How to make whatsapp call from laptop windows 10


How to Make a WhatsApp Video Call in Windows 10

For a long time, WhatsApp only offered texting and voice/video calls through its Android and iPhone apps. Fortunately, this feature is now available for desktop computers, too. The desktop app looks exactly like the one on your phone, so it’s easy to adapt to it. If you want to learn how to make a WhatsApp Video Call on Windows 10, make sure to read this article.

How to Make a WhatsApp Video Call in Windows 10

Setting Up WhatsApp

Before getting into making a video call through your desktop app, let’s talk about setting up WhatsApp.

  1. Install WhatsApp on your phone. If you’re an Android user, go to the Play Store and download it. iPhone users would go to the App Store.
  2. Set up WhatsApp on your phone.
  3. Download the WhatsApp desktop app for Windows at this website: https://www.whatsapp.com/download.
  4. Once you download and install it, a pop-up menu with a QR code will show up on your desktop.
  5. Open WhatsApp on your phone.
  6. Tap the three dots icon at the top-right corner.
  7. Tap “Linked devices.”
  8. Tap “Link a device.”
  9. If you have an unlock pattern, enter it now.
  10. Scan the QR code from the desktop app.

That’s it! Your WhatsApp phone app will have synced with your desktop app, and you’ll see all your chats on your computer. You can now use your desktop app to send messages or make phone & video calls.

Tip: The WhatsApp desktop app is not the same as WhatsApp Web. The latter is a platform that you access through your browser. Like with the desktop app, you also need to scan a QR code to access WhatsApp Web, but the difference is that you won’t be able to make phone or video calls through a browser. You’ll have to install the app for that.

Requirements & Equipment

Certain requirements and equipment are needed to set up WhatsApp on your device and make a video call.

  1. Computer/laptop equipped with a camera, whether built-in or as an accessory.
  2. Mobile phone.
  3. Audio output and a microphone.
  4. Active internet connection on both your phone and your computer. Although the video call won’t go directly through your phone, the desktop app requires it to be connected to the internet.
  5. WhatsApp installed on both your phone and your computer.

WhatsApp Video Calls on Windows 10

Making a Video Call

Now that you’ve set up WhatsApp and checked your equipment, we can discuss the steps of making a video call. It’s important to know that it’s not possible at this time to make group calls on your desktop app. However, you can call any individual by following these steps:

  1. Open the WhatsApp desktop app.
  2. Select the contact you wish to call.
  3. Tap the camera icon at the top-right corner.
  4. Once you’re done, tap the red icon to end the call.

Answering a Video Call

When someone’s trying to call you on WhatsApp, you’ll have three options:

  1. Tap “Accept” to accept the video call.
  2. Tap “Decline” to turn down the call.
  3. Tap “X” at the top-right corner to ignore.

Using BlueStacks

While it was designed as an addition to your phone’s app, there is a way to use the WhatsApp desktop app even without your phone. This is possible through an emulator app such as BlueStacks. These apps essentially create an Android environment on your Windows so you can use your computer like an Android phone.

To use WhatsApp with BlueStacks, follow these steps:

  1. Download BlueStacks on your computer by visiting this website: https://www.bluestacks.com/.
  2. Once downloaded and installed, log in or register a new account.
  3. Open PlayStore.
  4. Tap the search icon at the top-right corner.
  5. Type “WhatsApp.”
  6. Tap “Install.”
  7. Once the app is installed, open it, and verify your phone number.

Done! Now you can use WhatsApp on your computer without your phone.

Using WhatsApp on Windows 10

Due to the similarities between the phone and the desktop app, you will have no trouble figuring out how to use WhatsApp. Let’s review some of the options on your desktop app.

Making Phone Calls

If you don’t want to make a video call, you can also make a phone call directly on your desktop app. Here is how you can do this:

  1. Open the WhatsApp desktop app.
  2. Select the contact.
  3. Tap the call icon.
  4. Once you’re done, tap the red icon to end the call.

In-Call Settings

Switching From a Phone to a Video Call and Back

If you’re in the middle of a phone call on WhatsApp and want to show the other person something, you can easily switch to a video call by pressing the camera icon at the top-right corner of your app.

