WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. One of the key features of WhatsApp is voice messaging, which allows users to send short audio clips to each other instead of typing out messages. But can you actually have a live voice conversation on WhatsApp, like a phone call?
The short answer is yes, WhatsApp does have a voice calling feature that allows users to make voice calls to other WhatsApp users. This can be an easy and convenient way to have a real-time voice conversation without regular phone minutes.
In this article, we’ll look at how WhatsApp calling works, including:
- How to make and receive WhatsApp voice calls
- Group calls on WhatsApp
- WhatsApp call quality and reliability
- Using WhatsApp calls internationally
- Some limitations and things to know about WhatsApp calls
Understanding the ins and outs of WhatsApp’s voice calling capabilities will help you get the most out of this very useful feature.
Making and Receiving WhatsApp Voice Calls
Making a WhatsApp voice call is quite simple. The process is very similar to making a regular phone call, but using the WhatsApp interface. Here are the basic steps:
- Open the WhatsApp app and select the “Calls” tab at the bottom.
- Find the contact you want to call in your contacts list.
- Tap the phone icon next to their name.
- The call will connect and you can start talking once they answer.
When someone calls you on WhatsApp, you will get a notification on your phone like a regular call. You can choose to answer or decline the call. If you miss a WhatsApp call, you can view missed calls in the Calls tab.
One nice perk is that WhatsApp calls ring through even if you are on another call. This allows you to put one call on hold to answer an incoming WhatsApp call.
Starting a WhatsApp call from chat
In addition to the Calls tab, you can also start a WhatsApp voice call directly from an individual or group chat window. Here’s how:
- Open the chat with the person or group you want to call.
- Tap the phone icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Voice call” to start the call.
This allows you to quickly move a text conversation to a live voice call.
Group Calls
WhatsApp also provides the ability to make voice calls with multiple people at once, like a conference call. Here’s what to know about group calls:
- You can start a group call with up to 8 participants.
- To start a group call, select multiple contacts in the Calls tab and tap the phone icon.
- You can also add participants to an already started one-on-one call.
- Group calls work the same way as regular voice calls otherwise.
Group calls are useful for talking to your family, discussing work projects with teams, or just chatting with a group of friends.
Call Quality and Reliability
One concern with any voice over IP (VoIP) system like WhatsApp is call quality and reliability. So how does WhatsApp measure up in this regard?
Overall, WhatsApp call quality is quite good in optimal network conditions. The app uses your phone’s internet connection for calls, so quality can suffer or calls may drop if you have a poor connection. Here are some factors that influence WhatsApp call quality:
- Internet connection speed – Faster broadband or 4G/5G cellular data provides better quality.
- Network strength – Weaker signals can degrade call quality.
- Bandwidth usage – Heavy bandwidth usage on a network can impair WhatsApp call quality.
- Distance – Calls to far away locations may have more latency.
To optimize quality, use WhatsApp calls when you have a strong internet signal. WhatsApp automatically adjusts call quality by compressing audio when network bandwidth becomes limited.
Reliability
In terms of reliability, WhatsApp calls are reasonably dependable when made under good network conditions. However, calls made over cellular data or weaker WiFi can experience disruptions or drops more frequently than traditional calls. Using WhatsApp calls over a cellular network or congested public WiFi may lead to some unreliability.
Overall though, WhatsApp call quality and dependability is quite impressive considering calls are transmitted over the internet rather than a private voice network. The convenience of WhatsApp calling typically outweighs any minor quality issues under less than ideal network conditions.
International WhatsApp Calls
One of the most useful aspects of WhatsApp voice calling is the ability to make international calls to other users worldwide.
WhatsApp uses your phone’s internet connection rather than cellular minutes for calls. This means you can call other WhatsApp users globally without incurring costly international long distance charges from your mobile carrier.
The call quality and reliability considerations discussed above apply to international WhatsApp calls as well. You’ll get the best results when both the caller and recipient are on high-speed broadband internet connections. Cellular data connections work as well, but call quality may downgrade slightly.
Being able to call internationally through WhatsApp is incredibly valuable for a few reasons:
- Avoid expensive international calling rates from your provider.
- Seamlessly call contacts abroad at no extra cost.
- Don’t need to worry about running out of cellular plan minutes.
