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As government advice has us self-isolating, and limiting physical contact with friends and family, tech can play an important role in staying connected. Text messages are invaluable, but you might get more comfort from a video call.
As long as you have a camera-equipped computer, smartphone or tablet, you can make video calls free of charge to the people who matter the most. Popular services to help you get the job done include Facebook Messenger, Skype and WhatsApp.
Downloads are available for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux. Features: Video and voice chat with up to 50 people at a time; Can be downloaded to tablets, Xbox, and Alexa devices; Google Duo. What it is: A voice and video call application developed by Google Is it free? Yes How do I get it? Downloads are available for web browsers, Android. If you initiate a call from an Echo Show or Echo Spot, it will default to a video call, as if you were using Apple’s Facetime or Google Duo. If you don’t want to be on camera, just say, “Alexa.
Below, we’ve rounded up some video calling apps to help you stay in touch with your loved ones.
- Find out how video calling software scores for security and quality in our reviews of the best video calling apps.
What you need to make a video call
Whatever device you’re using, you’re going to need it to have a camera.
Using your smartphone for video calling is a great option. Mobiles are lightweight, easy to move from one room to another, and often have front-facing and rear-facing cameras that you can swap between. Most modern tablets will also have a built-in camera.
If you’re using a computer, you’ll need to activate the built-in webcam or purchase a plug-in webcam if that’s not an option. These plug into a USB port and sometimes ship with additional third-party software to help you tweak the picture settings.
There are countless video calling apps available, but we’ve picked out four of the most popular: Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, Skype and WhatsApp.
All four services work on smartphones (FaceTime only works on Apple devices, though). If you want to use your computer to video call, your best bets are Skype or Facebook Messenger.
All of these are free to download and use over wi-fi. But note that if you’re using them over a 3G, 4G or 5G connection, you’ll eat into your mobile data allowance.
Crucially, if you’re using an app to video call, the person you’re trying to contact will need the same app.
Our expert lab tests uncover the best gadgets with built-in cameras. See our mobile phone reviews and laptop reviews.
How to make a video call on WhatsApp
Can you make video calls on smartphones? Yes
Can you make video calls on tablets? No
Can you make video calls on Windows? No
Can you make video calls on Mac? No
WhatsApp is a Facebook-owned service that you can use to transfer files, send texts, voice calls and video calls. You can download it from the Google Play store on Android, or Apple’s App Store if you’re an iOS user.
To create an account with WhatsApp (which is free to use), you’ll need to download the app to your smartphone. From there, open it up and work through the set-up assistant. You’ll need to give the app certain permissions that allow it to import your existing phone contacts.
To make a video call on WhatsApp on your Android smartphone:
- Open the WhatsApp app
- Tap the speech bubble icon in the bottom-right corner
- Select a contact from the list
- Press the video camera icon
- You should now be in a video call. Tapping the rotate icon (an outline of a camera with circular arrows) will swap which camera you’re broadcasting from, while the microphone button will mute your audio.
To make a video call on WhatsApp on your Apple smartphone:
- Open the WhatsApp app
- Navigate to the Chats tab
- Click the Pencil icon in the top-right corner
- Select a contact from the list
- Press the video camera icon.
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How to make a video call on Skype
Can you make video calls on smartphones? Yes
Can you make video calls on tablets? Yes
Can you make video calls on Windows? Yes
Can you make video calls on Mac? Yes
Skype was primarily built with desktop in mind – its screen-sharing feature makes it a popular choice for those dealing with work-related video calls and group chats.
But there’s no reason why you can’t try it out on smartphones and tablets to chat to your loved ones as well. It’s free to download, but you’ll need to create a Skype account to get started.
To make a call, Skype will need access to your microphone. If your microphone and camera need configuring, go to the main Skype menu, tap the three dots, then select Settings > Audio & Video.
To make a Skype video call on your computer:
- Open the Skype app on your desktop
- Click the Calls icon and select + call
- Search for a contact to chat with
- Select your contact and click call
- With your audio call running, select the video camera to open up your webcam.
During a call, you can mute or unmute your sound at any time by selecting the microphone icon.
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How to make a video call on FaceTime
Can you make video calls on smartphones? Yes – iPhone models only (iPhone 4 or later)
Can you make video calls on tablets? Yes – iPad models only (iPad Pro, iPad 2 or later, iPad mini)
Can you make video calls on Windows? No
Can you make video calls on Mac? Yes
FaceTime comes pre-installed on the majority of Apple devices. If you and the person you want to video call both own an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or Mac, it’s a sensible option.
To make a FaceTime call on your mobile device:
- Open theFaceTime app and sign in with your Apple ID. If you’re using an iPhone, FaceTime will automatically register your phone number. iPad and iPod Touch users will need to use an email address
- In the FaceTime app, tap the ‘+’ button
- Type the phone number or email address of the person you’re contacting
- Select Audio (phone icon) or Video (camera icon).