To switch from a video to a phone call, press the call icon at the top-right corner.

Mic Settings

You can decide to enable/disable your mic during a phone or video call. Simply press the mic icon on your screen to turn it on/off.

General Settings

Since the desktop app is connected to your phone, you have access to all the settings. This means you can change your profile picture, name, and status. You can also customize notifications, themes, keyboard shortcuts, etc.

FAQs

What is the difference between a regular call and a WhatApp call?

There are several differences between the two:

1. You need internet access to make a WhatsApp call. Unlike regular calls, WhatsApp calls are routed through the internet. This means both you and the recipient must be online.

2. You need a smartphone to use WhatsApp. If you want to make a regular call, you can use any mobile or a landline phone. However, if you want to use WhatsApp and make calls through it, both you and the recipient must do it on a smartphone. You won’t be able to install the app otherwise.

3. WhatsApp calls are free, subject to data charges.

4. If you have a poor internet connection, you might have trouble establishing a connection on WhatsApp. Regular cellphone calls do not depend on your internet connection.

5. WhatsApp international calls – it doesn’t matter if you’re calling the person next to you or someone on the other side of the world. With regular calls, you may have to worry about international calling rates.

6. Higher security with WhatsApp calls. WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption covers messages, phone, and video calls. The app scrambles the data extracted from your phone, which others will need a code to unscramble. As such, no one else can eavesdrop on your conversations or look at your messages.

7. You can’t call a landline phone with WhatsApp. If you’re trying to call someone via WhatsApp, you should know that you’re only able to call people who have the app. That means you can’t call landlines or any other cell phones that don’t have WhatsApp installed.

8. You can make a video call with WhatsApp. Unlike regular calls, you can choose between a phone and a video call in WhatsApp. You may prefer the latter when calling certain people.

As you can see, regular calls and WhatsApp calls are different in many ways. Even though you can live without either of those, it’s recommended to have access to both.

Find Out What’s Up Using WhatsApp

Over the past decades, the internet has enabled us to communicate with people all around the world without having to worry about the phone bill. A variety of apps have made it easy to contact people thousands of miles away with just a few clicks. WhatsApp is one of those apps that allow you to make voice or video calls or text anyone, anywhere.

We hope this guide has been helpful and you’ve learned how to make a WhatsApp video call on Windows.

Have you ever used WhatsApp to make a call? Tell us in the comment section below.

How to make a voice or video call on WhatsApp desktop

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Britta O'Boyle, Deputy editor

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Explainer Provides context or background, definition and detail on a specific topic.

WhatsApp

Why you can trust Pocket-lint

(Pocket-lint) - WhatsApp has long offered voice and video calls through its iPhone and Android apps, but the feature is also available on its desktop app.  

Making a voice or video call using WhatsApp's desktop app works in both portrait and landscape orientation, and appears in a resizeable standalone window on your computer so you have the freedom to move it around. It is also set to always be on top. 

Currently, the feature is only available for one-to-one calls, but WhatsApp has said it has plans to include group voice and video calls in the future. All voice and video calls on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted.

Here's how to make a voice or video call using WhatsApp desktop and what you need.

What you need to make a voice or video call on WhatsApp desktop

To make or receive a voice or video call using WhatsApp desktop, you will need the following:

  • The latest version of the WhatsApp desktop app (available for Windows PC and Mac)
  • An audio and microphone output device
  • A camera for video calls
  • An active internet connection on your phone and computer. Your phone needs to be online to establish the call, but the call won't go through your phone.
  • Grant permission to WhatsApp desktop to access your computer's microphone and camera.

It's worth noting that WhatsApp Desktop calling is only supported on MacOS 10.13 and newer, and Windows 10 64-bit version 1903 and newer.

How to make a voice call using WhatsApp desktop

Follow these super easy steps to make a voice call using WhatsApp desktop. 

