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. It’s also worth noting that you need to be using the WhatsApp Desktop app and not just the browser.
How to make a voice call using WhatsApp desktop
Follow these super easy steps to make a voice call using WhatsApp desktop.
- Open the WhatsApp desktop app on your computer
- Scan the QR code using your phone (open WhatsApp on your phone > Tap Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device)
- Open the individual chat with the person you want to make a call to
- Click on the voice call icon
- 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:
- Open the WhatsApp desktop app on your computer
- Scan the QR code using your phone (open WhatsApp on your phone > Tap Settings > Linked Devices > Link a Device)
- Open the individual chat with the person you want to make a video call to
- Tap on the Video call icon
- 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:
- Follow the steps above to start a voice call with a contact
- During the call, hover over the camera icon
- Click on the camera icon
- 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
- 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.
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.
Other WhatsApp Web tips to note
There are a couple of other tips and tricks within the WhatsApp Desktop app that are worth mentioning. There are a number of settings available in a separate menu. When you’re on a call, tap on the three dots to launch the menu.
From here, you can select whether you want WhatsApp Web to always be on top of other apps and tasks for example, as well as switch which microphone and camera you want to use. For example, if you’re using a Mac and you have an iPhone, you can choose to have your iPhone as the camera rather than the camera on your Mac. We’ve got a separate WhatsApp tips feature that’s worth a read if you want to know everything you can do with WhatsApp and we’ve included a couple of secret ones too.
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