Smile, you're on call!

Video Calling is the cool new way to talk. We tell you which apps to choose for seamless, hassle-free conversations.

- Nidhi Singal

There was a time when video calls were the perfect remedy for homesickness, albeit subject to good Internet connectivity. Skype was the first to wow users by enabling video calls on PCs/ desktops, with the help of web cams. Several new video calling apps for the mobile platform have sprouted in the past few years. A tap is all it takes to make someone come alive on your phone. With WhatsApp introducing this feature – throwing it open to its one billion monthly active users worldwide – the popularity of video calling is set to peak. Based on your phone’s OS and internet connectivity, you can choose from seven of the most popular video calling apps.

Whatsapp

After introducing voice calls last year, the most popular instant messaging app introduced video calling to its users – 160 million active monthly users in India alone – this month. The move is expected to democratise video calling in India.

Works On: Android, iOS, Windows Phone

Available across all major mobile platforms, video calling can be accessed by simply updating the app. Users can make a video call to any other WhatsApp user, irrespective of the device (Android or iPhone) he/ she is using.

Experience: New users can install the app and register with their mobile numbers. All the existing contacts in the phonebook get automatically added to the WhatsApp contact list. Making a video call is really simple: you can initiate a call by going to contacts and tapping on the video icon. It can be done directly from an individual chat window – the video icon appears at the top. In case the receiver has not yet updated the app, the video call becomes an audio call.