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How to reduce data usage on WhatsApp video call?

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  • 2 min read

Whatsapp has now become one of the most popular messaging apps ever to exist. The app has just about every feature you’d expect from a modern-day messaging app, including internet-based voice and video calls.

However, we’re not always connected to Wi=Fi, and as we all know, video calls can be first-degree data hogs. If you’re out and about and low on mobile data, making a video call might make you a bit uncomfortable because it’s highly likely that you’ll run out of data.

Another case is when you’ve already run out of data, and now your internet speeds are slower than a sloth. In such cases, reducing the data usage that Whatsapp video calls put on your connection’s bandwidth can not only help you save data but also might help you have stable video calls when you’re already exhausted your daily data limit.

In this article, we’re going over a few simple steps using which you can drastically reduce just how much data your Whatsapp video calls use.

Also read: WhatsApp vs Signal vs Telegram: Which one is the most secure? 


How much data does a Whatsapp video call use?

It’s tough to put an accurate number on how much data does a video call exactly use. However, on a 4G network, a Whatsapp video call uses somewhere between 800KB to 1MB of data per minute on average.

After turning the data saver on, you can expect this usage to drop down to around 400-700KB per minute

Also read: How to fix ‘Waiting for this message’ error on WhatsApp?


How to reduce Whatsapp call data usage?

Note that these steps will also apply to Whatsapp voice calls, meaning you’ll be able to save data on those as well. Open the app on your device and follow the steps mentioned below to reduce data usage during Whatsapp video calls.

This is an image of whatsapp reduce data video call
  • Open Whatsapp and tap on the three vertical dots in the top right.
  • Tap on Settings.
  • Head over to Storage and data.
  • Enable the Use less data for calls slider. 

You can also consider turning off mobile data or downloading Whatsapp media only over WiFi to save more data.

Also read: How to use WhatsApp on Samsung Galaxy smartwatches?

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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