How to Make Video Calls and Group Video Calls on Telegram

To make a video call on Telegram, open a private chat, tap the person's name to open their profile and choose Video Call; on a computer, click the phone icon at the top of the chat and turn your camera on. For several people, either add participants to an ongoing call to turn it into a group call, or start a video chat inside a group, where members join and switch on their cameras.

Telegram has three ways to see each other on video, and they work differently. This guide explains each one, step by step on Android, iPhone and Desktop, plus the privacy settings, quality tips and common problems.

The three kinds of video call

One-to-one video calls

A private call between you and one other person, started from your chat with them. Telegram says these calls are end-to-end encrypted, and both of you can check the encryption by comparing a set of emoji shown on screen.

Group calls (conference calls)

A call with several people that starts like a normal call. You can start a call and add more people, or share a link that lets others join. Telegram's FAQ describes turning any call into a group call with up to 200 participants. Our guide to Telegram conference calls covers this type in depth.

Video chats in groups and live streams in channels

A group can open a video chat that any member may join, like a room that stays open while people come and go. Channels can run live streams for subscribers. Members join with audio and can turn on their camera or share their screen if the admins allow it. These are built for communities rather than for private calls. Our guide to voice chats and live streams covers the community features such as scheduling, speaker management and streaming.

Which one should you use?

• Talking to one person: a one-to-one video call.
• A private call with a few friends, family or colleagues: start a call and add people, or share the call link.
• A meeting or hangout for an existing group: a video chat in that group.
• Presenting to an audience: a live stream in a channel or a video chat where only some people speak.

Before you start

1. Update Telegram on every device involved. Calling features change often and older versions may lack options described here.
2. Allow camera and microphone access. The first time you call, your phone or computer asks for permission. If you refused before, see the troubleshooting section.
3. Check the other person's call privacy. People can limit who may call them. If they only allow contacts, you need to be in their contacts.
4. Use a stable connection. Video uses much more data than audio. Wi-Fi is best; on mobile data, watch your allowance.
5. Headphones help. They stop your microphone picking up the other person's voice from your speaker, which causes echo.

How to make a one-to-one video call

Calling on Android

1. Open your private chat with the person.
2. Tap their name at the top to open their profile.
3. Tap Video Call (a camera icon). On some versions you can also tap the phone icon in the chat's top bar and choose video.
4. Wait for them to answer.

Calling on iPhone

1. Open the private chat.
2. Tap their name or picture at the top to open the profile.
3. Tap Video.
4. Wait for them to answer.

Calling on Telegram Desktop

1. Open the private chat.
2. Click the phone icon in the top bar to start a call.
3. Once connected, click the camera button to turn on video. Some versions offer a video call option directly.

What about Telegram Web?

Calling support in the browser depends on the web version and your browser. If you do not see a call button in Telegram Web, use the phone app or Telegram Desktop, which fully support calls.

Turning an audio call into video

You do not have to start with video. During a voice call, tap the camera button to switch your camera on. The other person sees your video and can switch theirs on too. Turning the camera off returns you to audio without ending the call.

Controls during a one-to-one call

The buttons vary a little by platform, but the main ones are the same:

• Camera on or off. Stop sending video at any time; the call continues as audio.
• Switch camera. On phones, flip between the front and back camera, useful for showing something.
• Mute. Stop sending sound.
• Speaker or audio output. Choose earpiece, speaker or connected headphones on phones; choose devices on computers.
• Screen sharing. Share your screen instead of your camera, on supported devices. See our guide to sharing your screen on Telegram.
• Minimise. Go back to your chats while the call continues; your phone may show the video in a small floating window.
• End call. Hang up.

Checking the encryption emoji

During a one-to-one call, Telegram shows a small set of emoji, often at the top of the screen. The other person sees a set too. If both sets match, the call's encryption keys match, which is evidence that nobody is sitting in the middle of the connection. To check:

1. Tap the emoji to see them larger, if your app allows it.
2. Read them aloud to each other, or compare on screen.
3. If they match, the encryption is working as intended.

Most people never need to check, but it is reassuring for sensitive conversations. Our guide to whether Telegram is end-to-end encrypted explains which parts of Telegram are encrypted this way and which are not.

How to make a group video call

Group calls start like ordinary calls and grow from there.

