WhatsApp tip: Here’s how you can reduce data usage on WhatsApp voice and video calls (2024)

FAQs

WhatsApp tip: Here’s how you can reduce data usage on WhatsApp voice and video calls? ›

To activate this data saving option, open WhatsApp, then from the three dot menu select Settings > Data and Storage Usage. Under Call Settings on iPhone, toggle Low Data Usage to On (green). On Android, look for the Use less data for calls option.

To activate this data saving option, open WhatsApp, then from the three dot menu select Settings > Data and Storage Usage. Under Call Settings on iPhone, toggle Low Data Usage to On (green). On Android, look for the Use less data for calls option.

How much data does a WhatsApp call use though? According to different sources online, WhatsApp calls use about 500 kb to 740kb per minute. This figure will change based on the strength of your connection and the quality of the service in your area being offered by your mobile network provider.

Besides using it as messaging, WhatsApp is also used to make video and voice calls. Earlier, a report by Android Authority stated 720 KB is consumed by WhatsApp calls. The data consumption during WhatsApp calls can be high and it may have an affect daily data limit if you are using mobile data.

Find and select "Connection," "Connection & Sharing" (for Xiaomi), or "Mobile Network" (for OnePlus). Choose "Data Usage" to view the apps using background data. Locate and click on "WhatsApp" in the list. Toggle off "Allow background data usage" to disable the feature.

It's worth noting that if you're not connected to wi-fi, WhatsApp will use your mobile data connection. This means that the data you use by using WhatsApp may be deducted from the allowance included as part of your contract (as a guide, a 10-minute video call uses 5MB of mobile data).

You can quickly determine how much data WhatsApp calls use once you use them. A one-minute WhatsApp call roughly consumes about 0.15 MB to 0.20 MB of 3G data. So, if you chat for five minutes, it's approximately 1 MB of 3G data.

It's possible that there might be a difference in the storage usage noted by your WhatsApp app and your Android phone. This is mainly because of the difference in the way WhatsApp calculates storage vs your phone's OS. Note: We suggest backing up your chats to Google Drive before deleting any content from your phone.

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"As long as you haven't exceeded your mobile data allowance or you're connected to a free Wi-Fi network, your mobile provider shouldn't charge you for messaging or calling over WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses the same internet connection as web browsing and email on your phone. If you use WhatsApp while your phone is roaming, data charges might apply. Contact your mobile provider for more information about roaming in other countries. Charges may differ from domestic data charges.

Who pays for a WhatsApp video call? ›

We don't charge for sending messages and media, or making voice and video calls on WhatsApp. WhatsApp stopped charging subscription fees in 2016. Using WhatsApp requires an internet connection through either a mobile data network or Wi-Fi. Data charges may apply for these services.

Voice calling lets you call your contacts using WhatsApp for free, even if they're in another country. Voice calling uses your phone's internet connection rather than your mobile plan's minutes. Data charges may apply.

However, on average, a minute of a WhatsApp call consumes about 0.15-0.20 MB (megabytes) of data for voice calls and about 0.5-1.5 MB for video calls. Keep in mind that these are rough estimates and the actual data usage can vary based on the aforementioned factors.

A single gigabyte of data (1GB) is equivalent to 1024MBs, with which you can stream up to 8 hours of music, watch an hour of standard-definition video, or send 1.5 million WhatsApp messages.