How to make phone calls on viber

How does Viber work - Blog Gravitec.net

Contents

• 1 What is Viber
• 2 How Does It Work?
• 3 Viber Features
• 4 How to Use Viber
• 5 Conclusion

Instant messengers have almost completely replaced phone calls and SMS. Today, for quick and free communication with friends, family, and colleagues, you need to be connected to the Internet and have an instant messaging app installed on your mobile phone. 

Here, we will discuss the Viber messenger, which is one of the most popular ones. You will learn its features, and how to use them.

What is Viber

Viber is a free service that allows users to send messages, and place voice/video calls. It is used by over 1 billion people in approximately 200 countries worldwide.

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Since 2013, Viber has been owned by Rakuten Company, from Japan. Read how Viber makes money.

Viber’s popularity drives further growth in its number of users. You can communicate freely with people in your own country, and anywhere else in the world.  

How Does It Work?

Viber users can call or send messages for free to anyone who also has this app installed. Free communication is available inside the Viber network. And, for a fee, you can also make calls outside the network.

To start using Viber, you need to install the app on your smartphone and enter your phone number. This will be your ID in the system. 

The service works on smartphones, tablets, laptops, and PCs. The installation on desktop devices is available only after you register your mobile number in Viber via a smartphone.

Viber’s free and external calls work through VoIP (Voice Internet Protocol, i.e. IP telephony).

Viber Features

Viber features are:

• Calls to Viber users
• Messaging
• File transfer (photo, video)
• Stickers 
• Group chats, Communities, and Broadcast list
• Games
• External calls to any phone number

We’ll take a look at these functions in detail below. (Except for Games, which you can explore on your own!)

Viber App

You can download Viber on a smartphone from Google Play or App Store for free.

All you need is to tap the “Install” button.

Viber supports:

• Android
• iOS
• Windows PC
• Mac
• Linux

Viber for Desktop

To download Viber on your desktop device, you need to go to the company’s website – https://www.viber.com/download/.

Choose the button that corresponds to your operating system.

After you download the software and start the installation, Viber asks if you have the app on your mobile phone.

If you don’t have it, you need to install the app on your mobile device and enter your phone number there.

After this, you can use Viber on other devices. Your data on Viber (contacts, chats) will be synchronized through all devices where it’s installed.

Free Text Messenger

The most popular Viber feature is messaging. To start a chat, find your contact, by name or phone number.

After selecting the contact, you will go directly into the chat.

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Messages are encrypted with unique keys when transferring. Read our article “Is Viber safe?”

In the upper right corner of the chat, there are the voice/video call buttons.

To find other options – Viber Out Call, Secret chat, Group chat, Chat info – click on the 3-dot button.

There are additional chat features at the bottom of the message box. You can add:

• Stickers
• Photos from Gallery
• Photo from Camera
• GIF 
• Self-made picture

To send a file, location, or share a contact, click on the drop-list button:

Also, you can make a voice or video recording by holding the button at the right side of the message box:

Group Chats

Viber offers Group Chats for when you want to communicate with several people all at once. To add contacts to a group, start a chat, select “New Group” and add participants from your contact list.

Besides “Group Chat”, there are “Community” and “Broadcast list” options.

“Community” lets you add unlimited members to your public discussion. In addition, you can moderate your community as an administrator.

“Broadcast list” is a feature that allows a user to send a message to multiple users all at once.

When you send a link to a private chat and/or community, check how your link preview is displayed on Viber. If a link is displayed with a cropped title, blurry picture, or even without a picture, you need to edit its preview. Using a link preview with a custom picture, title, and description, you’ll get more clicks on your links. We recommend Piar.io for this purpose. It allows you to preview a link before it’s sent, shorten it, and edit link preview elements.

Free calls

To start a voice or video call, select “Calls” in the Viber menu and choose a contact to make a call.

Alternatively, you can choose a contact from the contact list on your phone. If they use Viber, there will be the “Viber” button opposite to their name. Click on it to see the options for communication.

To start the voice call, tap “Free call”.

Free video calls

You can start a video call from your contact list by clicking “Video call”  near the contact name. There is the same option in the chat.

To answer a video call from your friends, click the video call button.

You can switch to a voice call when talking, by turning off your camera. There are some additional options that you can use during your conversation: sending messages and redirecting your call to your desktop device.

Viber Out Calls

If your contact does not use Viber, you can make a call with the “Viber Out Call” feature. To make a call, choose this option in your contact’s info screen.