Adding people to a call

1. Start a call with one person as described above.
2. During the call, look for the option to add participants (often a person icon with a plus sign).
3. Choose the people you want to add.
4. They receive an incoming call and can join.

Starting a group call with a link

Recent versions let you create a call and share an invite link so people can join, which is useful when not everyone is in your contacts.

1. Look for the option to create a new call, usually in the Calls section (a tab on iPhone, or in the menu on Android) or the new message screen.
2. Create the call and copy its link.
3. Send the link to the people you want, in a chat or elsewhere.
4. They tap the link and join.

Anyone who has the link can try to join, so share it only with the people you intend to invite.

Turning video on in a group call

Each participant chooses whether to share their camera. Tap the camera button to start yours. On phones, the layout usually shows the active speaker large and others smaller; you can tap a participant to focus on them.

How many people can join

Telegram's FAQ describes group calls with up to 200 participants. The number who can share video at the same time may be lower than the total number of people in the call, and limits like these change. If someone cannot turn on their camera, the call may have reached its video limit; others can still listen and talk.

How to start a video chat in a group

A video chat belongs to a group rather than to a list of invited people. Any member can join while it is running.

Starting it on Android

1. Open the group.
2. Tap the group's name to open its info.
3. Open the menu (three dots) and choose the option to start a video chat (some versions call it a voice chat, since video is optional).
4. Choose whether to start now or schedule it.
5. Once you are in, tap the camera button to share video.

Starting it on iPhone

1. Open the group and tap its name.
2. Tap the option for a video chat or voice chat in the group's info screen.
3. Start it now or schedule it.
4. Turn on your camera inside the chat.

Starting it on Telegram Desktop

1. Open the group.
2. Click the video chat or voice chat icon in the top bar, or use the group's menu.
3. Start the chat and turn on your camera.

Who can start one

In most groups, starting a video chat is an admin right. If you do not see the option, you probably do not have it. Ask an admin to start one or to give you the permission. Our guide to adding admins shows how admin rights are set.

Joining a video chat

When a video chat is running, the group shows a bar at the top inviting members to join. Tap Join. You enter muted or unmuted depending on the admins' settings, and you can turn on your camera if allowed.

Managing participants as an admin

Admins can usually:

• Mute participants or let only certain people speak.
• Allow members to raise a hand to ask to speak.
• Invite people with a link.
• Record the chat. Participants are shown that recording is in progress.
• End the video chat for everyone.

These tools make video chats suitable for meetings, classes and community events. For bigger events, our guide on hosting an AMA on Telegram covers planning and moderation.

Choosing who you appear as

In group video chats and channel live streams, recent versions may let you choose how you appear when you join: as yourself, or as a channel you own. Look for a "join as" choice before joining or in the chat's menu. It is handy for creators who want to speak as their brand. Remember that the people in the chat can still see your camera if you turn it on, whatever name is shown.

A host checklist for a bigger video chat

1. Announce it in advance and schedule it so members get a reminder.
2. Decide the speaking rules: open microphones for a small chat, or muted by default with raised hands for a large one.
3. Pick a co-host, another admin who can mute or remove people if you lose connection.
4. Test your camera, microphone and screen sharing a few minutes before start time.
5. Say if you are recording, at the start and again for latecomers.
6. Post a short summary in the group afterwards, with any links mentioned during the call.

Scheduling a video chat

You can schedule a video chat for a future time. Members see a countdown and can choose to be notified when it starts. This is useful for regular community calls; announce it in the group a day before and again shortly before it begins.

Answering, missing and finding calls

Answering a video call

An incoming video call shows the caller's name and options to accept or decline. If you would rather not appear on camera straight away, accept the call and then switch your camera off, or check your device's incoming-call screen for an option to answer with audio first. You can always turn the camera on later in the call.

If you are signed in on several devices, a call may ring on more than one of them. Answer on the one you want to use; the others stop ringing.

Missed calls and call history

Missed and completed calls appear in your chat with that person as call entries, showing whether the call was video or audio and how long it lasted. A separate calls list collects them all: on iPhone it is the Calls tab at the bottom, on Android it is in the main menu. From the list you can call someone back with one tap.

To remove entries, delete them from the calls list or from the chat like any other message. Deleting a call entry only tidies your history; it does not affect the other person's record unless you choose to delete it for both.

Privacy and safety during a video call

Video shows far more than text: your face, your home, sometimes documents on the wall or on screen. A few points are worth keeping in mind.

