WhatsApp officially launched video calling on Tuesday, and the feature is now being rolled out to Android, iPhone, and Windows users. Updated WhatsApp with support for video calling for Android and iPhone has officially been released, so you simply need to update the feature to make your first video call. If your iOS or Android device is not set to receive automatic updates, or if you are not sure if WhatsApp has been updated, simply go to the App Store or Google Play and check for available updates.
If you don’t see the video calling option, or if WhatsApp video calling is not working, or if WhatsApp video calls are giving you an error, you could download the WhatsApp beta version APK to see if things work any better. Follow the steps below if you cannot wait for WhatsApp video calling.
Note that we advice that you wait for the WhatsApp video calling feature to show up on your phone, since that also helps the server load manageable. But if you are convinced you want to start video calls right now, follow these steps.
The WhatsApp video calling feature was recently introduced in the beta builds of WhatsApp for Android and Windows Mobile. You can signup for the betas to get early access to WhatsApp video calling.
Follow these steps to sign up for the WhatsApp beta program and enable WhatsApp video calling on Android:
- Open Google Play and search for WhatsApp
- Open WhatsApp’s Google Play listing
- Scroll dow towards the bottom of the page
- In the section that says Become a beta tester tap on I’M IN
- Confirm on the next screen and wait for a few minutes
- Come back to WhatsApp listing page on Google Play
- You should see an option to Update WhatsApp to beta version
- Update the app
Alternatively, you could download the WhatsApp APK that comes with support for video calling (v2.16.354) from a website like APK Mirror or APK Pure, if you know what you are doing. We advice most of our readers to follow the above-mentioned steps to officially get on the WhatsApp beta version for video calling and other features, and skip the risks associated with downloading the WhatsApp APK.
(Also see: Eight WhatsApp Features That Would Make 160 Million Indians Very Happy)
If you’ve followed any of the methods mentioned above, congratulations, you are now running the latest WhatsApp beta for Android. This comes with support for WhatsApp video calls and other new features – to make your first WhatsApp video call, follow the steps indicated below.
To sign up for WhatsApp beta on Windows Phone, you need to message support@whatsapp.com and ask for a spot on the beta. The process involves human intervention, so it’s likely to be a lot slower. Once you are on the beta, you will get access to WhatsApp video calling on Windows Mobile.
iPhone users have no choice but to wait for WhatsApp video calling to be rolled out to them.
How to make a WhatsApp video call
If you are now running the latest WhatsApp beta – or if the video calling feature is available to you after launch – it’s pretty simply to start a video call with another WhatsApp user.
Here’s how to make a video call within WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp (of course!)
- Go to the Contacts tab
- Find and tap the contact you want to initiate a WhatsApp video call with
- Tap on the phone icon towards the top of the screen
- From the popup choose Video call
That’s it – you’ve just made your first WhatsApp video call!
Note that for WhatsApp video calling to work, both parties should be running a WhatsApp build that supports the feature. WhatsApp may also prompt you for feedback once the video call is over.
What do you think of WhatsApp’s video calling feature? Let us know via the comments. For more tutorials, visit our How To section.