How to Video Call on Android in 3 Easy Steps

Video calling has become an essential way for people to stay connected with loved ones, meet virtually for work, and more. During the pandemic, services like Zoom became part of everyday life. Even as the world opens back up, video calling remains invaluable for communicating face-to-face when you can‘t physically be together.

Thankfully, Android phones and tablets make it easy to video chat one-on-one or with a group. Whether you want to see your long-distance friend‘s face, attend a remote job interview, or host a virtual family gathering, Android has you covered.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain the step-by-step process for video calling on Android using various apps and methods. Follow along to learn:

• How to video call through your default Phone app
• Using Google Meet for personal and work video calls
• Steps for third-party apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger
• Group video chat options
• Cross-platform calling between Android and iPhone
• Video call data usage and tips

Let‘s get started!

Method #1: Using the Default Phone App

If you have the Google Phone app set as your default calling app, you can easily video call contacts right within the app. Google has integrated their enterprise Google Meet platform into the Phone app for seamless video chat.

Here is how to set up and make video calls using the built-in phone app:

Step 1: Open the Phone App and Select a Contact

Launch your Phone app and go to your contacts list. Scroll and lookup the name of the person you want to video call.

Step 2: Tap "Set up" Next to the Video Icon

Near the top by your contact‘s name, you will see a small video camera icon with the words "Set up." Click on Set up to initialize the video calling capability.

Step 3: Enter Your Phone Number

On the next screen, type in your country code and phone number. This links your account to be able to receive video calls. Click Agree to continue.

Step 4: Start the Video Call!

You‘re all set! Go back to your contact, tap the video icon next to their name, and click Video Call. The call will connect straight from your phone app.

If your contact hasn‘t enabled video calling yet, you can still connect by creating a Google Meet link that they can click on to join as a guest.

The main limitation with the native phone app method is the other user must also have a device with Google software and the phone app enabled. But overall it provides a fast, seamless video calling directly tied to your contacts.

Next let‘s look at…

Method #2: Using Google Meet

Google Meet is Google‘s dedicated video conferencing platform for both consumer and enterprise use. Since it‘s tied to your Google account, it makes video calling easy to anyone in your contacts list also using Google services.

Plus, Google Meet allows you to create meeting links that anyone can click on to join a video call from their web browser – no app download required. This makes it more flexible for connecting with people across various devices.

Here is how to video call on Android using Google Meet:

Step 1: Open the Google Meet App

Open your apps menu and search for the Google Meet app. If you don‘t have it already, download Meet from the Play Store. Sign into your Google account when launching the app.

Step 2: Click on "New meeting"

At the bottom right corner, click the icon labeled "New meeting" with a plus (+) symbol. This takes you to the meeting creation screen.

Step 3: Video call anyone listed under "Connect on Meet"

Under the Meet section, you will see two contact groups: "Connect on Meet" and "Invite on Meet." Anyone listed under Connect can be directly video called by tapping on their name.

Step 4: Create a meeting link to invite others

If the person is under "Invite on Meet" or you want to call someone without Meet set up, click "Create a new meeting" to have a meeting link generated. Send the joining info to invite anyone to the video meeting.

The main benefit of Meet is being able to pull in people from outside your contact list easily. But it does require interacting via a formal "meeting," so feels less personal than a direct video call.

Up next, let‘s explore some popular third-party apps for video calling on Android…

Method #3: Using Third-Party Apps

In addition to the Google-based options, there are several third-party apps you can use for video calls from your Android device. Some of the most popular options include WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Zoom.

I‘ll break down how to video chat on Android using each of these apps:

WhatsApp

The messaging platform WhatsApp has video calling capabilities built-in that you can use to connect with individuals or groups:

Step 1: Open WhatsApp and select a chat

Launch the WhatsApp app. Go to your messages and tap on the chat with the person or group you want to video call.

Step 2: Tap the video call icon

In the chat window, tap the video camera icon at the top right. Then confirm to initiate the video call.

A major advantage WhatsApp has over Meet is supporting group video calls for up to 8 participants. The downside is needing to have all participants installed on WhatsApp.

Telegram

While similar to WhatsApp, Telegram has a few unique video calling features:

Step 1: Open your contacts in Telegram

Launch the Telegram app and tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left. Go to your contacts list.

Step 2: Tap the phone receiver icon

Select the name of the contact you want to call. A call menu pops up – tap the phone receiver icon to initate a voice call.

Step 3: Upgrade to video

Once the call connects, tap "Switch to Video" and select which camera to enable.

Telegram allows picture-in-picture video calling so you can multitask while staying on the video chat. Unfortunately, Telegram does not have group video calling.

Facebook Messenger

Messenger also provides free video calls, using Messenger Rooms to have chats with up to 50 people:

Step 1: Open your Messenger app

Launch Facebook Messenger. You don‘t need a Facebook account, just the app installed.

Step 2: Find the group conversation

Go to the Messages tab and tap on a message thread to open the conversation you want to video chat in.

Step 3: Tap the video icon

In the open conversation, tap the video camera icon at the top right to initiate a video room. Grant the needed camera/microphone permissions.

While Messenger Rooms meet via your Facebook account, anyone can join provided they have the video room link URL that gets generated.

Cross-Platform Video Calls Between Android and iPhone

A common question is whether you can video call from an Android device to an iPhone. Thankfully, most of these apps provide seamless cross-platform video chat capabilities.

For example, since WhatsApp has versions for both Android and iOS, an Android user can video call someone on iPhone via WhatsApp without issues.

The same goes for Telegram, Messenger, Zoom, Meet, etc – having the same app installed on both devices enables connecting via video call across operating systems.

So iPhone users shouldn‘t hesitate to video call their Android contacts, and vice versa!

Video Call Data Usage Tips

One catch with video chatting on mobile is it consumes data quickly, especially on cellular networks. Based on call quality and device specs, smartphone video calls use about 1-5 MB per minute.

To avoid costly overages, take these steps:

• Whenever possible, connect to WiFi instead of using cellular data
• In your device network settings, enable WiFi calling
• Consider getting an unlimited data cell plan if you video call frequently
• Disable HD video and reduce call quality settings to use less data

Also, be aware that group calls eat up more megabytes than 1-on-1 video. Make sure you have sufficient bandwidth for large meetings.

Wrapping Up

I hope this guide gives you clarity on the myriad options for placing easy video calls from Android. Whether ringing your grandma via Duo or presenting to coworkers in a Zoom, enjoy high-quality video connectivity.

If you have any other questions on Android video calling, let me know in the comments!