The other side can record

Telegram can show participants when a group video chat is being recorded through Telegram's own feature. It cannot stop anyone recording a call with another device or with screen-recording software, and it does not tell you when that happens. Treat a video call like a conversation in a room with a camera that might be on.

Check your background before you share

Before turning your camera on, glance at what is behind you. Mail with your address, a whiteboard, a window with a recognisable view or family photos can all say more than you mean to. When sharing your screen, close other windows and turn off notifications so private messages do not pop up while others are watching.

Strangers and video

Scams that use video, from fake romantic contacts to fake "support agents", often push for a video call quickly to build trust, or try to record something they can use against you. Limit calls to contacts, decline calls from strangers and end any call that makes you uncomfortable. Our guide to blocking and restricting covers how to stop someone contacting you again.

Children and video calls

If a child uses Telegram, set calls to My Contacts or Nobody in Privacy and Security, and add only people the family knows. Group video chats in public groups can include anyone who joins the group, so check which groups the child is in.

Using Telegram video for small meetings

Telegram is not a dedicated meeting platform, but for small teams and communities it often does the job without asking anyone to install something new.

What works well

• Quick calls inside a team group, started as a video chat when someone needs to talk something through.
• Screen sharing for walking a colleague through a document or a bug.
• Scheduled community calls with a countdown and reminders.
• Recording a session so people in other time zones can catch up.

Things to plan for

• Agenda and notes live outside the call. Post them in the group before and after.
• Calendar invitations are not built in. Share the time in the group and use scheduled video chats for reminders.
• Large formal meetings with breakout rooms or registration may need other tools.

For a comparison of Telegram with workplace chat tools, see our guide to Telegram vs Slack for teams.

Privacy settings for calls

Telegram gives you control over who can call you and how your calls connect.

Who can call you

1. Open Settings, then Privacy and Security.
2. Tap Calls.
3. Choose Everybody, My Contacts or Nobody.
4. Add exceptions if you want: people who may always call, or never.

If you set Nobody, people who try to call you are told they cannot. Group video chats in groups you are a member of are separate: you choose whether to join them.

Peer-to-peer connections

On the same screen there is usually a setting for peer-to-peer calls. A peer-to-peer call connects your device directly to the other person's when possible, which can improve quality. The trade-off is that the other side can, in principle, learn your device's internet address. If you set peer-to-peer to Nobody or My Contacts, calls with others go through Telegram's servers instead, which hides your address from them, sometimes with slightly lower quality.

A sensible default for most people is to allow peer-to-peer with contacts only.

Calls from strangers

If you get unexpected video calls from people you do not know, do not answer. Restrict calls to your contacts and block the caller. Unsolicited calls are sometimes the first step of a scam; see our guide to Telegram romance scams for a common pattern.

Getting good video quality

Telegram adjusts video quality to your connection automatically, but a few habits make a big difference.

Connection

1. Use Wi-Fi where possible, and sit close to the router.
2. Close apps that are downloading or streaming in the background.
3. If video freezes, turn off your camera for a moment; audio needs much less bandwidth.

Light and framing

1. Face a window or a lamp, not have one behind you.
2. Put the camera at eye level; a laptop on a stack of books helps.
3. Keep the background simple.

Sound

1. Use headphones with a microphone to avoid echo.
2. Mute yourself when not speaking in group calls.
3. On computers, choose the correct microphone and camera in Telegram Desktop's call settings before the call.

Battery and data

Video calls use a lot of battery on phones. Plug in for long calls. On mobile data, keep calls short or audio-only if your allowance is limited; Telegram's data settings may also offer a way to use less data for calls. Our guide on how much data Telegram uses explains how calls compare to other activities.

Video calls on different devices

On phones

Phones are the most complete calling devices: front and back cameras, picture-in-picture while you use other apps, and full support for every call type.

On computers

Telegram Desktop supports one-to-one video calls, group calls and video chats, with screen sharing. You can pick your webcam and microphone in the call settings. It is often the most comfortable option for long meetings.

On tablets

The phone apps on tablets support calls in the same way. A tablet on a stand works well for family calls.

On TVs

Telegram is not designed for video calls on a TV. Our guide to using Telegram on a smart TV explains what is and is not possible there.