How does Viber work for international calls? You need to select a plan for a country where you want to make calls and put some money on your Viber account. Then, to start a conversation, dial the phone number of your contact in the app. Viber Out calls are less expensive than making international calls via a mobile network.

How to Use Viber

To start using Viber on mobile devices:

1. Find “Viber Messenger” in Google Play or Apple Store and click “Install”
   
2. Click “Accept” to allow using your data by the app
   
3. Wait for installation
4. Open the app
5. Tap “Continue” to agree with Terms & Policies. Here, you can transfer data from another device where you have Viber installed.
   
6. Enter your phone number
7. After verification of your phone number, you will receive an SMS to activate your account.
8. Choose a photo for your profile and enter your name
   
9. Now you are ready to start communicating

The main tools are shown at the bottom of the screen (“Chats” and “Calls”). All extra settings and features are available by clicking the “More” button.

To start using Viber on your PC or laptop:

• Download and install Viber from their website.
• Next, if you have Viber installed on your smartphone, click “Yes”. If not, you must first install it there
• Enter your phone number
• Scan QR on the screen with your phone  
• Synchronize your mobile chat history
  
• Now you can use Viber on your computer

You will find all the app settings in Viber “Tools”.

Conclusion

• Viber runs on smartphones, laptops, tablets, and PCs
• Your phone number is your ID in the Viber system
• Viber needs to be installed on your mobile phone before you can use it on other devices
• The main Viber functions are “Chats” and “Calls”
• You can chat with an individual, or use one of the features for communication with multiple users (“Group Chats”, “Communities”, “Broadcast list”)
• You can send stickers, photos, video and audio records via chats
• You can make voice and video calls and send messages to any Viber user for free
• Viber Out allows making calls to any phone number at low cost

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17 Common Viber Issues – Here's How to Fix Them!

“I have a problem with the Viber app. Viber keeps crashing all the time. I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it, but nothing. Still crushing. What should I do? ” - From Anonymous

Viber is one of the most widely used cross-platform messaging apps to send messages and make a video or phone calls. You can chat individually or in a group which makes chatting more interesting. In addition, it supports end-end encryption to protect your conversations with third parties.

Although it's one of the most popular messaging apps, Viber, like many smartphone apps, can begin to act strangely. Users have reported crashing and freezing, yet these are only some issues you may encounter. A feature-rich app such as comes with its array of problems.

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Luckily, all of these problems can be fixed. In this article, we will look at ways to fix some common Viber issues. We’ve counted seventeen common problems that can easily be fixed in a few minutes. So, if you're ready to start enjoying your Viber conversations again, let's see how to fix the common issues.

Before you get started

Before you're trying to fix your Viber issues, back up your Viber chat history will be a wise choice if you lose all your essential data in your app. MobileTrans - Backup & Restore can also backup Viber chat history to the computer and restore the chats to another device when you need it.

Backup Viber Chat History to Computer with 1 Click!

• • Transfer Viber chats from one device to another for iOS devices, making it the ideal solution when switching devices.
• • Backup and restore Viber messages to your computer. The backup and restoration process is easy, as we shall see shortly.
• • Support all iOS devices and Android devices.
• • Transfer and backup other social apps, including WhatsApp, LINE, Kik, and WeChat.

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1. Viber keeps crashing

Initial steps

First, you need to restart your phone and check if you are running the latest version of Viber. Then check if your phone has a good internet connection. 

Now follow the below steps:

Clear cache

• Tap on the Settings icon.
• Click on the apps & notifications icon.
• Find the Viber app.
• Hit on storage & cache.
• Now, clear cache and storage to free up some space.

Hopefully, the issue will be resolved.

Tip: before fixing Viber crashing issue, please backup your Viber data using mobitrans. You can also find more information on securely backing up your Viber data on a computer.

2. Viber not updating

Updating Viber shouldn't be a problem if you have enough memory or are connected to the internet. However, many users experience this issue even if the conditions mentioned above are fulfilled.

The easiest way to fix this issue is to clear the cache and data.

• Go to your phone Settings, find App Manager (or however it's called on your phone), and find Viber.
• Now only click on Clear Cache.

If this doesn’t help, repeat the steps but only click on Clear Data instead of Clear Cache, and see if it works.

Tips for mobile users: Learn how to clear the WhatsApp cache from your iPhone, Samsung, or any other Android phone with this easy step-by-step guide.

