Not so long ago, users of the most popular social network Runet saw a new feature in their accounts - the ability to make VK video calls. In connection with this innovation, people began to be actively interested in how to make calls through a VKontakte video call, and how to set up a video call. It is for this reason that we consider it our duty to write instructions where we will consider the new useful function. If you missed it, be sure to check out our publication regarding regular calls on VKontakte, but it’s worth saying right away that if you master regular calls, then video communication will not cause any problems. To start getting acquainted with this “trick,” we advise you to also read the description of calls in the help section at the link: “vk.com/faq12455” (see the bottom figure).
By and large, all the instructions for activating video calls and the procedure for making them are described in a couple of paragraphs in the top screenshot. So what do we have?
So, now we will clearly show and tell you how to call via VKontakte. First of all, as stated above, go to the application store. Check if there are any updates for VK. To do this, enter the special section (see 1 in the bottom picture). If updates are offered, complete them; if not, then launch Vk App directly (look for the shortcut on one of the desktops). Did you launch it and log in with your personal details? Now find the messages icon at the bottom of the screen and click on it, as shown below (2). This will take you into your messages. If the person you need to call is not there yet, then start a new dialogue with him. In general, try to communicate more on VKontakte not only with your own or good friends, but also pay attention to your subscribers, answer questions or comments.
After this, a page with your past correspondence opens. At the top you will see the name of your friend, the time of the person’s last activity on the network, and a little to the right there will be an icon with an image of a telephone handset. This is exactly what we are looking for. Let's try to dial the user by clicking on the handset. We will see a new screen, in the middle of which there will be an avatar, at the bottom you will notice three more necessary and useful icons: turning on the speakerphone, ending the call (in the middle) and a little to the right the option to turn on/off the microphone. Until this call is switched to video mode, it is a regular call.
To make a video call on VKontakte, you need to touch the camera icon to the right of the subscriber’s name (see 5 just above). Take your time, and that's not all. You will also need to give the application access to your camera (6 - in the top image), and confirm your phone number via SMS with a code. Only after this will you be able to see the positive and joyful face of your interlocutor. Also be sure to check your privacy settings. Your ability to receive or make calls may simply be limited or completely blocked.
In order to call via VK from your phone and computer in 2018, first of all you need Account on the VKontakte website.
First of all, VKontakte video calls are available to those who have devices with the latest versions of both Android and iOS. Let's find out what needs to be done for those who want to call VK, but do not know how to do it.
If your friend is online, then in the “Send a message” section on his personal page another button appears, which shows a video camera, you need to click on it to make a call to this person.
After clicking this button, an Adobe dialog box pops up Flash Player. In this window, you must set the settings necessary for communication, that is, put a check mark where it says “allow”, and then so that you don’t have to repeat this procedure another time, click the “remember” button.
Now you need to close the window. For video communication, you will need a webcam and microphone, although many webcams already have microphones.
If you want to use simple audio communication without video, then a microphone will be sufficient. Of course, to hear your interlocutor you will need headphones or speakers. Without a microphone and camera, the video call button does not work.
What to do if the video call button does not work
If you have everything, but the button still doesn’t appear, then try this:
Install Skype program to your computer and use it to check the functionality of the equipment;
If necessary, you need to update the drivers for the camera;
In the sound settings, you need to enable the microphone;
After completing each operation, update the page on the VKontakte website, or, even better, log out of your page and log in again.
The system will understand that your computer is equipped with the required equipment and will allow video calls.
So, if you have prepared and configured everything, you can try calling Vkontakte.
At the same time, do not forget that the quality of communication depends on the speed of the Internet connection of you and your interlocutor. If everything is in order, then you will definitely see and hear each other. How to call in contact? Everything is very simple.
Description of the window for video communication
The window that appears during a conversation is similar to the window for viewing video recordings. In the middle of this window, during a call, either a video or photo of the person you are talking to appears. At the bottom there are buttons for turning on/off the microphone and turning on/off video communication, as well as a volume control. And on the right there is a button that allows you to expand the window to full screen.
If you are not calling the interlocutor, but he is calling you, then the “they are calling you” window is displayed, in which there are two buttons “answer” or “reject” and a photo of the person calling you is displayed. If you agree to start a conversation, then click the “reply” button, otherwise click “decline”.
