Revolutionize Your Social Life: Discover The Ultimate Guide To Group Video Calling On Your Mobile!
Are you tired of feeling isolated and disconnected from your friends and family during these times of social distancing? Do you miss going out for drinks, having dinner parties or simply catching up with your loved ones in person? Fortunately, there’s a solution that can help you stay connected with those who matter most - group video calls on your mobile phone!
Thanks to recent technological advancements, it’s never been easier to connect with others in real-time, face-to-face, no matter where you are in the world. Whether you’re stuck at home, on a business trip or simply unable to meet in person, group video calling can help fill that void and bring the fun back into your social life.
So, if you’re ready to revolutionize your social life and strengthen your connections with others, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use group video calling on your mobile phone:
Step 1: Choose your preferred platform
There are plenty of group video calling platforms available these days, so it’s important to choose the one that works best for you and your group. Some of the most popular options include Zoom, Skype, Google Meet and FaceTime. Each platform has its own unique features, so it’s worth taking some time to explore and compare the options before making your final decision.
Step 2: Download the app
Once you’ve chosen your preferred platform, you’ll need to download the app onto your mobile phone. Most platforms are free to download and use, so it won’t cost you a penny to get started.
Step 3: Invite your friends or family
Once you’ve downloaded the app, it’s time to invite your friends or family to join the call. Depending on the platform you’re using, you may need to send an invitation email, a link or simply add their phone number or email address to the call. It’s important to make sure everyone knows the date and time of the call, so they can plan accordingly.
Step 4: Set up your video call
Now it’s time to set up your video call. Make sure you have a good internet connection and find a quiet, well-lit space where you can take the call. You may also want to use headphones or earbuds to improve the audio quality. Once you’re ready, simply click on the link or button to start the call.
Step 5: Enjoy the call!
Finally, it’s time to start enjoying your call! Make sure everyone can see and hear each other clearly, and don’t be afraid to have some fun with it. You could play games, have a virtual dinner party or simply catch up on each other’s lives. With group video calling, the possibilities are endless.
So, there you have it - the ultimate guide to group video calling on your mobile phone. With a bit of planning and practice, you can have a fun, rewarding and fulfilling social life, no matter where you are in the world. So why not give it a try today and see how it can revolutionize your social life?
The COVID-19 pandemic has made spending hours in video calls the norm. Whether you’re trying to keep in touch with your friend group, family members, or colleagues at work, mobile video chatting apps are particularly useful, since most offer a group video calling feature. This article shows you how you can place a group video call using some of the most popular video chatting apps for mobile.
How to Make a Group Video Call in WhatsApp on Your Mobile
It’s pretty easy in WhatsApp to initiate a video group call with up to 8 people.
Set Up a WhatsApp Group Video Call on Android
On Android, you’ll have to create a group first, then use the video calling option from there. If you’ve already created a group, things are even more straightforward.
Open WhatsApp on your Android device.Tap on the green message button in the lower-right corner of the display to create a new chat.
Now select the “New group” option.
Choose the persons you want to include in the group from your list of WhatsApp contacts.Pick a name for your group, then press the green “Done” button.
A new group chat window will open up for you.To start video calling the members in this group, tap on the video calling button in the upper-right corner.
Tap on the “Call group” option that shows up at the bottom to initiate the call.
Set Up a WhatsApp Group Video Call on iPhone
In iOS, the process is similar, although not quite exactly the same.
Open WhatsApp on your iOS device.Select the Calls option from the menu at the bottom. This will bring up a list of all the calls you’ve made so far.
Tap on the “New call” icon in the upper-right corner of the display.Select the “New group call” option.
Proceed to add the people you wish to add to your group.Press the video calling icon to start the video chat.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Skype on Your Mobile
If you use Skype, then you can video group chat with up to 100 people.
Set Up a Skype Group Video Call on Android
On Android, follow these steps to get started.
Open Skype on your device.Tap on the pencil icon in the lower-right corner of the display to create a new chat.
