We live in rather challenging times. Times where you’re advised to avoid social contact for health reasons. You still have to maintain contact with your friends and family, though. So, doing that over a video call seems like a logical step, right? Well, yeah, that’s the next best thing. So, it’s not exactly surprising that video calling apps have been quite popular in the last year or so, on both iOS and Android.
We’ve compiled a list of our 10 favorite / best video calling apps for Android, so that we may help you with choosing which one to use. Each of these apps are great, though each of them has some sort of unique feature or something that sets it apart. There are various other video calling apps available in the Play Store, of course, but these are our favorite ones, and chances are you’ll like some of them.
Top 10 Best Video Calling Android Apps 2021
Below is a quick overview of the top 10 best video calling Android apps for 2021, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
| Download Cost | In-app cost (per item) | |
| Google Duo | ✕ | ✕ |
| ZOOM | ✕ | $14.99-$149.99 |
| Microsoft Teams | ✕ | ✕ |
| Skype | ✕ | $3.49-$29.99 |
| Signal | ✕ | ✕ |
| ✕ | ✕ | |
| Viber | ✕ | $0.99-$109.99 |
| Facebook Messenger | ✕ | $0.99-$399.99 |
| Discord | ✕ | $1.99-$274.94 |
| ICQ | ✕ | ✕ |
Top 10 Best Video Calling Android Apps 2021 Downloads
Below is a little more information on each app, 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.
Google Duo
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Google Duo is probably the best video calling app for most people. Why? Well, it works great, it’s extremely simple to use, and Google stands firmly behind it… for now. We all know the company’s tendency to kill off services after a while, so let’s hope that Google Duo won’t have the same faith. This app is completely free to use, and it even comes pre-installed on some Android smartphones.
The quality of video calls, as long as you have a decent Internet connection, is really good. Google Duo allows you to group chat with up to 32 people, and everything is encrypted as well. You can even share video messages with your friends by using this application. Google Duo is available on both Android and iOS, so you’re not limited to only one platform, just make sure your iOS friends have it installed.
ZOOM
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $14.99-$149.99
- Size: 150MB
- Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
ZOOM has had its fair share of issues in the past. The app / service was struck with some security issues and bugs, but it seems like most of those have been resolved. ZOOM managed to become extremely popular in a relatively short time span. The pandemic propelled this app to even more success, at least that’s what it seems. ZOOM is a great option for chatting with friends, but the service is more oriented towards cloud meetings.
Many people are using this app for their meeting needs. You can also send messages via this application, and the same goes for photos and files. Making and receiving phone calls is also a possibility. The app even offers a special mode when you’re driving, to keep you focused on your driving. There are many more features included here. Do note that the app’s rating is still quite low due to the aforementioned issues. The app is still dealing with some bugs, but it’s much better than it used to be.
Microsoft Teams
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Microsoft Teams is a business-oriented video calling application, and it’s great at what it does. Microsoft is one of the largest tech companies in the world, and their software offerings are usually quite compelling. This app is no different. The app offers meetings and video conferencing, while regular calls are also a possibility. If you need to send a message to your team, that’s also possible, and threaded conversations are supports.
You can create dedicated channels for your teams inside this app, and both HD audio and video calls are supported. You can also create to-do lists in this app, while you have access to a calendar, and cloud storage as well. Sending documents is a breeze, and files in general. If you need to tweak notifications, various different options are available as well. We’ve only scratched the surface here, there are many more features available.
Skype
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $3.49-$29.99
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars
Skype has been around for ages, and it’s still an extremely compelling service. This app is also owned by Microsoft, in case you were wondering. Skype has evolved quite a bit, and it now looks really nice and modern. If you need the live transcription feature in addition to having the ability to call someone for a voice or video call, this is the app for you. Not only does it offer live transcription, but it works really well.
You can make video calls with up to 24 people at the same time via Skype. You can also send messages if you want, and the ‘SMS Connect’ feature is also available. Sharing photos and video is a possibility, as is expressing yourself with various emoticons, or sending GIFs using Giphy. Skype is a cross-platform service, it’s available on smartphones, tablets, PCs, and Macs, so you’re always able to contact whomever.