Or simply what steps you need to take if the VKontakte calling function is not yet available to you or does not work for some reason. Of course, you must be registered on this social network at a minimum.
Here's what you need to do to make a video call on VKontakte
How to set up VKontakte calls simple instructions:
1). First, I advise you to update the VKontakte application on your mobile devices to the latest version.
2). When entering from mobile device In contact, click three horizontal lines in the lower right corner, after which you will go to the settings section.
3). Find the gear icon in the top right corner and click on it.
4). Select the “Privacy” section.
5). Then we find the section “Who can call me”
I advise you to select the All users section, at least until the function of calling VK via video link is activated. Once the calls are available to you, you can configure them as you wish.
6). Now, to activate calls in a contact, the user for whom calls are already working must call you. Or you yourself can call the person whose birthday it is today, and you will see a birthday alert.
The fact is that the notification has a call function, and when dialing, for example, a video call, you will be able to dial VKontakte calls.
7). You can find communities in which users make calls to other users to activate the VKontakte video calling feature.
Methods for activating VK calls via video communication
It is necessary to clearly understand that VKontakte calls are divided into audio calls and video calls on VK.
To call a user, go to his page and click on the handset symbol, after which the call will begin. If the person you are calling has an old version of the application, you will receive a signal that they have old version, which needs to be updated.
For video calls on VKontakte, after the call, click on the video camera symbol in the top right corner, and then your friend will see you.
Here are a couple more tips to help when activating calls to the user. Although they were mentioned above, experience suggests that it is necessary to repeat this and concentrate your attention on it.
If you see a notification about a friend’s birthday in your VK account, be sure to call him, congratulate him, and after this action you will both be able to activate VK calls or video calls, this is no longer so important.
If you know a VKontakte friend who already has calls activated, then ask him to call you, and you will have this wonderful feature.
Reasons why VKontakte calls may not work
The reasons why calls are not working for you or your friends may be as follows:
Your or your friend's mobile application is not updated.
Prohibition or limited settings for making calls on VKontakte, which you can view or customize in the privacy settings section of your profile.
Help your friends activate the video calling function on VKontakte, and they will be grateful to you, and you will always be able to get in touch with them.
How to set up the equipment?
Webcam
First, connect the video camera.
There may be three options:
Webcam c USB interface;
IP video camera wireless, or with RJ-45 connector;
video camera with analog or SDI output;
The easiest way is to connect a USB camera. Simply plug the USB connector of the camera cord into the appropriate socket on your computer.
Please note that if your camera has an interface with USB support 3.0, then it is unlikely to work through a USB 2.0 connector. These connectors are compatible and similar in appearance, but have different colors. USB 3.0 is marked in blue, very rarely red.
After connecting, the operating system will detect a new device and if there is a corresponding driver in its database, then you don’t need to do anything, it will automatically install software the device itself. You may need to restart your computer.
If this does not happen, you will need to install the driver from the disk that came with the camera. If there is no such thing, then you need to find it and download it on the Internet.
RJ-45 cable connector
You can check the camera's performance using the popular Skype application. Select the “Tools” tab at the top of the program window, then “Settings”. You can use the hotkey combination CTR+. And select "Video Settings". If you see an image from the camera in the window that pops up, then everything is fine.
In Windows XP, you can check the camera connection standard means operating system.
You should connect and identify the IP camera in a slightly different way. First you need to install the IP Camera DirectShow Filter driver, which will emulate an IP camera like a web. You can also use VH Multi Camera Studio.
Connect the camera with a cable with an RJ-45 network connector to the computer. If the camera even has the ability wireless connection, the first power-on for setup must be done via a cable.
It may turn out that your computer only has one network connector, which is already used to connect to the Internet. In this case, you will either have to sacrifice the Internet during installation, or install an additional network card.
To see the image, in command line browser, you must enter the camera's IP address.
If you would like to use a regular video camera, you will have to use cards or external video and audio input modules. For example, Mini Recorder Blackmagic Design for SDI and HDMI interfaces. For an analog camera, you need to purchase a composite signal to USB converter.
