This is how video calls work on WhatsApp

After a year of waiting for them, WhatsApp video calls make their big appearance Their big-little appearance. And, for now, they have only landed in the beta or test versions of the application, both on the Android platform as in iOS and Windows Phone And not for everyone the users betatester or testers, apparently. However, we have already had access to them, being able to prove their operation and qualityOf course, we must not lose sight of the fact that they are still in test phase, so the final result may vary. Here we tell you our impressions in detail.

A little history

Already in April 2015, when the democratization of free calls to through the Internet of this application, a medium raised the hare about the video calls It was the next logical step, but nobody until the date had discovered the plans of the creators of WhatsApp in this regard. Some unknown sources close to WhatsApp were the ones who would have leaked the information, without yet having evidence about any of this process. However, a few months later, researchers of .APK (application) files began to find remnants of code that directly mentioned this feature.Icons, screenshots and other technical details were arriving slowly during the following months. So until we came across the official confirmation (more or less) of this feature, which came from the WhatsApp translation platform with direct references to video calls Rumors claimed that the feature would arrive in summer , but it was not like that. Of course, in anticipation, many freeloaders launched all kinds of scams to make their own way by claiming to be able to activate this feature with a simple trick: the result was to end contracting a premium high-rate messaging service or offering personal data to cybercriminals

Now, video calls are coming to WhatsApp, presumably ahead of the Christmas holidays And it is that there are still a few weeks left for the company to receive feedback from the beta testers or testers and refine its operation.

How do they work

As they have solved the leaks and captures of the last months, they are really easy to use Just move to aindividual chat (it is not possible to make group video calls), click on the phone icon and select the video call option, which now appears next to the call option.

In this way, the transmitter begins to call video, activating its own camera to display your image on the screen and improve the framing during ringtones For its part, the receiver's mobile phone begins to ring as if it were a normal call, but also activating your selfie camera to prepare for the video conference .All this with the classic buttons to swipe and pick up or hang up the call It's that simple.

The interesting thing comes when the call is not answered In this way, different options appear on the transmitter's screen: close function, return to video call or, if preferred,leave a voice message Sort of like an answering machine. Of course, this function is neither more nor less than normal audio messages. Thus, all you have to do is keep pressing the button and leave the message for the recipient to listen to at the time they prefer.

During the video call, both sender and receiver can switch between the selfie camera or the rear camera thanks to the left button at the bottom .In addition, it is possible to access the chat to share a written message or any other detail without cutting the video call , although without seeing the other person during the process. Along with this you can mute the microphone to avoid listening to something you don't want while the cameras are still active. These buttons disappear from the screen, so you have to click on it to make them reappear and interact with them.

In addition, we must talk about the possibility of exchanging the spaces on the screen between the image that is emitted and the one that is received A simple click on the small pop-up window that shows the sender's image allows you to make the change and see your own image in large and the other's in small. Finally, this little pop-up window can be brought to any corner of the screen, although it won't enlarge or reduce its size.All this with the swipe of a finger.

Don't forget the notifications And the application leaves details of the missed video calls , both in the notification bar and in the calls tab. The difference is that, if it is a video call, the icon that appears next to the information is that of a camera and not a phone.

Our experience with video calls

After several of these video calls it is clear to us why WhatsApp has launched them, for now, only for some beta or test users And, although the quality is good and everything indicates that it will work quite well, There is still a lot to do Our tests on WiFi network are satisfactory, although we have verified that there is still it is necessary to refine the data transmission, since the sound presents some breaks and the image is not as smooth as in other applications

What is surprising is their good disposition about data. And it is that the quality of the video call only slightly worsens as the reception is delayed, but with a fairly clear sound and an image that stumbles from time to time.

That is, it is possible to communicate effectively, but eventual delays and choppy voice on some occasions can make the experience a bit frustrating Also, when the app detects a drop in signal, automatically pauses the imageto avoid communication interruption, displaying a message on the screen about the bad connection. Something that we have experienced even over WiFi network Again, details that are still to be polished.

How much data do video calls consume

This is another aspect to be worked on by WhatsApp before launching the function for everyone. And it is that we find ourselves with a consumption quite high Something that was to be expected, on the other hand. Despite the rumors that video calls were encoded with the H.264 codec to offer good quality at low consumption, our measurements make it clear that this is a feature intended to be used only over WiFi networks or over unlimited data rates.

We have made two one-minute test video calls to measure consumption. The first one by default, without activating toll saving and using a network WiFiThe result is that, between the outgoing data (1, 6 MB) of the call and the incoming (9, 5 MB), the call has involved a total consumption of: 11.1 MB per minute A figure that may vary depending on the information captured by the camera and transmitted through the network, of course.

The second video call has been made under call data saver, found in the Network usage menu under Settings at WhatsApp The results are not too positive, although they do show a certain decrease. Adding the datasent data (2.8 MB) and received data (5.7 MB) during the same call, the total consumption is8, 5MB

Much to do

There is no doubt that WhatsApp still has to tighten a few nuts regarding this function. For this reason, after finishing each video call, it shows a rating window where the call maintained can be rated between one and five stars.Also, if the feedback is bad, it is possible to specify reasons such as not being able to hear the other user correctly or being cut off. You can also send a line of text to give more information to WhatsApp about the problem suffered.

Of course, this is a function in phase beta or still testing So we trust that WhatsApp knows how to refine its operation before taking it to the majority public in the coming weeks or months. A feature that looks good, and that will do a lot of damage to other video calling applications, as long as people decide to use it.