  1. Open the WhatsApp desktop app on your computer
  2. Scan the QR code using your phone (open WhatsApp on your phone > Tap Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device)
  3. Open the individual chat with the person you want to make a call to
  4. Click on the voice call icon
  5. Tap on End Call when you're done

You can mute or unmute your microphone by clicking the microphone icon during the call. It's also possible to switch from a voice call to a video call during the call - more on that below.

How to make a video call using WhatsApp desktop

To make a video call using WhatsApp desktop, follow the simple steps below:

  1. Open the WhatsApp desktop app on your computer
  2. Scan the QR code using your phone (open WhatsApp on your phone > Tap Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device)
  3. Open the individual chat with the person you want to make a video call to
  4. Tap on the Video call icon
  5. Tap End Call when you're finished

As with voice calling, you can mute or unmute your microphone by clicking the microphone icon during the call. You can also turn your camera off by tapping on the camera icon during the call.

How to switch between a voice call and video call using WhatsApp desktop

During a voice call with a contact, you can ask to switch to a video call, like you can with Apple's FaceTime for example. 

To switch between a voice call and a video call using WhatsApp desktop, follow the steps below:

  1. Follow the steps above to start a voice call with a contact
  2. During the call, hover over the Camera icon
  3. Click on the camera icon
  4. The contact you are talking to will then get the option to select OK or Switch to change the call to video, or Cancel to decline
  5. If they select OK or Switch, the voice call will switch over to video

How to answer a voice or video call on WhatsApp desktop

Answering a voice or video call on WhatsApp desktop is very simple. 

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Three options will appear when someone voice calls you or video calls you and you have WhatsApp Desktop on and connected to your WhatsApp account.

Accept will accept the call. Decline will decline the call and Ignore or "x" will ignore the call.

Writing by Britta O'Boyle.

Sections WhatsApp Apps

WhatsApp video calls from a computer are officially out. How to call

Despite the fact that WhatsApp was recently at the center of a scandal due to new privacy rules, according to which the data of the messenger's users will be transferred to Facebook, its audience has hardly decreased. No, some of the users have certainly moved to Telegram, which has been the main beneficiary of this scandal, but the vast majority have remained. Therefore, to express its gratitude to them, WhatsApp launched a new feature that it promised to release a long time ago - audio and video calls in the desktop application.

WhatsApp desktop version has video calls

How to transfer chats from WhatsApp to Telegram

Today, March 4, WhatsApp officially launched the audio and video calling feature for desktop platforms. Obviously, the developers were in a hurry to, so to speak, intercept the negative agenda and offer dissatisfied users the long-promised innovation. This is clearly seen from the restrictions that the messenger audience faced:

  • Update with audio and video calls is available only on Windows and Mac, and will be released later on ChromeOS and Linux;
  • The audio and video calls feature does not turn on for everyone even after installing the update;
  • Even those lucky enough to activate the feature can only call one person at a time;
  • Group calls for desktop platforms will appear later - with the release of the next update.

How to call WhatsApp from a computer

Despite the fact that WhatsApp activates the function of audio and video calls forcibly, applying the necessary changes on its servers, you still should not neglect the update. In the end, it is it that lays the foundation for the work of innovation. Therefore, if you do not upgrade, you should not count on the inclusion of a new feature. And, if you have already updated, then just follow the instructions below, it will provide you with a verbal connection with the outside world.

WhatsApp will delete your account if you do not accept the new agreement

  • Download the updated version of WhatsApp from this link;
  • Launch WhatsApp on your computer and confirm the login from your smartphone;

Only those who have installed the latest update can make video calls to WhatsApp on a computer. Screenshot from beebom.com

  • Make sure the camera and microphone are connected or active if built-in;
  • Select a chat with the desired interlocutor and press the video call button and wait for the call to be received.

Whatsapp calls on a computer

WhatsApp cannot be used without a smartphone connected to a PC

Please note that there are two buttons available in the WhatsApp desktop interface: a camera and a handset. Pressing the first one will create a video conference, and the second one will initiate a voice call. At the same time, you can always switch from any mode to another. To do this, click on the corresponding button in the call window. If you are in a video conference, press the handset, and if you are in an audio conference, then vice versa. If you want, you can stay in the video chat, but turn off the webcam.

