How much do calls cost on WhatsApp?

In theory, the WhatsApp connection service is free, but not the data it consumes. If you are in a cafe using Wi-Fi, there are no costs involved other than the espresso you ordered. However, if you are using your own data plan, you will actually spend good money making or receiving calls through WhatsApp. In the article below, we show how much of your plan WhatsApp calls service consumes, and how much you spend on it.

How we got our results

Here's the methodology of our test: We made a series of calls through WhatsApp and monitored data consumption with two tools: the numbers given by the Android system itself and a data-spending app called Data Monitor. We provide both results below and average the various calls made.

We will not provide a concrete value in Reais in this test because each plan is different. The media we got, however, shows whether it is worth starting to use WhatsApp to make connections or whether to continue using the traditional method. Another thing to keep in mind is the scarcity of plans with unlimited data and the much larger offer of packages with many minutes of free conversations.

AndroidPIT WhatsApp voice calls call log outgoing
Our tests have shown that WhatsApp is only worth using if you are on the Wi-Fi network. / ANDROIDPIT

The results

Our calls lasted six minutes and the tests were done with 4G network. Data consumption varied widely, but the average results were similar to other tests already done on specialized websites. Data Monitor produced results ranging from 800 KB to 1.3 MB, with an average of 960 KB per minute. The Android system gave us a lower average of 600 KB per minute.

Even if we average these two results, it's pretty clear that something like 800 KB per minute for calls is too high. Therefore, normal connections should not be replaced with connections via WhatsApp, as the cost will be higher. For now, at least, they should be restricted even to how much you use a Wi-Fi network.

whatsapp calls activate
Receiving calls through WhatsApp will also consume your data. / ANDROIDPIT

How to know how much WhatsApp calls cost you

You can also do your own testing to see how much WhatsApp connections cost to your connection and device. Each package different, as well as network speed and other factors. That way you can easily replicate our test and make your own cost analysis.

1. First, good to test the speed of your network. Install Ookla Speed ​​Test on your smartphone and do various tests during different times of the day, both indoors and outdoors, to get an average speed of your connection. Of course, do not forget to test data consumption, not the speed of Wi-Fi.




Speedtest.net
Install on Google Play

* To give you an idea, these are the maximum speeds for various networks in use today:

AndroidPIT MobileBitRates
Maximum speeds for various current networks (in kbit / s). / Wikimedia Commons

2. Then install an application to measure individual application data volumes. We use the data monitor.




Data Monitor
Install on Google Play

3 Now you need to make a series of test calls. In theory, they should be identical, especially with regard to duration. The best call from where you would usually make calls is to get results closer to reality.

4 Whenever you make a call, check out your data tracking app and write down the results.

5 Similarly, go to the Android settings and note how much data the system indicated was transmitted. This will help to average the results. To do this, go to "Settings> Data Usage" and write down or take a screenshot of WhatsApp data immediately before and after making each call.

6 Once you have written down all the numbers, average all the results and you will find a consumption of KB / minute.

7 Finally, take a look at your carrier's package to find out how much each MB costs you. This makes it easy to find out how much on average a connection made by WhatsApp costs you, both in data consumption and in Reais for your particular plan.

How much does the connection time for WhatsApp cost you?

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