A little expensive, but the best device in this regard is the Blackmagic Design Intensity Pro 4K. Although you can choose something simpler, such as EasyCap DVR, which costs only $15. If you don't need to count the beard hairs of your interlocutor, then this device is quite suitable.
But in any case, connecting an analog video camera to the VKontakte service will depend on the compatibility of the software that comes with the device or is supported by it. There is only one piece of advice, even for engineers who despise those who read the instructions before installing equipment, to still read it. You will find a lot of interesting things there.
The microphone integrated into the camera will connect without any problems. But if you have a separate device with a USB interface, then you may need to install a driver. A regular microphone with a mini Jack connector can be safely inserted into the pink jack next to the headphone output.
How to make a video call?
If the camera was successfully connected and it works, then we are on the road to complete success. First, go to the settings of the VKontakte service under your own account. Below the logo, find two words: “My Settings.” Go to the “Privacy” tab. It is located at the top of the screen and look for the line “Who can call me via video call” in the “Contact me” section.
Set it to any variable that suits you, but it’s better to set it to “All friends” first.
Ready! Go to the “My Friends” tab on the left side of the screen and look at the screen. If in the lists, next to someone’s name, a camera icon appears, it means that your subscriber, like you, has everything correctly configured for video communication.
If no one has this icon, it means that your friends are not on a video call or your friends do not have a camera connected. Text them for now.
If someone has a camera icon, then click on it and after a few seconds your friend will appear in the window.
Instructions
To make it easier, we summarize the above information into a protocol:
Register in the VKontakte service if you are not already registered.
Connect the camera and microphone.
We install additional video conversion devices if necessary.
We install drivers and software according to the above recommendations.
We check the functionality locally.
We are launching the VKontakte service.
We are looking for friends with cameras;
Let's get in touch.
Video calling from phone/tablet
Video call on VKontakte via phone When you set up a video call through the VKontakte service on mobile devices, the problems become much less. There is no need to connect any devices, because both the tablet and smartphone have both a camera and a microphone.
There is some inconvenience in the fact that not all phones are equipped with a camera on the screen side, which means that your interlocutor will see not you, but your knees, for example. Just turn your smartphone around sometimes reverse side and say: “And it’s me!”
But seriously, just to make a video call to a friend you need to go to his VKontakte page and click on the button with a camera image, it is located to the right of “Send messages” under the avatar.
And if your friend is able to receive a video signal, then he will see you.
If there are problems with the connection, either there is no sound or there is no video, first try to check all the functions of a video call on Skype; if the Skype connection works, then VKontakte should also connect. If not, then look for problems in the device and its software.
Do not forget that video communication requires a stable connection with a speed of at least 1 Mbit/s, which the GPRS protocol cannot provide. This means that you will be able to connect to your boyfriend or girlfriend only using WiFi connection or 3G.
Enter “calls to VK” into the group search and select a thematic group:
In this case, you will have to join the group, then fulfill the conditions of the assigned post, and only after that, perhaps, they will call you back (for example, no one called me back in 3 hours).
And now we get to the simplest and fast way activation. We go to the official group “Team VKontakte” and find a post dated April 28, in which all users were notified about the released update. Here you can leave a comment “call back” and you will receive calls in a matter of seconds.
You don’t have to pick up the phone, even if you hang up the call, the function will already be activated and you will be able to use all its capabilities.
After this, you can select any interlocutor in the dialogues and at the top, next to his name, a handset will appear; by clicking on it, a call will be made. The handset will also appear on the user’s page if he has not limited this function in the settings.
By default, only the voice signal will be transmitted, and if you want to turn on the video, then just press the corresponding button in top corner windows during a call.
New settings
To prevent strangers from distracting you with calls, you can configure your profile accordingly. So, you need to go to the settings and select "Privacy". In the “Contact me” section, the column “Who can call me” will appear. By opening it, you can select several values and limit this function to a certain circle of people.
Important! The feature is only available for mobile applications, so settings full version VC have not changed, i.e. if you open the site on a PC, you will not see the corresponding item there, because it is displayed only in the application.
Technical features
VKontakte calls in 2018 are positioned as an encrypted means of communication, within which communication is carried out directly, and no data is stored on the social network’s servers. This is written in black and white in the official description of the service. It says here that neither eavesdropping nor transfer of keys to third parties will be technically impossible. Apart from, probably, Roskomnadzor.