Support for WhatsApp, Telegram and GPS: what will Xiaomi Mi Band 6 be like

It is inconvenient that for audio or video communication in WhatsApp, it is necessary to keep a smartphone next to you. Moreover, it must be turned on all the time, because it is through it that all calls pass. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that the traffic that you spend during your video conferences will count towards your mobile tariff. If you have limited cellular data, it's best to connect to an available Wi-Fi network, or if that's not available, have an audio conversation.

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  • WhatsApp for Windows and Macbooks has added audio and video calls. But you still can't do without a smartphone

    Internet Internet Software Technique

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      Video and audio calls, previously available to the masses only in the mobile version of WhatsApp, have reached computers running Windows 10 and macOS operating systems. However, you can only call one person from the contact list at a time, and you still need a mobile phone with Internet access.

      Audio and video on WhatsApp desktop

      The developers of the popular messenger WhatsApp have added the function of audio and video calls to the desktop version of the application. This was reported in the official blog of the project.

      The ability to make group calls using a personal computer is not currently provided, but the developers plan to implement it later. Deadlines are not specified.

      The conversations of WhatsApp users, according to the developers, are protected by end-to-end encryption, that is, their content can be known only to direct participants, and not to third parties like employees of the American company that owns the messenger Facebook. Even if the Internet traffic generated during the call is intercepted by an attacker, it is likely to be useless.

      Video and audio calls, previously available only in the mobile version of WhatsApp, have reached the PC

      “Using WhatsApp on the big screen makes it easier to communicate with colleagues, family, and also frees up your hands and allows you to move around the room,” the message published by representatives of the messenger says. “The app works great in portrait and landscape orientations, in a standalone resizable window, and is always on top of other windows so you don’t lose your video calls in the browser or among the many open programs.

      On December 16, 2020, a number of media outlets announced the launch of the audio and video calling feature in the WhatsApp desktop for a limited number of participants in the beta testing of the product. 19In December, a WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that the new features would be available to all users of the app in 2021. Audio and video calls were added to WhatsApp mobile in 2015 and 2016. respectively.

      Will not work without smartphone

      WhatsApp calls for computers are supported by applications for 64-bit Microsoft Windows 10 (version 1903 and later) and Apple's macOS from version 10.13.

      It is also worth noting that in order to make an audio or video call, you will need not only a PC with the desktop version of WhatsApp installed, but also a mobile phone connected to the Web with the appropriate application. “The call is not made through the phone, but the connection is necessary to establish a connection,” the developers emphasize.

      Resonant Privacy Policy Change

      WhatsApp, owned by Facebook since February 2014, on January 8, 2021, WhatsApp updated its user agreement. Among the changes were, in particular, some innovations in the privacy policy of the service. So, users were notified that WhatsApp will start sharing information with Facebook in the near future.

      It was necessary to accept the new terms of service before February 8, 2021 at the risk of restricting access to the service. Despite assurances from WhatsApp representatives that the changes will only affect those who interact with business accounts, a wave of criticism of the messenger's policy and the outflow of users forced the service to postpone the introduction of a new agreement to a later date.

      Which digital products can be purchased with a 50% discount with government support

      IT industry support

      At the end of February 2021, it became known that WhatsApp still intends to implement a new privacy policy on May 15, 2021. Until then, it will notify users of upcoming changes through banners.

      Those who disagree with the new messenger policy will be able to refuse to accept it. However, in this case, after May 15, WhatsApp will not allow them to receive messages from interlocutors, nor send their own. The only thing left for them is audio calls.

      At the end of January 2021, CNews reported that Hong Kong users of the WhatsApp messenger, concerned about the upcoming changes in the privacy policy of the service, began to massively switch to ICQ, owned by the Russian Mail.ru Group.

      Still the most popular

      WhatsApp developers report a significant increase in the number of people using WhatsApp for long calls during the 2020 "quarantine" year. According to representatives of the messenger, on December 31, 2020, the record for the maximum number of audio and video calls per day was broken - 1.4 billion.

      So far only Facebook Messenger can compare with WhatsApp in terms of audience size

      According to the portal Statista.


      Learn more