Select the “New group chat” option.
Name your group.
Select the group’s participants from the list below, then press “Done.”
Once the group chat has been created, press the video calling icon in the upper-right corner of the display.
Set Up a Skype Group Video Call on iPhone
For those using Skype on their iOS device, here’s what you need to do to start a video group session.
Open Skype on your iPhone.Tap on the Calls button at the bottom of the display.
Select the Video call option from the upper right section of the display.A screen will appear informing you that “Your meeting is ready.”From here you can add Skype contacts to your video call or just copy the link and share it with the other people you want to invite.
Once you’re done with that, press “Start Meeting.”A new group chat window will be created. To start a video call, press the “Start a call” button in the upper-right corner.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Zoom on Your Mobile
As the pandemic hit, Zoom quickly became the go-to app for many employees working from home – but the app can be used for personal video calls as well. Catching up with your squad is pretty easy with Zoom for mobile. Note that a free account will only let you add as many as 100 participants in a meeting for up to 40 minutes.
The steps to starting a group video call are similar on iOS and Android.
Open the Zoom app on your phone.Tap on the “New Meeting” button under the Search bar.
Click on the “Start a Meeting” button.
Tap on the Participants button at the bottom of the display to add others to your call.
You can send invites through various social platforms.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Messenger on Your Mobile
Messenger is probably one of the most convenient options on this list. Given Facebook’s immense popularity, a vast majority of users have this app installed on their phones.
In Messenger, there are two ways to start a video group chat with others: by creating a group (limited to 8 participants) or a room (up to 50 people). Here’s how to do it on both iOS and Android.
Let’s start with creating a group video call.
Open Messenger on your device.In the upper-right corner of the display, tap on the pencil icon.
Select “Create a new group.”
Add your friends to the group, then press Next.
Once the group has been created, access it and tap on the video calling icon in the upper-right corner to start a video with your squad.
To video chat with up to 50 people at once, you’ll need to create a Room.
Go back to your chats in Messenger.Tap on the “Create Room” bubble at the top of the display.
Select the participants from the list.
Tap on “Start room” to set up the space.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Google Duo on Your Mobile
Google’s handy Duo app comes pre-installed on many Android devices, which makes it quite handy, as you won’t have to download another app to make group video calls. Here’s how to place one on Android and iOS.
Open Google Duo on your phone.Tap on the “New call” button.
Select “Create a group.”
Add the people you want to the group, then press Done.
Press “Start” to get the conversation started. From here, you can also share the group’s link so that even more friends can join your party.
Google Duo supports group video chats with up to 32 participants. Google also has an additional app geared toward the more professional crowed. It’s called Meet and comes with some additional features, such as a whiteboard, although Duo has its own crop of impressive features, such as screen sharing.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Instagram on Your Mobile
While Instagram isn’t really a video calling app, it does offer that capability – even for groups.
On Android you can start group chatting using video one of several ways.
If you don’t have a group set up and ready, open your Direct Messages on the app, then press the video calling button in the upper-right corner.
Tap on “Create a Room.”
Add the people you want, then press “Join Room.”
The front camera should now be activated while you wait for the others to join.
On the other hand, if you already have a group, go ahead and access it, then tap on the video calling icon in the upper-right corner.
On iOS, you don’t have the option to create a video chat room directly from DM and will just have to go ahead and create a normal group, then access it and tap on the video calling button.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Discord on Your Mobile
Discord is another app that is not really known for its video calling capabilities, but it does offer a robust mobile group video chat option. On Android and iOS, here’s how you can initiate a video call with your buddies. You can add up to 8 people to video chat with.
Open the Discord app on your device.Go to your Direct Messages by tapping on the Message icon at the top.
Create a new group by tapping on the “Add” icon in the upper-right corner.Select the people you want to invite to the group, then tap Next.
The group has been created for you. Simply tap on the video calling icon in the upper-right corner.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Signal on Your Mobile
The privacy-focused app offers the option to do a video call with a group of up to 8 people. Whether you’re using Signal on iOS or Android, here’s how you can start a video group chat.
