Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is a good solution for free video calling from devices equipped with Android and iOS and from computers. However, to send private messages, make calls and video calls, it is necessary to have an active Internet connection and, above all, it is essential that the person to be contacted has a Facebook account or has in turn downloaded Messenger.
To make a video call with Messenger from a smartphone or tablet, start the app by tapping its icon (the blue speech bubble on white background) present on the home screen. If the latter is not yet installed on your device, my guide on how to download Messenger may be useful.
Now, if the Facebook app is also installed on your device and you are logged in to your account, tap the button Continue eat [nome], otherwise press the button Accedi con Facebook and enter your login details in the fields Email or phone number o Password. If, however, you do not have a Facebook account, select the item Continue with the phone number, insertion il tuo telephone number in the ready field and the pulsating pigment Continue. For the detailed procedure, I leave you to my guide on how Messenger works without Facebook.
After logging in to Messenger, press the button Attiva to find your telephone contacts and tap the button Allow to allow Messenger to access your contacts. Now, identify the person you want to call by writing their name in the field Search, access the chat of the contact of your interest by tapping on his photo and press the icon of video camera at the top right to start the video call. If you haven't done so yet, press the button Allow to allow Messenger to use your device's microphone and camera. To learn more, you can read my tutorial on how to make video calls with Facebook.
If, on the other hand, you want to make a video call from a computer, connect to the main Facebook page and, if you have not already done so, log in to your account (in case of problems, my guide on how to access Facebook may be useful). Now, click on the entry Messenger present in the sidebar on the left, write the name of the person to call in the field Search and presses on his photo.
In the newly opened page, click the icon of video camera at the top right, allow Messenger to use your computer's microphone and webcam and wait for the person you are video calling to answer.
Skype
If you are wondering if it is possible to make free video calls with Skype, the answer is yes. All you need, besides an internet connection, is a Microsoft account, the application for Android and iPhone / iPad devices, or the software for your computer.
To make a video call with Skype from smartphones and tablets, start the application in question by tapping its icon (the "S" on a light blue background) on the home screen of your device. If you haven't done so yet, then log into your account by pressing the buttons Start e Log in or create account, by entering the access data in the fields Email, phone or Skype e Password e pigging your pulse Log in. If, on the other hand, you are reading this guide for information and do not have an account yet, my tutorial on how to create a Microsoft account may be useful.
At the first start of the application, allow it to access your contacts and use the microphone and camera of your device by pressing the buttons Continue e OK, then tap on the item Call and write the name of the person to call in the field People, groups and messages. Then press on photo of the contact of your interest and, in the new screen displayed, tap the icon of video camera to start the video call.
To video call on Skype from computer, start the software in question and, if you have not set automatic login, log in to your account by entering the data in the fields Email, phone or Skype e Password. If, on the other hand, you haven't downloaded and installed Skype on your computer yet, you can follow the directions I gave you in my guide on how to download Skype for free.
Now, write the name of the person you intend to call in the field People, groups and messages, click his photo and, in the new screen displayed, presses the icon of video camera to initiate the call. If you haven't already, allow Skype to use your computer's microphone and webcam.
If you prefer to video call on Skype from your computer without installing any software, you will be happy to know that you can use the Web version of the famous messaging program (compatible with some of the major Internet browsers, such as Chrome). To proceed, connected to the Skype website, click on the button Log in at the top right and select the option Usa Skype Online from the menu that appears. Then enter your login details in the fields Email, telephone and Skype e Password and push button on the pulsating Log in.
Now, type the name of the person of your interest in the field Close your Skype, click his name and, in the new screen that appears, click on the icon video camera at the top right to start the video call. To learn more, I leave you to my guides on how to video call with Skype and how Skype works.
Among the solutions you can consider for free video calling there is also WhatsApp. The famous messaging application for Android and iOS devices also allows you to make calls and video calls via your Internet connection to contacts who, in turn, have installed the app.
To video call with WhatsApp, download the application from the store of your device as I indicated in my guide on how to download WhatsApp. If you haven't done so yet, press the button Accetta and continue, insertion il tuo telephone number in the appropriate field, tap the button Yes and insertion il verification code 6-digit number received via SMS to verify your identity and complete registration.
You are now ready to make free video calls with your smartphone or tablet. Then select the item Call, fai tap sulthe icon of handsetindividual contact of your interest and presses the icon of video camera to start the video call. Alternatively, if you have recently chatted with the contact you want to call, tap on the voice Chat, tap on photo of the person of your interest and tap on the icon of video camera. To learn more, I leave you to my guides on how to video call on WhatsApp and how WhatsApp works.
