GOOD CALL

How to make group calls on WhatsApp – including voice and video chats

THERE are loads of ways to phone pals or family these days – but few are as convenient as WhatsApp.

It's possible to call a group of WhatsApp users using just your voice, or even with video chat.

It wasn't always this way: WhatsApp only added these features as recently as mid-2018.

You can make group calls with up to four people in total.

That cap is true for both voice calls and video.

And like your WhatsApp texts, these calls will be completely encrypted – preventing hackers or Facebook from eavesdropping on your conversations.

One big advantage of using WhatsApp for calls is that you don't need to use up any minutes.

If you're on 3G, 4G or 5G then you'll be using up a small amount of data.

And if you're on an uncapped WiFi package then you'll be able to make unlimited calls.

So how does it work?

First, simply start a one-on-one voice or video call.

Then tap the Add Participant button in the top-right corner.

This will pull up a list of contacts that you can add to the call.

Simply select who you'd like to add in, and they'll be entered into the call.

Of course, if you need to make bigger group calls then there are alternatives.

And here's an easy explainer on how to set up a Zoom call, too.

Here's what you need to know...

WhatsApp was created in 2009 by computer programmers Brian Acton and Jan Koum - former employees of Yahoo
It's one of the most popular messaging services in the world
Koum came up with the name WhatsApp because it sounded like "what's up"
After a number of tweaks the app was released with a messaging component in June 2009, with 250,000 active users
It was originally free but switched to a paid service to avoid growing too fast. Then in 2016, it became free again for all users
Facebook bought WhatsApp Inc in February 2014 for $19.3billion (£14.64bn)
The app is particularly popular because all messages are encrypted during transit, shutting out snoopers
As of January 2018, WhatsApp has over 1.5billion users globally

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