3. Viber error "registration can't be completed"

• Check the phone number and SIM card - you need to check if the SIM card is valid. You entered the correct country code and phone number.
• Check the internet's connection - Viber says no internet connection if neither mobile data nor Wi-Fi is enabled. It will also stop the registration process. 

• Check activation code - check if you have entered the correct six-digit authentication code received via phone call or SMS.
• Check account blocked - if you accidentally sent an access code request up to 3 times, Viber may deactivate your account and show a registration error message. For this, you need to reinstall the Viber app and create a new account.

4. Viber activation failed

Activating Viber seems like an easy thing to do. However, many users report problems with this first initial step. To activate Viber, you need to enter your phone number, and you should get an SMS with the activation code.

But, many users fail this step, and there are a couple of reasons for that.

• First, you should confirm that your SIM card is valid. For example, if you are abroad, turn on data roaming to receive SMS. If it's not, you won't get the activation code.
• Second, Viber always requires an internet connection – cellular data or Wi-Fi.
• If that doesn't work, try other options to receive an activation code like "activate via call."

If you don’t have access to the internet, you’ll get the message saying that it's required. However, when you have access to the internet and your SIM card is valid, you should be able to receive your six-digit code via SMS. You can even get it via phone call, which is great.

It's an automatic callback feature that will activate Viber when you answer the call. If you’ve requested your code 3+ times, your account will be blocked. You’ll then need to reinstall Viber and make a new account.

Recommended reading: How to Transfer Viber Messages to New Phone?

You will start receiving pop-up notifications on your screen.

5. Viber blocked the number

Viber may block your account if it considers you spam, suspects your behavior, or suspects you violate Viber's t&c ( Viber Terms of Service and the Viber Out Fair Usage Principles). As a result, you may question why it isn't Viber working. To fix it, you need to contact the viber support team, open a "request to unblock" ticket, and submit it for approval. In most cases, the number is unblocked.

Tips: Getting blocked on Viber by someone is annoying, especially when you are unaware of being blocked. These fool-proof step-wise tips will help you find out if you are really blocked on Viber.

6. Unable to backup on Android phone

If you are an Android user and can't back up your important Viber messages and media, follow the below guidelines:

• Launch Viber.
• Click on More.
• Now click Settings and go to Account.
• Click Viber backup.
• Now go to Settings in the not connected to google drive section.
• Select the account to backup your Viber data.

7. Viber can't back up to iCloud

If you are an iPhone user and facing Viber iCloud backup error, here is how you to fix the problem:

• First, open Viber and click the More Option.
• Next, go to Settings and then Account.
• Click Back Up Now.
• Now go to iPhone Settings, Apple ID, and go iCloud.
• Now enable Viber under the iCloud option. 

Tip: If the above method is still invalid or the backup speed is very slow, and you want a quicker and easier method, it is recommended that you use a third-party backup tool - MobileTrans - Backup & Restore.

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You can visit the MobileTrans website to learn how to backup Viber data on your pc.

8. Viber is always online

The Viber app shows you online even if you exit the app because it runs in the background. However, if you want Viber to show you offline for some reason, here is how you can do it.

• Open Viber and tap on Navicon.
• Click on the Settings.
• Click on Privacy.
• Finally, untick Share 'Online' Status.

9. Viber disconnected abruptly

One of the many Viber app problems is that the app may disconnect unexpectedly. It is due to various reasons. So, here's what to do: 

• In case of a low networking signal like 3g, the Viber may disconnect abruptly. Then you need to connect it over Wi-Fi or find a spot with good cellular data networking signals like 4g, lte, or 5g.
• If the airplane mode in your mobile is accidentally switched on, Viber will disconnect. In this case, turn airplane mode off. Restart the mobile if the problem continues. 

10. Viber not working on Wi-Fi

There’s a strange Viber Sleep Policy that the app sets by default. This doesn’t allow the app to connect to Wi-Fi unless you wake up your phone. We mentioned a setting similar to this just a minute ago, but this one applies only to Viber, making these two completely independent.

To fix this issue, open Viber on your phone, tap on three horizontal lines at the bottom right side, and you’ll see the menu. There, tap Settings and then General. Next, you should see the “Wi-Fi Sleep Policy” option.

Choose Always Connected, which is the first one. The second one is the device's Wi-Fi Sleep Policy, which you don't want to use. So now, your app should work correctly.

