WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, with over 2 billion users. One of the key features of WhatsApp is video calling, which allows you to make video calls to other WhatsApp users for free. While WhatsApp’s mobile apps have supported video calling for years, making video calls directly on your Windows 10 PC is a more recent development.
In this article, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to make WhatsApp video calls on a Windows 10 computer, step-by-step. We’ll cover the requirements, how to set up your microphone and webcam, making outgoing calls, receiving incoming calls, call controls, and troubleshooting tips. Follow along and you’ll be making WhatsApp video calls from your PC in no time!
Requirements
To make WhatsApp video calls from your Windows 10 PC, you’ll need:
– A Windows 10 PC running the October 2018 Update or later versions of Windows 10. WhatsApp video calling won’t work on earlier versions of Windows.
– The WhatsApp desktop app installed and set up on your PC. This can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store.
– A working microphone and webcam connected to your PC. The quality doesn’t have to be great, but it needs to function properly.
– A steady internet connection for smooth video calls. Both outbound and incoming call quality depends on your internet speeds.
As long as you meet those requirements, you should be able to start making one-on-one WhatsApp video calls on your Windows 10 PC without any problems. Now let’s go through the setup process step-by-step.
Setting Up Your Webcam and Microphone
Before you can make any WhatsApp video calls, you need to set up your webcam and microphone properly in Windows 10. Here are the necessary steps:
1. Make sure your webcam is connected to your PC and turned on. For external webcams, plug the webcam in with a USB cable and turn it on if it has a power button. The webcam should show a light if it’s getting power.
2. Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Camera and switch the toggle for camera access to “On”. This allows apps like WhatsApp to use your webcam.
3. Open the Camera app in Windows 10 and test to see if your webcam feed shows up properly. Take a test video to verify video quality.
4. Next, check your audio input device and levels. Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound. Under “Choose your input device”, select your microphone from the drop-down list.
5. Click “Sound Control Panel” on the right side. In the Recording tab, select your microphone and click “Properties”. Go to the Levels tab and adjust the volume so it’s around 50-75% when you speak into the mic.
6. Test your mic by using the mic test feature in the Sound settings. Your mic levels should light up when you speak. Make sure input levels don’t max out and distort.
7. Once you’ve confirmed video and audio input are working, your system is ready for WhatsApp video calls!
Following those steps carefully before attempting any calls will ensure the best video and audio quality. If you run into any issues, recheck your webcam, mic hardware, and Windows Sound settings.
Starting an Outgoing WhatsApp Video Call
When you’re ready to place a video call to someone through WhatsApp on your PC, just follow these easy steps:
1. Open the WhatsApp desktop app on your PC. Make sure you’re connected to the internet.
2. Find the chat window for the WhatsApp contact you want to video call. Double check they are showing as available online.
3. Click the video camera icon at the top right of the chat. This will place an outgoing WhatsApp video call to the recipient.
4. The call window will open, showing your local video preview. Give it a few seconds to connect the call on the other end.
5. Once your contact accepts the call, you’ll see their video stream on your screen and can start your video chat!
6. To end the call, click the red phone icon. This will disconnect the call after confirming you want to end it.
7. The call time will show up under the chat window to indicate the length of your video session.
WhatsApp video call quality depends on both users’ internet speeds for smooth video and audio. If you or your contact has a poor connection, video quality may suffer.
Answering Incoming WhatsApp Video Calls
When someone tries to WhatsApp video call you on your PC, here’s what to expect:
– A notification sound will play (if enabled in WhatsApp settings).
– The incoming WhatsApp call screen will pop up, showing the caller’s name and profile photo.
– Two buttons will be displayed: Accept or Decline.
To answer the call:
1. When ready, click the green Accept button to answer the call.
2. Your local webcam preview will open first before connecting to the caller’s video feed.
3. Once connected, you’ll see the caller’s video on your screen and can start chatting!
If you can’t take the call right away, click Decline or just ignore the call window and it will eventually time out. The caller will just get a notice that you missed their call. They can then follow up with a message if needed.
In-Call Controls
Once you’re on a WhatsApp video call on your PC, you have various controls available:
– **Mute/Unmute** – Click the microphone icon to mute or unmute your audio. When muted, the other user won’t hear you.
– **Video Off/On** – Toggle your video feed off or on with the video camera button. Turning video off will display a still photo or black screen.
– **Switch Camera** – If you have multiple webcams, you can click this icon to switch between them.
– **Full Screen** – Enlarge the video call window to full screen for a more immersive experience.
– **End Call** – When ready to end the call, click the red phone button. Confirm to disconnect.
– **Chat** – Open the text chat window with your contact while remaining on the video call.
Becoming familiar with these in-call controls will allow you to have smoother WhatsApp video conversations on your Windows 10 PC.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp Video Call Issues
In some cases, you may encounter problems making or receiving WhatsApp video calls on your PC. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
– Check that your webcam is properly connected and configured in Windows. Recheck Sound settings for your microphone.
– Confirm that you have a stable, high-speed internet connection to handle video calls. Mobile hotspots may have bandwidth limits.
– Make sure you and the other person are on the latest version of WhatsApp. Older versions may not fully support video calling.
– WhatsApp only allows one device at a time to be linked to an account. Make sure your phone isn’t also connected.
– Restart your PC and router if connectivity seems to be an issue. This helps clear out any software or network glitches.
– Update your Windows 10 to the latest version if you haven’t already. Newer Windows releases improve WhatsApp performance.
– Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp if available app updates don’t resolve persistent calling issues.
Following troubleshooting best practices helps identify and resolve any video call problems quickly. But overall, WhatsApp desktop calling should work reliably as long as system requirements are met.
Conclusion
Making and taking WhatsApp video calls right from your Windows 10 PC is simple with the WhatsApp desktop app. Just set up your webcam and mic, launch the app, and use the call buttons in your chats. Incoming calls display a notification pop-up that allows you to answer or decline quickly.
With features like mute, disabling video, and full screen mode, WhatsApp provides a complete video calling experience. Stick to the system requirements, set up your devices properly, and update software when needed to avoid issues. WhatsApp video chatting is a great free way to stay in touch with all your contacts right from your computer. Give it a try today!