Alexa Make A Video
You can also activate your device’s camera through a normal phone call. While the other person is still on the line, tap the FaceTime icon in the Phone app to switch to FaceTime.
Here are the steps to run through if you’re looking to use FaceTime on a Mac:
- Open the FaceTime app and sign in with your Apple ID
- Use the search field to enter an email address or phone number
- Select Audio (phone icon) or Video (camera icon).
If you have Apple’s willing Siri assistant installed on your Mac, try saying ‘FaceTime [contact name]’.
How to make a video call on Facebook Messenger
Can you make video calls on smartphones? Yes
Can you make video calls on tablets? Yes
Can you make video calls on Windows? Yes
Can you make video calls on Mac? Yes
If you already use Facebook on your smartphone, the free-to-download Messenger service is just a single tap away. You can reach it by selecting the chat bubble on the top-right corner of your homepage.
Although both apps are owned by the same company, Messenger is separate to Facebook. Therefore, you’ll need to download it for free from the Google Play store or Apple’s App Store.
To make a video call on Facebook Messenger from your Android or iOS smartphone:
- Open the Messenger app
- Under the Chats menu, tap the Pencil icon in the top-right corner
- Type the name of the Facebook contact you want to call and tap their picture
- Select the video camera icon to start a video call.
While in a Facebook Messenger call, you can rotate your camera, mute your audio or add another contact into the chat.
If you have Facebook open on a PC or Mac, click the chat bubble in the top-right corner and select New message. Select your contact and a new chat bubble will pop up. From there, select the video camera icon to start a video call.
Get Facebook Messenger today
Making a group video call
Many chat services will let you make a video call with several different contacts at the same time. This is a great option if you want to catch up with family members that are spread around different locations.
It’s not quite the same as a proper family gathering, but at a time when many UK households are in isolation, it’s a great way to have a virtual get-together.
All of the services we’ve listed in our article support group video calling.
- WhatsApp Up to four contacts. In an ongoing video call, select Add Participant.
- Skype Up to 50 contacts. In an ongoing video call, select the ‘+’ icon.
- FaceTime Up to 32 contacts. During a FaceTime call, select Add Person.
- Facebook Messenger Up to six contacts. In an ongoing video call, select the ‘+’ icon.
Amazon Chime is a communications service that lets you meet, chat, and place business calls inside and outside your organization, all using a single application. Developers can use the same communications infrastructure and services that power Amazon Chime, and add audio calling, video calling, and screen sharing capabilities directly to their applications using the Amazon Chime SDK.
Amazon Chime Voice Connector is a service that enables enterprises to migrate their telephony workloads to AWS. IT professionals can use Voice Connector for low-cost SIP trunking from on-premises or cloud-based phone systems. Voice Connector supports inbound calling, outbound calling, or both. Developers can also use Voice Connector to build PSTN calling in their own applications using the Amazon Chime SDK or stream audio for phone call analytics and machine learning.
Choose how you communicate
Amazon Chime lets you choose the communication options that are best suited for your business. You have the option to choose from meetings, chat, and business calling or use Voice Connector to direct your voice traffic over the internet. With Amazon Chime, you have the flexibility to choose the communication option that fits with your business needs, and the freedom to scale up or down as needed.
Use one app for all your communication
Amazon Chime lets you meet, chat, and place business phone calls with a single, secure application. You don’t need to switch between applications to collaborate and can instantly go from a chat to a call, share your screen, and even invite more people to join your meeting. When it’s time for your meeting, Amazon Chime will call you on all your devices to help ensure you are never late, and that your meetings start on time.
Pay only for what you use
Amazon Chime offers pay-per-use pricing which lets you pay for features you use, on the days that you use them. With pay-per-use pricing there’s no upfront investment or long-term contracts. You can switch between Basic features that don’t include a charge, and Pro features that do include a charge. You can use the right features for your business without worrying about overspending.
Nextiva offers Amazon Chime video conferencing and screen sharing as part of its suite of connected communications solutions, allowing businesses to stay connected while working from anywhere.
Lumen offers Amazon Chime as part of their Unified Communications and Collaboration Services portfolio, providing enterprise customers the reliability and security of Lumen global network, and the benefit of consolidated billing.
T2M Works is a market leading Unified Communications and Collaboration company focused on providing the right business outcomes for customers. Helping clients get the most out of Amazon Chime, Amazon Voice Connector, and Amazon Connect is what separates T2M from all other telecom partners. T2M Works develops business communications solutions using the Chime SDK and advanced AWS services like Lex, Lambda, and Kinesis. As an Amazon Managed Service Provider, T2M Works does the heavy lifting to help you maximize the return on your AWS investment.
Use all Amazon Chime Pro features for your organization.
Join a meeting or sign up for Amazon Chime Basic for 1:1 meetings and chat.
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