11. Viber can't find contacts

Viber users often complain that Viber can't save a contact or are unable to find their contacts. Follow the below steps:

• Open the Viber app.
• Tap More on the right bottom of your screen.
• Hit the Settings tab.
• Click the General options.
• Hit "Sync contacts" plus "Show contacts."
• Now click on the mobile phone's Settings icon and click Application Manager.
• Select the Viber app and go to the Permissions option
• Finally, enable the Contacts option.

12. Viber Won't Send or Receive Messages & Image

Viber takes advantage of your internet when sending or receiving messages. Unfortunately, many users have experienced that they can’t send or receive messages or images because their internet isn’t functioning.

You’re probably using your local Wi-Fi network when you're inside your house. But when you go outside, it's necessary to use your cellular data. If your internet is working flawlessly, you should be able to send messages.

Other issues include your recipient deleting the app, so you can’t contact him through Viber. Also, there’s one more solution to this problem that works mainly for iPhone users. You need to go to Settings and then tap on Privacy. Next, find the Collect Analytics button and click Disable. Now, you should be able to receive and send messages freely.

Recommended reading: How to Sync Viber Messages?

13. Viber Income & Outgoing Calls not Working

Issues with incoming and outgoing Viber calls are not that rare, too. If you can't make or receive calls on your iPhone, this will solve your problem:

• Launch Viber and go to Settings.
• Click on Calls and Messages.
• Tick mark Viber-in-calls.

You can also allow Video Calls by tapping on the homonymous button and choosing On. Now, you should be able to call or receive both video and audio calls. Sometimes, Viber tends to mess up the Settings, so you must take your time to inspect them before using them.

14. Viber video call is not working

While making a video call, the Viber sometime shows an error message that the video call is not working. Here is how to fix the issue:

• First, open Viber and click on the Menu option.
• Click on the Settings.
• Hit the Privacy settings.

• Now uncheck the collect Analytics option.
• Now come back to the Settings and click on the Calls & Message option.

Hopefully, you will start making video calls.

15. The camera won't work only on Viber

Sometimes Viber crashes temporarily, and it does not open the camera. So the first thing you can do is restart the application. In most cases, it will solve the issue. Otherwise, try one of these steps below:

• First, check camera permission for Viber.
• Reboot your device.
• Shut down the mobile for 15 minutes and then turn it on.
• Recharge your phone's low battery.
• Clear the Viber app cache and delete data (follow the steps mentioned in the above topics).
• If the problem does not solve, reinstall the app.

16. Viber Not Ringing

Viber not ringing is perhaps one of the most persistent issues on iOS and Android platforms. This doesn't always have to be about your phone. Sure, you might have your ringtones disabled or use a do-not-disturb profile, but this isn't the case in many cases.

Usually, Viber doesn’t ring when your phone is locked. Instead, your display shows you the notification, but you don’t hear that ‘clicking sound. To solve this, go to your Wi-Fi Settings, choose Advanced, and check Keep Wi-Fi on When Screen Times Out.

When it's locked, your phone may not be using the internet, meaning that you don't receive notifications unless you unlock it. Alternatively, you can choose a notification type in your iPhone Settings app if you use an iPhone.

In this app, click on Notifications, go to Alert Style, and choose either Alerts or Banner. This will allow you to hear your Viber messages.

17. Viber Desktop Not Working

For Viber Desktop to work, you need the following ports for TCP and UDP:

• • 5245
• • 4244
• • 5243
• • 7985
• • 80
• • 443

These ports can be opened if you go to Control Panel and find Windows Firewall. There, click on Advanced Settings, and on the left, there's the Inbound Rules table. Inside, click on New Rule, and the wizard will open.

In the New Inbound Rule Wizard, click Port and Next. Next, select TCP and enter the ports we’ve mentioned above. Click on Next, and then Allow the Connection. Proceed until the end of the New Inbound Rule Wizard and name it Viber. Click "Finish", and your ports will be opened. The same procedure is for UDP, so you’ll only need to choose it in the NIRL (New Inbound Rule Wizard).

Conclusion

Fixing any Viber issues shouldn’t be a problem if you follow our steps. But, of course, if you have any uncommon issues, you can always contact Viber’s customer support and resolve them. So, now that your favorite messaging app is functioning, it's time to enjoy its premium features!

Recommended reading: 12 Amazing Features You Can Use on Viber

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