Safety guaranteed
Encryption is provided on the client's device, so it is guaranteed that access will be limited to third parties. It is technically impossible to gain access or find keys outside the device. Such high security measures are possible due to the cryptographic key negotiation protocol (ZRTP). Packet transmission is provided in accordance with SRTP standards.
Privacy for users
You can change the settings. If you leave everything as it is, then those people who are able to send a personal message on the VK network can call. But changing the settings is not difficult. For example, you can choose features that allow only friends and friends of friends, only friends, no one, all users, or only some friends to call.
Feature testing
Testing was carried out for 20 minutes, the connection was not interrupted, there was no sound delay. During the call I was able to switch between mobile internet and wi-fi, the quality of the connection did not decrease at all.
How to call a user on VK
The algorithm is simple. To do this you need:
Ensure the application is updated.
Test by asking a friend who has the application to make a call (the function is already available to all users).
Open the user profile and click on the call icon in the upper right corner.
How to call VK
If the icon is inactive, this means that the user has limited the circle of people who can contact him;
If the user has not updated the mobile application, calls will not be available to him;
It is impossible to call VK from a computer;
Managers can add an action button to a group on VK so that subscribers can call;
You can turn on the video in the top right corner.
Video call in VK
On the top left, you can switch the call to smartphone mode (you can simultaneously communicate and correspond on VK);
Bottom left you can turn off the sound;
At the bottom right you can mute the microphone;
In your “window” you can switch the camera from the front to the main and vice versa;
Who can call VK
If you do not want a certain person or category of users to call you, then do the following:
1. From your profile, open the settings in the upper right corner and open the “Privacy” section.
Phone privacy settings in VK
2. In the “Contact me” subsection, indicate who can call you.
Prohibit calls to VK
In addition to certain circles, you can restrict access to specific users.
To call a person, you need to click on the appropriate button in his profile or dialogue with him. By default, anyone who can write messages to a specific user can call a specific user. However, this can be changed in the privacy settings, where the following options are available:
By default, calls are made on a peer-to-peer basis (the interlocutors connect directly to each other). If this option is not available, the traffic passes through VKontakte servers (the developers claim that the company does not save the transmitted data). Voice and video communications operate using the ICE protocol, which eliminates network delays and increases connection stability. If the user disconnects during a conversation Wi-Fi networks and will start using mobile communications, the call will not be dropped. The service adapts to the Internet connection in such a way as to provide people maximum quality communication with minimal traffic consumption
.
According to the developers, calls on VKontakte are absolutely safe, since end-to-end encryption is used - no one (including the social network) can technically receive the contents of conversations. Calls are protected from eavesdropping using the ZRTP cryptographic key agreement protocol. In this case, the packets themselves are encrypted using the SRTP secure data transfer protocol standard.
On this moment The calling feature is available to a limited number of users, but it will be available to everyone in the near future. The main thing is to install the latest version of clients.
Security and privacy
Call security is ensured by end-to-end encryption. It takes place on the user’s device - and no one, including VKontakte, can receive the contents of conversations. This technology is time-tested and is used for communication in modern services.
Transferring any keys and gaining access to information outside the device is technically impossible. VKontakte calls are protected from eavesdropping by the cryptographic key agreement protocol (ZRTP). The packets themselves are encrypted using the Secure Data Transfer Protocol (SRTP) standard.
You choose who has the right to call you. By default, only those who can write you private messages have this opportunity. To avoid being disturbed by someone else, you can easily change the privacy settings for calls. Do this as usual as for other VKontakte services.
Speed and stability
No sudden disconnections or breaks. Whenever technically possible, your calls will be made on a peer-to-peer basis. This connection is organized directly between users, so you can contact your interlocutor as quickly as possible. If there is no direct connection, traffic passes through VKontakte servers without saving data.
VKontakte calls by default provide best quality video and sound. The ICE protocol helps improve communication. The call initiation system builds the most optimal routes for calls, eliminates delays and significantly increases connection stability.
You can seamlessly switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data. No surprises. Calls automatically adapt to the speed and type of connection to consume as little data as possible without compromising call quality.
