Video call is the best way to stay in contact with your loved ones if you’re unable to do so in person. Video calling is especially useful in these times, when we’re unable to spend time with people in person due to the outbreak which forced us to distance ourselves from our friends and family.
Having said that, there are quite a few video call apps for Android, and we’ve selected the best ones. Do note that the apps we’ve picked don’t have to be your preferred choices, of course. There are quite a few apps in the Google Play Store that offer video call option, and these are only some of them.
Do note that ZOOM is not on the list due to quite a long list of issues that it’s having at the moment. The company is working hard to fix all those issues, but for the time being, we’ll keep it off the list. There are quite a few other video call apps for Android that are great, and here are the best ones, in our opinion. Read on.
Top 9 best video call Android apps 2020
Below is a quick overview of the top 9 best video call Android apps for 2020, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
Download Cost
In-app cost (per item)
Google Duo
✕
✕
Houseparty
✕
$1-$3.5
Skype
✕
✕
Microsoft Teams
✕
✕
Viber
✕
$1-$124
WhatsApp
✕
✕
Facebook Messenger
✕
$1-$386
Discord
✕
✕
Signal
✕
✕
Top 9 best video call Android apps 2020 downloads
Below is a little more information on each app, a suggestion for the type of user the app is best suited to, and a direct link for easy downloading.
All download links go to the app’s Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.
Best video call Android app for most users
Google Duo
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: Varies with device
Google Duo is an app especially made for video calls. This is Google’s very own app, as its name says, and it’s really good. Many people still don’t know what Google Duo is, but it’s one of the best apps for video calling, no doubt. The quality of video calls is great, and the app’s UI is a joy to use. The whole focus is on the video content here, and that’s exactly what a video call app should offer.
This application is completely free to use, all you need is a Google account. There are no ads included here or anything of the sort, and the same goes for in-app purchases. The web client is also available, in case you’d like to use it instead of the app. Group calling is possible via Google Duo, as the app supports up to 12 people in a single group video call. That will be more than enough for the vast majority of you.
Google Duo also allows you to leave a personalized video message, in case the person you’re calling cannot pick up. If you prefer voice calling over video calling, that option is also available via Google Duo. The app is constantly getting new features, and it’s getting better and better by the day. It’s really simple to use, and thus we believe it’s probably the best option for most people.
Download Google Duo
Best video call Android app for playing games
Houseparty
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: Varies with device
Houseparty is probably the best video call app for playing games, but we’ll get to that. This app managed to become really popular lately, and the recent outbreak probably helped with that. Many people are trying to spend time with their friends and family online, considering they can’t do it in person. Houseparty even allows you to play games with your friends, and more of them at once.
This is a nicely-designed video call app and it works well on Android, as soon as bugs are staying away. Some people seem to be having issues with buggy performance of Houseparty, at least based on the comments. We haven’t experienced any significant issues, other than the fact battery drain notification popped up once or twice. There is a reason this app is called 'Houseparty’ as well, it’s due to a specific feature.
The app can send you a notification when your friend(s) is at this home, and ready for a video call. Group chats are enabled in Houseparty, which was to be expected, considering its name. As far as games are concerned, you can play Chips, Guac, Heads-Up, and some other games with your friends. We have no doubt that more games will become available in the near future.
Download Houseparty
Best video call Android app for live transcription
Skype
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: Varies with device
Skype is the go-to video call app for many people. This is, without a doubt, one of the best-known applications for video-calling, and one of the first ones on the market. Skype got a lot better over the years, and is now definitely a complete package. The app offers a really simple, nice-looking, and easy-to-use UI, while video-calling via this app is high quality, as with every other app on the list.
This is one of a very few apps on the market that offers live transcription feature, if that’s something you need. Skype also allows for group calls, up to 24 people can talk at the same time, in HD. You can also use regular text messages to communicate with people via Skype, though that’s not its primary usage scenario, of course. If you prefer voice calls over video calls, no problem, Skype offers that as well.
You can even reply to your SMS messages via Skype, if you want to. You can do that from your phone, PC, or Mac, it’s up to you. Emoticons are supported in Skype, and so are GIFs, as far as text messages are concerned. The is completely free to use, while there are no app purchases here. Ads are present, though.
Download Skype
Best video call Android app for business
Microsoft Teams
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: Varies with device
Microsoft Teams is Microsoft’s very own video-calling app. This app is more oriented towards businesses, though. The company refers to this service as a „hub for teamwork in Office 365”. Microsoft Teams keeps all your team conversations, files, meetings, and apps in a single shared workspace. That way, everything you need is really easy to access, no matter what platform you’re using at the time.
You can manage your team’s projects via this app, with built-in file editing and sharing on the go. Video calls are a big part of Microsoft Teams, and HD audio and video are supported here, Group video calls are also supported, by the way. If you prefer text messages over video calls, that is supported here. You can either chat privately, or chat in groups. You can actually create various dedicated channels for different projects.