If you regularly keep in touch with people in other countries, using WhatsApp instead of your normal phone line can dramatically lower costs. WhatsApp enables free global communication.
Limitations and Considerations
While WhatsApp voice calling is very useful, there are some limitations and things to keep in mind:
- Both you and the person you are calling need to have WhatsApp installed.
- Calls over cellular data count towards your monthly data usage.
- Call quality depends on having a good internet connection.
- Encrypted end-to-end, but metadata (who, when, duration) is not encrypted.
- Not usable as a primary phone line replacement.
You need to have someone’s mobile number and they need WhatsApp installed to call them. Normal phone lines can’t be called through WhatsApp.
Calls over cellular data will use megabytes out of your monthly data allotment. A WhatsApp voice call consumes roughly 2-4 MB of data per minute. Keep this in mind for longer calls.
While calls are end-to-end encrypted for security, metadata like who you called and when is not encrypted. Cellular carriers and WhatsApp can see this information.
Due to dependencies on internet connections and data plans, WhatsApp isn’t well suited as a complete landline or mobile line replacement for voice calls. Use it to supplement your existing phone service.
Can You Call Non-Contacts on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp calling is designed to connect you with people in your phone’s contact list who also use WhatsApp. Without having someone’s mobile number saved in your phone’s contacts, there is no native way to “cold call” non-contacts through the WhatsApp interface.
However, there are a couple of workarounds:
- Use a secondary messaging app – You could coordinate calling through a different chat app that doesn’t require contacts, like Telegram.
- Call from a group – Adding you and the other person to a group allows you to call them even if not a contact.
Neither of these are as seamless as directly calling someone in your contacts through WhatsApp though. The contact-based design is partly for privacy and partly to limit spam calls.
Can You Call Landlines or Businesses on WhatsApp?
Unfortunately, there is no way to call landlines or businesses through WhatsApp, even if you have their landline number.
WhatsApp can only call mobile numbers associated with WhatsApp user accounts. Normal landlines and business phone numbers that aren’t tied to an individual’s WhatsApp account are not reachable through the app.
You can request businesses to sign up for a WhatsApp Business account, which gives them access to some business-oriented features. But this is generally only used by smaller businesses, not major corporate phone numbers.
So in summary – WhatsApp’s calling capabilities are limited to connecting personal smartphones, not other types of phone numbers.
Pros and Cons of WhatsApp Voice Calling
Below is a quick rundown of some of the key advantages and disadvantages of using WhatsApp voice calling:
Pros
- Free calls – No usage charges or long distance fees.
- Good call quality – Decent audio when network connections are strong.
- Easy to use – Calls are made right in the app.
- International calls – Call anyone else on WhatsApp worldwide.
- End-to-end encryption – Chats and calls are secured.
Cons
- Requires data connectivity – No calls without internet access.
- Drains phone battery – Constant voice calls impact battery life.
- Not reliable as primary phone line – Some call quality issues.
- No calls to non-WhatsApp users – Only works between WhatsApp accounts.
Overall WhatsApp calling is an extremely useful supplement to your mobile and landline phones, providing low-cost voice communication globally. But reliability concerns prevent it from being a true phone replacement.
Conclusion
To recap, yes you can absolutely voice talk on WhatsApp through the app’s voice calling feature.
WhatsApp calls allow you to have live voice conversations over the internet with any of your contacts who also have WhatsApp installed. This enables free calls domestically and internationally.
Voice calling works reliably well on both strong WiFi and cellular data connections. Call quality is very good in optimal network conditions. Group calls with up to 8 participants are also possible.
While not a full replacement for your primary phone line due to some limitations, WhatsApp calling serves as an excellent supplemental phone service – especially for affordable international communication.
Summary of Key Points:
- WhatsApp allows real-time voice calls through the app interface.
- Calls are made over the internet using your data connection.
- Voice calls are encrypted end-to-end for privacy.
- You can call any contacts who also use WhatsApp.
- Group calls with up to 8 people are supported.
- Call quality depends on having a strong internet connection.
- International calls can be made free of charge.
- Limitations prevent WhatsApp calling from fully replacing your phone line.
In conclusion, WhatsApp’s voice calling capabilities introduce a very useful new way to communicate verbally without standard phone charges. While not a total phone replacement solution, it excels at providing inexpensive voice communication globally when used as a phone line supplement.