Nothing extra
To talk to a friend, you just need to click on the call button in the profile or dialogue with the interlocutor. Call history is integrated into the VKontakte messenger, so it is available directly in the dialogue.
Today we offer to congratulate friends who have a birthday. By calling, you activate VKontakte calls for your friend. Both of you will be able to call your friends and turn them on the new service. Access will gradually become available to everyone who has updated the mobile application.
In order to call a user, go to his page and see a camera icon next to the “Send message” button. Here's what it looks like:
If you hover your mouse over the icon, you will receive a message: “You can call username while he is on the site. To use video, you must turn on your webcam."
Accordingly, if the user is on the site, click on the indicated icon, after which the connection occurs. Please note that at the time of writing, communication is required to use Adobe Flash Player.
When you call, a connection occurs. In our case, the connection is impossible because the webcam is not installed.
Of course, you can only call those friends who have added this feature.
How can I make sure my friends can call me?
First and most importantly, only those users who are friends can make video calls.
To activate the video calling feature, go to “My Settings” and select the “Privacy” tab. Here, in the “Contact me” subsection, next to the item “Who can call me via video call”, put “All friends”.
A camera icon will now appear on your page. You won't see it, but your friends will.
If the icon does not appear, then this may help: click “Edit Page”.
Then select the “Contacts” tab and in the “Mobile phone” and “Additional phone” columns, select “Visible only to friends,” even if the number is missing, and click on the “Save” button.
Now the button should appear and your friends will be able to call you. Of course, if there are cameras and microphones on both sides.
Voice calls and video communications have become available in VKontakte mobile applications for Android and iOS. Call confidentiality is ensured by previously announced end-to-end encryption.
In order to make a call, you need to go to the chat with the interlocutor or to his profile and click on the call button. To switch to a video call, use the camera button at the top of the screen. During a call, you can turn on the speakerphone or mute the microphone so that the other person cannot hear you. Information about completed or missed calls appears in dialogs.
By default, the user can be called by anyone who has the ability to message him, but in the privacy settings you can specify other options: only friends, friends and friends of friends, some friends, or no one.
Calls use the ICE protocol, which allows traffic to adapt to Internet speed and connection type. The connection is made according to the peering principle, bypassing VKontakte servers, and in cases where this is not possible, social network servers are used, but the data is not saved in them, according to the developers.
In the VK application for Android, you can use the “picture-in-picture” function and conduct correspondence simultaneously with voice or video communication. There is no such thing on iOS.
Initially, calls are available only in updated VKontakte applications, but by calling a friend you will activate this feature for him even if he has not updated the application.
enable calls in VK 2018? Just go to the official Play Market or AppStore and download the VK utility or update it if it is already installed on your smartphone. There is no need to perform any additional manipulations, turn on anything, or buy anything. The setup is carried out automatically. Next I will show everything using real examples.
How to call VKontakte for free?
We go into the application and open the list of friends.
We select the desired person from the list and a “telephone handset” will be displayed on his profile page in the upper right corner.
As soon as you tap on the icon, the call will begin - you will see controls on the screen: cancel (end up/hang up), turn off the microphone, change the volume, activate video calling.
But there is one interesting point, which is worth knowing about. If the subscriber you are trying to contact has not updated the utility, you will see the following notification on the display:
Notification on VK call screen
That is, only those who use the VKontakte application can communicate with each other updated version Software for Android or iPhone.
Also, in addition to the call on the account page, the “handset” is also available in the correspondence window with one or another contact:
Are VKontakte calls paid or free?
There have been rumors about the introduction of this function since 2016. Then many argued that the developers would introduce payment using coins. And you can earn them by watching ads and completing other tasks.
First, you need to update the VK application installed on your phone. If this is done automatically, great. If you don't know if it's included automatic update, then go to Play Market or App Store, and see that there is a button opposite the messenger like “Open”. If “Update” is written opposite, then perform this action.
Secondly, the phone must have one of the latest versions operating system. Video calling does not work on Android 4.2.2; the required button does not appear even after activation. But on Android 7 everything works great.