In the Signal app, tap on the blue pencil icon in the lower-right corner of the display.
Select the “New group” option.
Pick the people you want to add to the group.
Name the group, then press “Create.”
A new group chat window will open.
Click the video button in the upper-right corner.
The front camera will be activated. Tap on the “Start call” button to connect with your friends.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Telegram on iPhone
Telegram recently added the option to do group video calls with up to 30 people, but only on iOS devices. If you want to give this a try, follow these instructions.
Open the Telegram app.Tap on the pencil icon in the upper-right corner of the display.
Select the people you want to add to the group.
Enter a group name.
Once in the new chat group, tap on the group’s profile pic in the upper-right corner.
Select Video chat from the menu that appears.
How to Make a Group Video Call in Viber on Your Mobile
Viber might not be that popular in the U.S., but it’s a great chat app with a really generous group video calling function (up to 40 people). Here’s how you can use it on Android and iOS.
Open the Viber app.Tap the message icon in the lower-right corner of the display.
When in the new chat group, press the video calling icon in the upper-right corner.
How to Make a Group Video Call in FaceTime on iPhone
Apple’s FaceTime app popularized video chatting back in the day, and it’s still quite a popular option. In iOS 15, you can now initiate a group video call by creating a FaceTime link, which the recipients can join simply by using a browser. In other words, you can now FaceTime with family and friends on Android devices and Windows computers.
You can add up to 32 contacts to your group video call.
Open the FaceTime app and tap on the “Create Link” button.
You can share this link using the options shown e.g. iMessage, WhatsApp, etc.
If you often have recurring FaceTime group video calls with various different groups of people, you can choose to name this group by tapping on ‘Add Name’. FaceTime links are kept active and can be used again in the future.
Your FaceTime group video call is now ready. Simply join the call yourself and approve the other participants as they join.
How to Join a FaceTime Call on a Windows Device
If you have a Windows device and you’ve received a link to a FaceTime call (generated as explained above), click the link on your Windows device.The link will open in a browser. In our tests, Firefox failed to load the link – every other browser worked.Enter your name, then click “Continue.”
If prompted, allow FaceTime to use the microphone and camera.
Select “Join.” and wait for the call’s host to let you in.When it’s time to wrap up the call, press the “Leave” button.
How to Make a Group Video Call Using the Alexa App on Your Mobile
Open the Alexa app on your device.Tap on the “Communicate” button in the lower-left corner.
Tap on the people icon in the top-right corner.
Click on the three-dot menu in the top- right.
Select “Add group.”
Press the Enable button to activate the group calling feature.
Select the people you wish to add to your group.
Name your group and tap “Create group.”
The group has been created, and the participants have been notified. Now whenever you want to video call with the group, simply say “Alexa, video call [group name].” You can use your Echo smart speaker to place the call or the Alexa app.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use any of these services to create or join video group calls on desktop?
All the apps in the list above have a desktop equivalent. However, not all support the group video chat feature. On a desktop, you can create a group video chat only in Messenger, Telegram, Discord, Zoom, Skype, Viber and FaceTime.
2. How much bandwidth does a video call use?
If you’re on an unlimited plan, you probably won’t have to worry all that much about this issue. However, if you’re dealing with data caps, it may be useful to learn a few things about bandwidth and how to keep consumption in check. You can go ahead and read our earlier article for clarification.
3. How can I improve my video call quality?
First, ensure you’re Internet connection is working properly before plunging into a video call. Other than that, there are quite a few things you can do to improve overall quality, such as adjusting the lighting and the camera angle. You can learn more from our guide which teaches you the basics of improving calls quality.
Now that you know all about placing a group video call, perhaps it would be helpful to also learn how to record online meetings even when you’re not the host. Iif you’re still on the fence about which video chat app to choose, check out our comparison of WhatsApp vs. Signal vs. Telegram and make an informed choice.
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
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