Mumbai: WhatsApp has finally opened the gates to almost all users on Android smartphones. We are also getting a few users stating that iPhone users are also getting the feature in some parts of the world. Well, the tests are in initial stages for iPhone users, but Android fans are enjoying the newly added voice calling perk.
However, not everything is rosy with the new WhatsApp calling feature. A few users have reported back with issues such as lags and echoes in their voice chats. Some even reported that the call just doesn’t go through and the call receiving fan doesn’t even know he was called, till a few seconds later.
Now here is what you should know about WhatsApp calling. If you have the feature enabled, you can make free voice calls across the globe, using the data network. However, you will pay for data charges and not suffer call rates from your telecom provider. Voice calling over WhatsApp uses data, quite a lot of it, but comparatively lower than what a high-definition YouTube video. When you make a voice call over WhatsApp, your smartphone is now utilizing the internet data from your telecom provider. If you are using 2G, you will witness that your calls are not very clear, have immense lag (you and your friend can hear the each other’s voice after almost 4 – 5 seconds). Most times, there is also an echo of your own voice immediately after the lag.
Also read: How to enable WhatsApp Voice Calling for Android
WhatsApp does work on 2G, but it is best used when on 4G, 3G and Wi-Fi networks with best internet speeds. However, if the opposite party is on a 2G network, which you will not know, you will still face issues with voice lags and breaks.
On the other hand, some users are also complaining that when one calls another user over WhatsApp, the other party does not get the call, but the call keeps ringing at the caller end. This is due to network issues, especially when the caller or receiver is on a low data network (maybe 2G or a bad Wi-Fi data bandwidth). The other end sees it as a missed call after a few seconds.
Additionally, many users are still complaining that their WhatsApp calling is not getting activated even though they have updated to the new version of the app. This could be the reason of the WhatsApp servers and their invitation window. Well, the news is out that WhatApp has opened the gates to all users and all will slowly keep getting the feature running within the next few days.
As for us, we did experience echoes and lags when we tried the WhatsApp calling in 2G mode. 3G mode was good enough, but Wi-Fi was the best as we did have more than 2Mb/s connections on both ends. So in order to use WhatsApp Calling with the best experience, you need to ensure that you and your friend are on a good data bandwidth (4G, 3G or Wi-Fi). Do share your experience with us and leave us your comments below.