After updating the application, opening the “Notifications” section in your profile, a message will appear at the very top that “VKontakte calls are available.” I didn’t click on it - but in vain! Perhaps after this I would just need to call any friend on Vkontakte via video link, and the service would be activated. But later this notification no longer appeared, so the question: how to activate video calls on VKontakte interested me. And I found a way out!
To do this, click on the magnifying glass icon below and click on the search bar.
Enter “Video calling.” We need a group with this name because it discusses issues that interest us now. The thumbnail should have a white handset on a blue background. Click on the title.
Check them out. Here, those users who have video calls are offered to call. This is exactly what we need. Once the person who has this service active dials you, everything should work. Therefore, we find the message: “Who to call?”
The girl responded to my request very quickly, and also sent a screenshot that I needed to update VK.
Moreover, they wrote to me in a personal message that an update is required. Since it’s not very convenient to communicate in the comments under a post, I preferred the chat.
The fact that they called me and could not get through was visible in the “Notifications”.
I updated the application, but still nothing worked. In my case the reason is outdated version Android (4.2.2).
Having updated VK on another smartphone, I asked to make the call again: a message appeared in PM that I had one missed call. Immediately after this, this service became available to me.
How to make calls
After activation, you can use video calls. The answer to the question: “How to call new version VC?" - simple. Open messages with the user you want to chat with. And next to the name you will see a white tube. Click on it.
There will be a call. Wait for someone to answer you. On this screen, all the buttons are clear: turn on/off the camera, sound, volume, end the call. There is another button at the top left.
By clicking on it, the window with the bell will become smaller. It can be moved anywhere on the screen. To return to the call again, press the handset.
You can make a video call to a friend by going to his profile. There will be a white tube on the top right of your avatar. Click on it and the call will go.
If you have updated the application and the version of Android on your device is one of the latest, but you are still unable to get through, then you need to set up video calling correctly. To do this, open the page menu by clicking on the three horizontal lines at the bottom, and then go to settings - the gear in the top right.
Scroll down a little and click on the line “Who can call me.”
In the next window, you need to mark the “All users” marker, or select the option that suits you: only friends, certain groups, etc. As noted, to call you need to click the corresponding button, which now appears in the dialogue with another person and on the page with his profile.
By standard settings Each can call the other if the option to write messages is open. However, this setting can be changed in privacy, where additional options for calls have now appeared:
All users;
Friends;
Friends and their buddies;
Nobody;
Selected people;
Blacklists of those people who cannot call.
According to the standard, calls are made according to the principles of a peer-to-peer network, that is, the interlocutors are connected to each other. If such an opportunity is unavailable for some reason, traffic will pass through active VKontakte servers. At the same time, as the developers note, the company will not save data.
In addition, if a person switches from Wi-Fi to mobile communications during a conversation, the connection and call will not be reset. The new function works in such a way as to adapt to the Internet connection that is currently available. This way you can achieve high-quality communication with minimal traffic usage.
Privacy and Security
As the developers note, the security and encryption of each established connection is ensured by end-to-end encryption technology, or end-to-end encryption. Under this scheme, only those users who are directly involved in the dialogue can access the call. Currently, the same technology is used in Viber, WhatsApp and the social network Facebook.
As Andrey Rozov, CEO, notes, this data encryption technique makes it possible not only to ensure a sufficient level of confidentiality, but also to protect the conversation from eavesdropping by third parties. And all this is ensured by end-to-end encryption - a technology that allows you to hide a conversation even from the VKontakte social network.
Moreover, the transfer of data, information and keys to gain access to calls and other data outside the gadgets of the caller or recipient of the call is impossible from a technical point of view. In addition to end-to-end security, there is also a cryptographic connection and key negotiation protocol (or ZRTP protocol). As for the packets, they are encrypted using the SRTP standard, a secure data transfer protocol.
The security system allows each user to call you if he can write you a message. And to ensure that no one bothers you or calls you, the developers kindly offered to set up an access system.
No extra moments
In order to call another user, you just need to press the call key in the profile or dialogue with a specific person. The system and call history were specially integrated into the social network’s mobile application, so it is available for access directly in the dialogue.
And if you wish, you can even set up group calls. For example, if you need to congratulate a friend on his birthday en masse or coordinate a meeting.