Worked examples

Example: a weekly family call

A family of five, each in a different city, wants a weekly video call. One person starts a call with a sibling and adds the others from the call screen. After a few weeks, they find a call link easier: the organiser creates a call, shares the link in the family group, and everyone joins at the agreed time.

Example: a study group

A study group of fifteen has a Telegram group. An admin schedules a video chat every Thursday evening. Members join from the bar at the top of the group; the person presenting shares their screen, and others raise hands to ask questions. The admin records the session so absent members can watch later, and tells everyone at the start that it is being recorded.

Example: a call with a seller

Someone buying an item from a stranger wants to see it on video before paying. They restrict incoming calls to contacts, then add the seller temporarily, make a short video call, and remove the contact afterwards. They keep in mind that a video call does not prove the seller is honest; our guide to spotting scams lists other checks.

Example: a call that keeps freezing

A video call on hotel Wi-Fi keeps freezing. Both people turn their cameras off for a minute and the audio stabilises. They switch one phone to mobile data and turn video back on; quality improves. The hotel network was the bottleneck.

Troubleshooting

The video call button is missing

1. Check you are in a private chat. Groups use video chats instead.
2. Update Telegram.
3. The other person may have restricted who can call them. You will usually see a message saying you cannot call them.
4. On Telegram Web, calling may not be available; use an app.

The other person cannot see me

1. Check that your camera is on in the call.
2. Check that Telegram has camera permission in your phone or computer settings.
3. Close other apps that might be using the camera, such as another video-call app.
4. On a computer, choose the right camera in Telegram's call settings.

I cannot hear anything, or they cannot hear me

1. Check mute on both sides.
2. Check the audio output: speaker, earpiece or headphones.
3. Check microphone permission for Telegram.
4. Disconnect Bluetooth devices you are not using; they can capture audio silently.

There is an echo

Echo usually means one person's speaker is feeding back into their own microphone. Ask everyone on speaker to put on headphones, or to lower the volume. In group calls, people who are not speaking should mute. If the echo comes from a laptop, try a headset or move the laptop away from walls and hard surfaces.

The call keeps dropping or never connects

Calls depend on your network and, sometimes, on the networks in between. Try another network, turn off a VPN to test, and check that the peer-to-peer setting is not causing trouble by changing it. Our guide to Telegram calls not working covers every cause in detail.

I cannot turn on my camera in a group video chat

The admins may only allow certain people to share video, or the chat may have reached the number of video streams it supports at once. Ask an admin.

Common mistakes

• Calling without checking privacy settings. If the other person only allows contacts to call, the call cannot go through.
• Speaker without headphones in a group call. Echo makes it hard for everyone.
• Sharing a call link in a public group. Anyone with it can try to join.
• Leaving the camera on during a bad connection. Turn it off to keep the call going.
• Answering video calls from strangers. Restrict calls and block unknown callers.
• Recording without telling people. Telegram shows recording to participants in video chats, but say it out loud too.

FAQ

Are Telegram video calls end-to-end encrypted?

Telegram says one-to-one calls are end-to-end encrypted, and you can compare the emoji shown on both screens to confirm the keys match. Telegram also describes its newer group calls as encrypted; check its FAQ for the details of each call type.

How many people can join a Telegram video call?

Telegram's FAQ describes group calls with up to 200 participants. Video chats in groups and live streams in channels are built for larger audiences. The number who can share video at the same time may be lower, and limits change, so check inside the app.

Can I video call someone who is not in my contacts?

Yes, if their privacy settings allow calls from everybody. If they only allow contacts, you cannot call them until they add you.

Can I use Telegram video calls on my computer?

Yes. Telegram Desktop supports one-to-one calls, group calls and video chats, including screen sharing.

Do video calls use a lot of data?

Video uses much more data than voice or text. Use Wi-Fi when you can, and switch to audio on limited mobile data.

Can I hide my IP address during calls?

Yes. Set the peer-to-peer option to Nobody, or to My Contacts for calls with strangers. Calls then go through Telegram's servers.

Summary

Telegram offers one-to-one video calls from a private chat's profile, group calls you build by adding people or sharing a link, and video chats that any member of a group can join. One-to-one calls show matching emoji that confirm their encryption. Control who can call you and whether calls connect peer-to-peer in Privacy and Security, use Wi-Fi and headphones for good quality, and turn off your camera if the connection struggles. For larger community events, video chats and channel live streams give admins the tools to manage speakers, schedules and recordings.