WhatsApp lets you make voice calls & video calls to a single contact or group of friends without utilizing your phone plan’s minutes. Let’s understand the detailed steps to make a call on WhatsApp on Android, iPhone & WhatsApp web. Usually, to message anyone on the WhatsApp app, you need to have their contacts saved first. If you don’t want to, we have different workarounds too.
How to Make a Call on Whatsapp to a single person
WhatsApp lets you do both voice & video calls. Save the contact number of the person to whom you want to call. You & another person must be connected to a mobile or Wifi internet connection while connecting on the call. Although WhatsApp calling is free, it still costs you your mobile data. Here are the steps to make a voice call & video call on WhatsApp to a single person on different devices.
On Android.
- Open the WhatsApp app.
- Tap on the “Chats” tab from the top.
- Open the inbox of the contact to whom you want to call.
- You’ll see “voice call” & “video call” icons at the top-right corner. Tap on anyone to initiate the call.
- Alternatively, go back & Tap on the “Calls” tab. Tap on the “new call” icon. You’ll see call icons next to all contact names. You can do voice & video calls from here.
On iPhone.
- Open WhatsApp.
- Switch to the Chats Tab.
- Open the chat to whom you want to call.
- You can tap the “Voice call” or “Video call” icon to start the call.
- Alternatively, go back & Tap on the “Calls” tab. Tap on the “new call” icon. You’ll see call icons next to all contact names. You can do voice & video calls from here.
How to make a group call on WhatsApp
WhatsApp allows you to add a maximum of 32 participants on both voice & video group calls. Here are the steps to make a group call on WhatsApp on an Android & iPhone.
Steps to make a WhatsApp call from a Group chat.
- Open the WhatsApp group chat whose participants you want to call.
- If the group contains 33 or more contacts, tap on the “Group call” icon. Search the WhatsApp contacts you want to add. Tap on the “voice call” or “video call” icon. You can only add the group members.
- If your group contains 32 or less contacts, tap on the “Voice call” or “Video call” icon.
Steps to make a WhatsApp call from a specific chat.
- Open the chat inbox of one of the WhatsApp contacts you want to call.
- Tap on the “Voice call” or “video call” icon.
- Once the participant joins you in the call, Tap on “open” & then “Add participant.” Select the contacts you want to add. Tap on “ADD.”
Steps to make a WhatsApp call from Chats Tab.
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap on the “Calls” tab.
- Tap on the “New call” icon & then “New group call.”
- Select the users you want, and tap the “Voice call” or “Video call” icon.
How to Make a Call on Whatsapp without saving a contact
Here are different ways to call on WhatsApp without saving a contact.
1. Using click- to -chat feature.
WhatsApp’s click-to-chat feature helps to create wa.me links to start a chat with an unsaved WhatsApp contact. You need a browser to use this feature on your computer & mobile. Here are the steps to access it.
- Copy this URL in your browser – https://wa.me/phonenumber.
- Replace the “phonenumber” part with the contact number of the person you want to call. Ex – https://wa.me/916754637634, 91 is the country code & 6754637634 is the contact number. Avoid adding zeros or other signs.
- The “Continue to chat” button will appear if that particular contact exists as a WhatsApp user. Tap on it & send the first message. You can make a voice or video call using the steps described above.
2. Use Third-party apps.
The following third-party apps use the “Click-to-chat” feature to generate direct messaging links-
- For iOS –Direct Message for WhatsApp (iOS) & Click to Chat (iOS)
- For Android – WhatsDirect & Click to chat
You can install the above third-party apps to call anyone on WhatsApp without saving their contacts. To use them, only type the number. The app will automatically open the chat with that contact. Tap the “Start chat in WhatsApp” option to initiate the chat.
3. From WhatsApp Group
You can avoid installing any third-party methods using this method. You can call any number using the WhatsApp group.
- Open the WhatsApp group having the participant you want to call.
- Tap on the number above the WhatsApp message of that user.
- Tap on “Message” to send a message. Tap on the call icons from the top to start the call.
How to Make a Call on Whatsapp web
WhatsApp supports Windows 10 64-bit version 1903 and macOS 10.13 & their new versions. You can’t do group calls on WhatsApp web. To make calls on WhatsApp web.
- An active internet connection.
- Your computer’s microphone access.
- A microphone & audio output device connected to your desktop. To get the best audio experience, use a headset. External speakers & microphones can create noises in the audio.
Steps for a Voice call on WhatsApp web.
- Open the chat of the contact you want to call.
- Click on the “Voice call” icon. To end the call, click on “End call.”
Steps for a Video call on WhatsApp web.
- Open the chat of the contact you want to call.
- Click on the “Video call” icon. To end the call, click on “End call.”
How to Make a Call on Whatsapp mobile app
You can refer to the above sections to make a call on WhatsApp mobile app. We have outlined steps for both WhatsApp Android & iOS apps. The calling icons are inside the WhatsApp mobile app’s Chats & Call Tab. You have to choose between the voice call & video call & tap on the related icon.
Can you call any number on WhatsApp?
To make a call to any number on WhatsApp, you must have their contacts saved. This condition applies even if you want to send a first message to another user. If an unsaved number has initiated a WhatsApp conversation with you, you can call them using the “voice call” or “video call” feature.
If you have a missed call in your WhatsApp calls tab, you can connect with the user from here too. If you want to call a WhatsApp user without saving the contact, we have other ways for you that we will discuss in detail in the next section.
Does WhatsApp calling work international?
WhatsApp calling feature works even for international numbers. You can call any international number on WhatsApp using the same step you do for local numbers. For this, both users must have a strong internet connection & mobile data plan. You must save an international number in the following format – Start with a plus sign (+), country code & full phone number. For example – +91 8879564352, 91 is the country code of India & 8879564352 is the contact number.
You can’t access any country’s emergency numbers via WhatsApp. For example – To call 911 in the United States, you must rely on other sources of communication.