Signal
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
If you’re worried about privacy, Signal is the way to go. This app is completely independent, its development is supported by users, just like yourself. The app doesn’t come with ads, and it’s not tracking you. This is primarily a messaging service, but it does support HD voice and video calls as well. In fact, video calls are extremely well done in Signal, we’ve had no issues with the app whatsoever.
The app’s design is quite minimalistic, and the UI just feels nice while you’re using it. This app allows you to use your existing phone number and address book to communicate with your friends and family. You can use the built-in image editing features to spice up the images you’re planning to send. There are more features here to check out, so if you’re interested, Signal is well-worth trying out.
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
WhatsApp is an extremely well-known instant messaging service. You can, however, make video calls via this application as well. In fact, video calls via WhatsApp work really, really well. You can host quite a few people in a single group call here, and chances are you won’t have issues along the way. It may not have as many group call options as some other apps on the list, though.
WhatsApp’s UI is really sleek, it’s simple, and yet enjoyable to use. This app will require your phone number in order to operate, though, so keep that in mind. The app works great for instant messaging, as that is its main purpose, pretty much. You can also send photos via this app, and the same goes for videos, documents, and even voice messages. Video messages are still not supported, though.
Viber
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.99-$109.99
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Viber allows for group calls up to 20 people. Much like WhatsApp, this app is a great option for group calls, especially voice calls. Viber is one of the best apps out there for voice calls, though video calls are great on it as well. Viber is actually one of the most popular apps out there when it comes to calling someone, at least in some regions around the globe. This app’s UI is kind of unique.
There is nothing extra special about it, but it just looks different to other similar apps. Much like WhatsApp, Viber will require your phone number in order to function. It is tied to a single device, which is its main negative. This app is also an instant messaging service, first and foremost. It does allow you to send images and videos to your friends and family, and so much more than that.
Facebook Messenger
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.99-$399.99
- Size: Varies with device
- Google Play rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular instant messaging services in the world. This app has tons of options and video calls is one of them. It’s a perfect app for Facebook users, but also those that want to use it without the main app. You can record voice and video messages in this app, while the video call feature is excellent. You can use Snapchat-like filters while in a video call, to change your appearance, add special effects, and so on.
It does support groups video calls as well, by the way. Facebook Messenger is, first and foremost, an instant messaging service, though. Therefore, it has a ton of additional options. It allows you to send images and videos to your friends, while you can also play some games via the app. Sending stickers, emojis, and GIFs is also possible, while you can also send money in some regions. The dark mode is supported, as is in many other apps on the list.
Discord
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $1.99-$274.94
- Size: 106MB
- Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
If you’re a gamer, chances are you’ve heard of Discord. This instant messaging app has been created for gamers in mind, and it’s different than any other app on the list. You can create various channels / communities on Discord to chat with your friends. Sending text messages, voice messages, or video messages is possible, as are video calls. You can chat over a video with whomever you want.
This app is also great for watching your friends stream games, for example, or you can gather up and have a drawing session with screen share. You can turn any image into your own custom emoji via the app, while the app offers custom moderation tools and permission levels. There are tons of options included here, everything a gamer may need in an app like Discord. The app is free, though in-app purchases are included. You’re not forced to get anything, though.
ICQ
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 127MB
- Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
ICQ probably brings fond memories to those a bit older amongst you. ICQ was once the king of IM (Instant Messaging) on PCs. It was one of the most popular IM apps alongside IM, and then came MSN Messenger back in the day. Some of you probably didn’t even know ICQ is still around. Well, not only is it around, but it’s quite great. You can download it via the Play Store for free.
If you still remember your login credentials, you can even log in with your old account. This app offers all the features you’d expect out of a modern instant messaging apps, and it looks great as well. On top of that, it supports both voice and video calls. You can conduct such calls one-on-one, or indulge in group calling, it’s up to you. Voice messages are also supported, video call masks, and more. ICQ is packed with features.
2021-12-16 15:06:39