Maybe thanks to the actions of Roskomnadzor or it was a long-thought-out feature, but today the VKontakte application for mobile phones and iPhones has been updated and added a new function. For now, it may work with glitches and bugs, but this is only the beginning of a new path of communication.
Who knows, maybe very soon people will no longer need SIM cards to communicate - thanks to the Telegram messenger and the new VKontakte function, it is necessary to call telephone numbers sooner or later it will disappear completely.
And in order to use the function, you need to install the current version of the mobile application and call your friends on social networks.
Hello everyone, dear friends. Do you have a lot of friends on VKontakte and would you like to communicate with some of them face to face? Then I will tell you how to make a video call to VK from your phone, even if you don’t know the phone number or simply don’t want to use another application for this. We will also look at how this can be done using a computer.
How to make a video call on VKontakte from your phone
In fact, the video calling function was already available a long time ago, back under Pavel Durov in 2012, but for some reason in 2016 it was decided to remove it and not return to this topic for several years. But technology does not stand still and video communication is almost the main mode of communication between people. People even began to use Skype for these purposes less often, since now it is easier to install a messenger like Viber, WhatsUp or Telegram, so that you can communicate face to face for free and without problems. I talked about this in more detail.
Naturally, this opportunity could not be missed, so in April 2018, VK launched this opportunity on mobile phones in the new version of VKontakte. At first, only a small part of users received this feature as testing, but now everyone can use it. You should have been informed about this in the relevant notifications.
To make a video call from VK you need to do the following.
During the call, you will see additional icons, such as muting the microphone, sound, video, or simply reset if you don’t want to call anymore.
But what if your friend doesn’t have the app or hasn’t updated it? In this case, during a video call a sign will appear indicating that your friend has not updated the application.
Well, there are two options:
- Or wait until your friend is worthy of deleting the application.
- Or write to him about it in messages.
Is it possible to make a video call on VK from a computer?
Also, many are tormented by the question of how to make a video call to VK from a computer. Unfortunately, I have not yet found a sensible answer to this question, although I tried. I tried to do this directly through the mobile version of the site, as well as through an extension that emits Android. But so far it’s no use, since to accomplish this goal you will need an application, and not just mobile version.
But be that as it may, I think that such an opportunity will appear soon, since free instant messengers like Viber and WhatsUp are capable of making video calls via a computer. I think either they themselves will introduce the possibility officially, or some not quite official way such as a separate extension or service. Let's see.
The only option that suggests itself is to install an emulator mobile phone on Android, for example the same Bluestacks. After installing it, you need to log in with your Google account. Email to install the free official VK application from the Google store. Well, then everything follows the old scheme.
Well, if you want to keep abreast of all the updates, innovations, or just ask a question and contact technical support, then I recommend subscribing to official public video communication in VK.
Well, that's all for me. I hope you liked my article today. Therefore, be sure to subscribe to all my public pages and YouTube channel to always be aware of everything new and interesting. Good luck to you. Bye bye!
Best regards, Dmitry Kostin.
VKontakte calls became active less than a month ago. At the moment, this innovation is not something innovative in the environment of modern popular social networks. However, many users of the largest social network in Russia are still experiencing some difficulties with activating VK calls and using them in everyday life.
Today's usual services mobile operators(SMS messages, roaming and voice calls) are inferior to instant messenger communications. Recently, audio and video calls for owners of iOS and Android devices appeared in the official VKontakte mobile application.
VKontakte calls 2018
In March 2018, Ernst&Young published the results of a study of the Internet access market in the capital and other large Russian cities. 31% of survey participants equally use both standard voice communication and the capabilities of instant messengers. For 8% of respondents, messengers have become the main method of communication - services mobile operators they hardly ever use it.
How to turn off calls on VK?
The user gets the opportunity to configure the list of people who can call him. Groups that have permission to write private messages have the same ability.
Privacy settings allow you to narrow or expand the list of who can make voice or video calls.
On the launch day of this function, April 28, users offered the opportunity to make free calls to VKontakte to those people who had a birthday on that date, so that their calls would be activated. After this, the caller and the user who received the call can call their friends and activate the function for them. Access will gradually be opened to all users who have updated the mobile application.
According to VC.ru, the total number of users of the social network is 97 million, and mobile application used by 80 million people. Thus, calling VKontakte from a phone immediately became popular.
