Are WhatsApp calls working in the UAE now? We tried it

Dubai: Amid reports of UAE residents being able to use the video, voice calling features on WhatsApp, we tried to find if there was any truth in the rumours.

We were successfully able to connect to our colleagues here at work. While the quality of the call was a bit patchy, we can attest to the fact that the video and voice feature worked.

Since we used the business WiFi, we had one of our readers try making calls from within a home WiFi connection which also worked.

What didn't work?

However, international calls don't seem to be working. We were only able to connect over WiFi, calling while on mobile data didn't work. Calling between two different WiFi networks also didn't work at the time of publishing this story.

Video, voice calling features on WhatsApp and Facebook are not available for use in the UAE while Skype calls work for business accounts only.

In the UAE, telecom providers have a list of apps for residents such as Botim, Voico etc. that can be used to make local and international calls over the internet based on subscription offers ranging between Dh50 and Dh100 for one month.

ToTok is a free app that many users reported being able to use seamlessly but the app is currently only available on Google Play Store. For iOS users, those who initially downloaded ToTok app from App Store can still use it but new users cannot download as the app was later removed and has not yet been reinstated.