As you well know, WhatsApp it is also available for computers and, therefore, you will surely be interested to know that the possibility of making voice and / or video calls has also been implemented in the version of WhatsApp for PC. In fact, once the QR code you can start a chat with contact and press onhandset icon or your quella della video camera, to make, respectively, a call or a video call, using the WhatsApp client for desktop or its application for Windows and macOS. At the moment, however, this tool is not available on WhatsApp Web.
Telegram
Considered by many to be the best alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram is a famous messaging application available for both smartphones and tablets and for PCs. On mobile, starting from August 2020, it also supports video calls: a function that, however, at least for the moment, only concerns conversations between two people and not group ones.
To start a video call on Telegram, start the service's official app for Android or iPhone / iPad and select the contact of your interest. Then tap on his nominative located at the top of the screen that has opened and press the icon of video camera.
Google Duo
Google Duo is the Google application dedicated to calls and video calls via the Internet, installed as “standard” on devices equipped with Android and also available for iPhone and iPad. The peculiarity of this free app is the ability to view a video preview of the calling person.
To make a video call with Google Duo, start the application by tapping its icon (a white video camera on blue background), presses the button Accept, enter yours telephone number in the appropriate field and type the verification code received via SMS to verify your identity and log into Duo.
Subsequently, if you want to associate your Google account, tap on the icon three dots in alto a destra, select the voice Settings, choose l'opzione Account and push button on the pulsating Add account present under the heading Google Account.
You are now ready to make your first video call with Google Duo. On the main app screen, make sure the icon is selected video camera and enter the name of the contact to call in the field Search for contacts: if the latter appears in the list Connect to Duo, it means that you can start the video call by tapping on his photo.
If, on the other hand, the message appears next to the name of the person you intend to video call Invite, it means that the latter is not using Google Duo. In that case, click on the button Invite to send, via SMS, email, WhatsApp etc., an invitation containing the Duo download link.
FaceTime
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, FaceTime is one of the best free video calling solutions. The application is installed "as standard" on all devices of the "bitten apple" and allows both to call and video call people in possession of an Apple device with FaceTime configured.
Before you can make a video call with FaceTime, make sure FaceTime is turned on. To do this, take your device, log in to Settings di iOS facendo tap sulthe icon of rotella d'ingranaggio present on the home screen, presses on the voice FaceTime and move the toggle next to the option FaceTime da OFF a ON (You may be charged for an international SMS, usually € 0,30). To learn more, you can read my guide on how to activate FaceTime.
Now, take your device, tap on the FaceTime icon (the white video camera on green background), presses the button + at the top right, type the name or telephone number of the person to video call in the field A: and push button on the pulsating Video to start the video call.
It will help you to know that if you have a Mac, you can use FaceTime on the latter as well. Then click on the icon of FaceTime present in the Dock bar (if it is not present, click on the icon of the magnifying glass top right and write FaceTime in the field Spotlight Search), select the voice FaceTime at the top left of the menu bar and choose the option Pref Renze give the menu to compare.
In the new window that has opened, put the check mark next to the item Enable this account and select the contact details with which you want to make yourself traceable by other visible users, by placing the check mark next to the options of your interest in the section You can receive FaceTime calls on.
Once the FaceTime activation on your Mac is complete, go back to the main screen of the application, enter the name or phone number of the person of your interest in the field Enter your name, email or numberselect il contact to call and press the button Video to start the video call. To find out more, I leave you to my guide on how FaceTime works.
Other solutions for free video calling
In addition to the applications that I have indicated in the previous paragraphs, you must know that they exist other solutions for free video calling. Here are some that might be right for you.
- Viber (Android / iOS): is an application (also available for computers) mainly dedicated to instant messaging that also integrates call and video call functions. To learn more, you can read my guide on how Viber works.
- Instagram (Android / iOS): the famous photographic social network, in addition to allowing the sending of private messages, has introduced the possibility of making free calls and video calls to contacts who, in turn, use Instagram. I leave you to my guide on how Instagram works to learn more about the subject.
- Hangouts (Android / iOS): as well as Duo, it is an application owned by Google that allows you to send messages and make calls and video calls (including group) over the Internet. Furthermore, it is also possible to use Hangouts from a computer by connecting to its official website. To discover its features, you can read my in-depth guide.
- Discord (Android/iOS): is a messaging application mainly used by fans of online video games. Among its features, it also allows you to make calls and video calls to other users subscribed to the service. It is also accessible from a computer: for more information, connect to the official Discord website.