WhatsApp officially launched video calling feature on Tuesday, and it is rolling out for Android, iPhone, and Windows users. Since it is has been released for Android and iPhone, so you simply need to update the feature to make your first video call. If your iPhone or Android mobile phone 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 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.
If you successfully completed above mentioned steps, you are now running the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, congratulations! The beta version comes with support for WhatsApp video calls and other new features – to make your first WhatsApp video call.
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.
Here is how you can make your first video call in 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! Congratulations, you’ve just made your first WhatsApp video call!
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.