You can tag your team members here, one-by-one, or simply tag a whole channel. A search function for chats is also supported in Microsoft Teams. This application also offers a really nice-looking UI. It’s quite simple, and yet really functional, which is the best combination, of course.
Download Microsoft Teams
Best video call Android app for group chats
Viber
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: Varies with device
Viber, as many of you know, is mainly a messaging platform. It is one of the most popular instant messaging platforms in the world. Well, Viber does many things, sending messaging is not its only function, far from it. This app offers the video call option, as does regular calls over the Internet. It actually does a great job with that. Even when it comes to group chats, the app works great.
Viber is available via the web as well. The app also allows you to make low-cost calls to landlines with Viber Out, if that’s something you really want to do. Now, in terms of group chats, Viber allows for group chats of up to 250 people. That should be enough for pretty much everyone, right? We hope it is. This app also offers end-to-end encryption, while the app also offers self-destruct secret chats.
Stickers and GIFs are both supported by Viber. The company also offers various Chat Extensions, if that’s something you’re into. There are extensions for Yelp, YouTube, Booking, Spotify, and much more. Viber is free to use, though you may stumble upon some ads while doing so. The bottom line is, this is a great instant messaging app, with a really functional video call feature.
Download Viber
Best video call Android app for large groups of people
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: 4.0.3
WhatsApp is actually a direct competitor to Viber. These two apps have plenty in common. They’re both instant messaging apps that offer both call and video call options. They actually do a great job at that. WhatsApp is also great for group video calls, and the same goes for its instant messaging feature. This app, much like Viber, works in correlation with your smartphone number, which you’ll need in order to activate it.
WhatsApp is also free to use, and it allows you to send photos, videos, documents, and voice messages. The app also allows you to share your location, exchange contacts, set custom wallpapers, set custom notification sounds, broadcast messages to multiple contacts at once, and much more. Stickers and GIFs are supported by the app, as are with many other instant messaging apps.
This is one of the most popular instant messaging services in the world, and many of its users use the video call option. WhatsApp’s video calls are buttery smooth, at least in our experience. The works great in that regard, no matter if you’re talking to one person, or a bunch of them.
Download WhatsApp
Best video call Android app for Facebook users
Facebook Messenger
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: Varies with device
Facebook Messenger is, much like WhatsApp, a service by Facebook. Unlike WhatsApp, though, Messenger hasn’t been acquired, but developed by Facebook. It is tightly integrated with the company’s brand and everything else. Messenger had its issues at first, but it managed to grow into one of the most popular instant messaging services. If you’re a Facebook user, this is probably the best option for you.
Messenger, in addition to many of its other features, also offers the video call option. That feature also had its fair share of issues in the past, but Facebook managed to iron everything out. It actually works really, really well now. We’ve used it while talking with one and several people, and things were really smooth. It is right up there with the rest of them in that regard. It also offers various live filters and stickers you can use while talking to people, many of them are interactive.
The app offers dark mode, as many other apps on the list, and it also allows you to send photos, videos, and voice messages to your contacts. Messenger offers a slightly different design than the ones Android users are used to, but it’s just as functional. Facebook actually cleaned up the design of this app quite a bit a while back. All in all, Messenger is a great choice.
Download Facebook Messenger
Best video call Android app for gamers
Discord
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: 5.0+
If you’re a gamer, chances are you’ve heard of Discord. Discord is basically an instant messaging app packed with features. This app is mainly used by gamers, though many other people seem to be using it, as it’s just that good. Discord is a bit different than your regular instant messaging app, though. This app allows you to organize channels in which you can share videos, coordinate gaming meetups, and so on.
Those channels are essentially chat groups with a number of features available. You can open voice channels for talking while you’re gaming, while video calls are also supported by Discord. You can watch your friends stream their games, or gather up for a screen-sharing session at any point. This app also allows you to share photos, videos, links, and so much more.
You can even assign roles to members if you’d like to give them moderation powers over a channel. You can even create VIP channels for admins, superfans, and so on. As you’ll probably able to tell already, this app is heavily focused on gaming. If you’re a gamer, and plan to use video calls in the aspect of gaming, Discord is the way to go.
Download Discord
Best video call Android app for privacy
Signal
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: 4.4+
Signal is an instant messaging service with great focus on privacy and security. Signal is the go-to service for many people who are looking to keep their communication private. That goes for text messages, voice calls, and video calls. This app offers „state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption”, which is powered by the open source Signal Protocol. In other words, it’s a great choice if you’re worried about privacy.
Now, other than that, this app works like any other instant messaging service. It’s very reliable when it comes to text messages, voice calls, and video calls. All three of those features work really great in Signal, as the app is really well optimized. There are some additional features included here, as you have some customization options to play around with.
Signal even comes with a built-in image editing features. So, you can use this app to sketch, crop, and flip your outgoing photos, which not something many messaging services offer. Signal is completely free to use, while it does not come with ads nor in-app purchases, in case you were wondering.
Download Signal
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