At the same time, the video calling function was available on VKontakte earlier – from 2011 to 2016. Users did not appreciate this innovation, since calls could only be made through the browser version from a PC. There were often problems with communication.
End-to-end encryption ensures the security of your calls. It takes place on people's devices, so the contents of conversations will not be known to anyone. Technically, it is not possible to transfer keys and provide access to personal information outside the device.
To improve the quality of communication, Peer-to-Peer routes have become a priority, which allows the connection to pass directly between people. In cases where there is no direct connection, traffic will be transmitted through VK servers. Technical feasibility There is no way to access conversations in this situation either.
Calls to VK: how to activate
Access to calls will be opened gradually. So, on the launch day, users were able to call the birthday person and at the same time activate their voice and video call function.
At the same time, VKontakte calls are not something fundamentally new. Voice and video calls are a standard feature of many modern instant messengers, including Viver, WhatsApp, Telegram, as well as social Facebook networks and Odnoklassniki.
Hello, friends! Many of you remember how in 2012 VKontakte became able to communicate via video calling. But this function did not take root and, as the developers themselves said, they were not involved in its development. As a result, it completely disappeared after the social network switched to a new interface.
As the number of competing instant messengers increases and new features appear that attract users, the developers, in order not to lose their audience, decided to launch VKontakte video calls again in 2018.
Despite the fact that this service is only available for smartphones based on Android or iOS OS, many people want to use it. But, having learned from personal experience, I realized that it is not so easy. Therefore, let's now look at how to make video calls to VK and what needs to be done to activate this service.
Activation
First, you need to update the VK application installed on your phone. If this is done automatically, great. If you don’t know whether automatic updates are enabled, then go to the Play Market or App Store and see if there is a button like “Open” next to the messenger. If “Update” is written opposite, then perform this action.
Secondly, one of the latest versions of the operating system must be installed on the phone. Video calling does not work on Android 4.2.2; the required button does not appear even after activation. But on Android 7 everything works great.
After updating the application, opening the “Notifications” section in your profile, a message will appear at the very top that “VKontakte calls are available.” I didn’t click on it - but in vain! Perhaps after this I would just need to call any friend on Vkontakte via video link, and the service would be activated. But later this notification no longer appeared, so the question: how to activate video calls on VKontakte interested me. And I found a way out!
To do this, click on the magnifying glass icon below and click on the search bar.
Enter “Video calling.” We need a group with this name because it discusses issues that interest us now. The thumbnail should have a white handset on a blue background. Click on the title.
Check them out. Here, those users who have video calls are offered to call. This is exactly what we need. Once the person who has this service active dials you, everything should work. Therefore, we find the message: “Who to call?”
The girl responded to my request very quickly, and also sent a screenshot that I needed to update VK.
Moreover, they wrote to me in a personal message that an update is required. Since it’s not very convenient to communicate in the comments under a post, I preferred the chat.
The fact that they called me and could not get through was visible in the “Notifications”.
I updated the application, but still nothing worked. In my case, the reason is an outdated version of Android (4.2.2).
Having updated VK on another smartphone, I asked to make the call again: a message appeared in PM that I had one missed call. Immediately after this, this service became available to me.
How to make calls
After activation, you can use video calls. The answer to the question: “How to make calls in the new version of VK?” - simple. Open messages with the user you want to chat with. And next to the name you will see a white tube. Click on it.
There will be a call. Wait for someone to answer you. On this screen, all the buttons are clear: turn on/off the camera, sound, volume, end the call. There is another button at the top left.
By clicking on it, the window with the bell will become smaller. It can be moved anywhere on the screen. To return to the call again, press the handset.
You can make a video call to a friend by going to his profile. There will be a white tube on the top right of your avatar. Click on it and the call will go.
Settings
If you have updated the application and the version of Android on your device is one of the latest, but you are still unable to get through, then you need to set up video calling correctly. To do this, open the page menu by clicking on the three horizontal lines at the bottom, and then go to settings - the gear in the top right.
These are the nuances that users who try to take advantage of new feature and make a video call on VKontakte. I hope the recommendations described will help you, and in the future the developers will make sure that absolutely everyone can make video calls on VK.
