You Need to Know

WhatsApp has offered free voice calling between users since 2015. Within 12 months, more than 100 million voice calls per day were being made via the platform.

Today, it has replaced traditional phone calls for many users. If you have a Wi-Fi connection and want to make an international call, there are few better options out there.

But what about the nuances of the feature and how do WhatsApp calls work? How many people can be in a call? Are there any restrictions on location? And are there any hidden costs to making WhatsApp calls? Let's take a look.

How Do WhatsApp Calls Work?

WhatsApp calls are made via the internet. That means a call will use your data plan, not your network's voice calling ability. In this regard, it works like Skype, Viber, and many other voice-over-IP (VOIP) competitors.

To put it simply, you won't be charged for making a call or have your minutes depleted. However, you will be charged for using data, depending on your phone's data plan.

If you are making a WhatsApp call over a Wi-Fi connection, your phone's network carrier (e.g. AT&T, Vodafone, etc.) won't charge you anything.

Are Video Calls Supported on WhatsApp?

Yes, video calls are available on WhatsApp. When the VOIP feature first rolled out in 2015, they were not available, but WhatsApp added the functionality in late 2016.

To start a video call rather than a voice call, just tap the video camera icon rather than the phone icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Are Group Calls Supported on WhatsApp?

Yes, you can also make group calls on WhatsApp. The limit used to be four people, but in early 2020, WhatsApp increased the number to eight people. The limit applies to both voice calls and video calls.

If you try and start a group call in a WhatsApp group with more than eight people, you will need to select which people to invite into the conference from the on-screen list of available participants.

Is Call Waiting Available on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp supports call waiting. If you are on another call when someone tries to ring you, you with be alerted with an in-ear sound or on-screen alert, depending on whether you're on a voice call or a video call. The incoming call will not affect your current call.

When you have a call waiting, you can choose to select either End and Accept (to end your current call and take the new one) or Decline (to continue with your current call).

Are There Any Restrictions on Making WhatsApp Phone Calls?

While the benefits of using WhatsApp phone calls are immense, you will still have to deal with a few notable restrictions and drawbacks.

For example, you can't call users who do not have WhatsApp installed on their device. Similarly, you cannot place calls to regular numbers (including both landlines and cell phones). This is different from Skype and smartphone apps that specialize in VOIP-to-phone calls.

Secondly, although WhatsApp Web integrates with your phone's WhatsApp app, it has no support for WhatsApp calls. So you can't check incoming calls on WhatsApp Web, nor can you make a call from your browser.

Confusingly, however, you can make calls from WhatsApp Desktop. The web app and the desktop app have indistinguishable interfaces, but the desktop app requires you to run a short installation process. Disappointingly, even on the desktop app, group calls are not supported.

How Much Data Does WhatsApp Call Use?

WhatsApp has not officially released figures on the estimated data usage, and it's a little difficult to come to an exact number. However, we tried a few tests to come to an approximate idea.

WhatsApp call in the same country:

1 minute: 280 KB
5 minutes: 1.1 MB

International WhatsApp call:

1 minute: 330 KB
5 minutes: 1.25 MB

Multiple calls showed no significant difference between data consumption on 4G or Wi-Fi. By most estimates, this data usage should cost less than what a phone call costs.

Please note that this isn't a scientific test by any standard, use it only as a yardstick for a rough approximation. And this is data in the "megabytes" sense, not in terms of what information it collects. If you want to know more about data in the latter sense, check out our guide on everything to know about WhatsApp privacy settings.

How Does WhatsApp Call Compare to Competitors?

WhatsApp is not the only instant messaging app that offers free VOIP calls. Some of its most notable competitors include Viber, Skype, Telegram, and Zoom. Each of them has different features and different pros and cons.

If WhatsApp hasn't sold you on its calling functions, you can consider one of its alternatives.

Image credit: focal point/Shutterstock

source https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/whatsapp-voice-call-everything-you-need-to-know/