WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps, allowing users to exchange texts, photos, videos and make voice and video calls. One of the key advantages of WhatsApp is that many of its core features are available for free, including voice and video calling.
Quick answers
– There is no time limit for voice and video calls on WhatsApp if you are calling someone else who uses WhatsApp. You can talk as long as you want for free.
– WhatsApp calls use your phone’s internet connection rather than regular cellular minutes. As long as you have an internet connection, WhatsApp calls are free.
– The length of your free WhatsApp calls depends on your data plan or access to WiFi. If you go over your data limit, you may be charged by your cell provider.
WhatsApp call limits
When using WhatsApp on your mobile device, there are technically no restrictions on the length of voice or video calls. Unlike traditional cell phone plans that limit the number of cellular minutes, WhatsApp calls use your internet data connection rather than your phone plan’s minutes.
This means you can have marathon WhatsApp calling sessions with friends and family without worrying about exceeding your plan’s limits! However, there are some caveats…
Data usage
While WhatsApp calls themselves are free, you need an internet connection to make them, either via WiFi or your phone’s mobile data. The amount of data used will depend on call quality and length.
A high quality WhatsApp voice call uses up to 1MB of data per minute. For video calls, the data usage can be anywhere from 3-8MB per minute depending on video quality. Here’s a table with approximate data usage:
| WhatsApp call type | Data usage per minute |
|---|---|
| Voice | 0.5 – 1MB |
| Video (Low quality) | 3MB |
| Video (High quality) | 8MB |
While data used will vary, it’s clear that video calls consume significantly more data than voice. An hour long high quality video call could use 480MB or more.
Mobile data limits
Most cell phone plans have monthly data limits ranging from 2GB to unlimited data. Going over your data allowance can result in slow speeds or overage charges.
For example, a plan with 10GB of high speed data might result in the following maximum WhatsApp call times:
| WhatsApp call type | Data usage per minute | Total call time |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | 1MB | Up to 600 minutes (10 hours) |
| Video (High quality) | 8MB | Up to 75 minutes (1 hour 15 min) |
As you can see, high quality video calls will eat up your data very quickly! If you’re not on an unlimited plan, consider using voice calls or limiting your video call length to avoid overages.
WiFi limits
When connected to WiFi, WhatsApp voice and video calls are free for as long as you remain connected. However, if you are using public WiFi or have a broadband data cap at home, usage limits still apply.
Hotspots and broadband plans frequently have monthly data allowances ranging from 10GB to 1TB per month. Going over this limit usually results in overage charges or throttled speeds.
So while WhatsApp calls themselves are unlimited on WiFi, the amount of calling you can actually do will depend entirely on the limits of your particular wireless or broadband plan.
Call quality
In order to have seamless, uninterrupted WhatsApp calls, you need a stable internet connection with decent speed. WhatsApp recommends at least 3G connectivity or broadband speeds over 512kbps. Video calls require even faster speeds of at least 1 Mbps up/down.
If connectivity is spotty, you may experience lag, frozen screens, distortion, or even dropped calls. Both callers need sufficient speeds – if one user has a weak connection, call quality will suffer.
Here are some tips for making the best quality WhatsApp calls:
- Use a WiFi connection rather than mobile data if available
- Make calls from a location with strong signal strength
- Limit movement if using a mobile connection which can cause signal drops
- For video calls, position the camera with good lighting
- If your connection is weak, try a voice call rather than video
- Use headphones to improve sound clarity
Messaging usage
In addition to voice and video calls, WhatsApp also offers free unlimited messaging. You can send as many texts, photos, videos and documents to your contacts as you want.
Unlike WhatsApp calls though, messaging uses very little data. Each text message is around 0.003MB. Even sending 200 messages would only use up 0.6MB.
Here’s a breakdown of approximate data usage per message type:
| Message type | Data usage |
|---|---|
| Text | 0.003MB |
| Photo | 0.1 – 1MB |
| Video | 5MB (30 second clip) |
| Document | 0.1 – 2MB |
You would have to send an extreme number of messages before hitting your mobile data limit. Unless you are texting constantly, day and night, regular messaging usage is unlikely to impact your free WhatsApp calling time.
Calling non-WhatsApp users
While WhatsApp-to-WhatsApp calls are free, if you call someone using your cell plan’s regular minutes outside of WhatsApp, standard charges will apply.
WhatsApp does allow you to call traditional landlines and mobile numbers for a fee through the WhatsApp mobile app. These non-WhatsApp calls are billed by your mobile carrier and deducted from your plan’s minutes.
VoIP services like WhatsApp use the internet to route calls instead of traditional cell networks. Your cell plan likely treats WhatsApp calls differently compared to regular calls based on the routing method.
To maintain free calls, both the caller and recipient need to have an installed WhatsApp account. Make sure to verify that the person you are calling also uses WhatsApp to avoid surprise charges.
Data saving features
To help manage your mobile data usage for calls, WhatsApp has developed features that allow you to limit data consumption:
- Low data usage mode – Limits data by disabling images/videos and reducing call quality
- WiFi calling – Routines calls through WiFi to save mobile data
- Downloaded media – Media files like photos or videos do not redownload when previously saved
- Message history off – New messages don’t download call history using mobile data
Enabling these options can help restrict background mobile data usage for WhatsApp calls and messages.
Using WhatsApp Web
In addition to the mobile app, you can also make free WhatsApp calls on your computer through the WhatsApp Web browser client. This mirrors the messaging and calling functionality of your phone via the internet.
To use WhatsApp Web you need:
- A computer with a microphone and speaker for voice calls
- A webcam for video calls
- The Chrome or Firefox browser installed
- A cellphone connection to initially sync sessions
WhatsApp Web calls work over WiFi without using your mobile plan’s data. However, regular messaging data charges may apply when syncing new messages depending on settings.
Using WhatsApp on WiFi Calling phones
Some carriers and mobile phones support “WiFi Calling” which routes all calls/texts through WiFi when connected. Using WhatsApp on a phone with active WiFi Calling may bypass normal mobile data charges.
However, WiFi Calling policies vary between wireless providers. Some carriers count WiFi calls against plan minutes or have other restrictions. Check with your provider to confirm how WhatsApp calls are handled.
When switching between WiFi and mobile data, your phone may use cellular data briefly even if WiFi Calling is enabled. Manage connections carefully to ensure calls stay on WiFi.
Cost saving tips
To maximize your free WhatsApp calling time before hitting mobile data limits, follow these tips:
- Connect to a WiFi network whenever possible
- Use WhatsApp Web for calls on your computer over WiFi
- Monitor your data usage in your phone settings
- Disable background data if you have limited mobile data
- Switch cellular data off completely if you want to avoid all mobile charges
- Use voice calls instead of video to reduce data usage
- Avoid lengthy group video calls which use the most data
- Set messages and calls to only download on WiFi in settings
Conclusion
WhatsApp allows free unlimited calling as long as you have an internet connection and remain within your plan’s data limits. While the app itself has no hard limits on call length, factors like mobile data caps, WiFi restrictions, and call quality ultimately determine how long you can talk.
To maximize free WhatsApp call time, connect to WiFi whenever possible, monitor your data usage, and enable data saving settings. With some reasonable precautions, you can avoid surprise overage charges while enjoying lengthy calls with friends and family worldwide.