WhatsApp is a hugely popular way to keep in touch with friends via instant messages. You can set up groups with ease and talk to non-iPhone family members thanks to the app’s widespread availability on mobile platforms.
One thing you might not realise, however, is that it’s also possible to make group video calls. In this article we show how to get to grips with the feature in a matter of minutes.
Setting up a video group chat from the Calls tab
There are a few different ways to create a group video, but the obvious place to start is in the Calls tab as this is where you would normally begin when setting up a new chat with someone.
Tap the Calls tab on the bottom of the screen, then tap New Group Call and select the participants. You can have up to a maximum of three people plus yourself. When you’ve done all this, tap the video icon to the right of the participants and you can begin your call.
Making a video call to an existing group
If you already have a group that you chat with, then turning that into a video call only requires you to tap a single button. Go to the group (you’ll find it in the Chat section) and at the top of the page you’ll see the icons for video and voice calls. Simply tap the video one and the call will begin immediately.
Remember, there can only be a maximum of four people on the call, so if your group is bigger than that you might need to create new ones that divide the participants into compatible numbers.
Adding a person to a video call you’re already on
Finally, if you’re already talking to someone on a video chat then you can add new people without ending the call or setting up groups.
Tap the screen and in the top right corner you’ll see the Add Participants icon appear (it looks like the silhouette of a head with a plus sign). Tap this and your WhatsApp contacts list will appear. Select the person that you want to join, tap Add when prompted and your one-to-one call is now a group chat.
For more ways to get the most out of the platform, read How to secretly read WhatsApp messages on iPhone and How to get WhatsApp on iPad.
