How to Video Call Grandchildren

Video calling a grandchild comes down to one decision: which app does their family already use? If it is all iPhones and iPads, FaceTime is built in — open the app, tap New Call, type the person’s name or number, and tap FaceTime. If the family mixes iPhones and Android phones, WhatsApp works on both: open your chat with that person and tap the video call button. And if a grandchild emails you a Zoom link, you can click it and join from your browser without creating an account.

The Detailed Answer

There is no single “best” video calling app. The one that works is the one your grandchildren already have open on their phone, because they will answer it. So the first step is a text message or a phone call: Which do you use — FaceTime, WhatsApp or Zoom?

All three do the same basic job. You find the person, you tap a button, their face appears. What differs is which devices they run on and whether you need an account.

One note before the steps: app menus change with each update, and they look slightly different on an iPhone than on a Samsung or another Android phone. If a button is not exactly where this guide says, it is almost always within a tap or two of where it was.

If the whole family uses iPhones and iPads: FaceTime

FaceTime is already installed on iPhones and iPads, so there is nothing to download and nothing to sign up for. Apple’s iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 gives the steps plainly: go to the FaceTime app on your iPhone, tap New Call, then enter the name, number or email of the person you want to call. Tap FaceTime to start the video call.

There is a shortcut too. If you are already reading a text message from a grandchild, Apple’s guide notes you can tap the button at the top right of that conversation and then choose FaceTime Video.

The catch: FaceTime is an Apple-only app. If your grandchild has an Android phone, this is not the route for you.

If the family is mixed iPhone and Android: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is free and runs on both iPhone and Android, which makes it the common ground in most families. Once you both have it installed and your grandchild is saved in your contacts, WhatsApp’s own help page describes the move simply: open the individual chat with the contact you want to video call, then tap the video call button in that chat.

Two things worth knowing. WhatsApp says there is no auto-answer for video calls, so the other person always has to pick up — your call will never barge into their living room uninvited. And WhatsApp states you cannot reach emergency service numbers through it, such as 911 in the United States. Keep using your regular phone dialer for emergencies.

If someone sends you a link: Zoom

Zoom is the one families reach for when more than two households want to be on screen at once — a birthday, a holiday, a school recital rerun.

The easiest version is the link. In the meeting invitation, click the join link shown below “Join Zoom Meeting.” You can then launch the Zoom app, or click Join from your browser to join on the web instead. Zoom’s support article indicates a participant can join without an account.

If you have a meeting ID but no link, go to join.zoom.us, enter the meeting ID provided by the host, and click Join. And if the internet is giving you trouble, you can listen in by telephone: dial the phone number provided in the meeting invitation, then enter the meeting ID and passcode when prompted. You will hear everyone, though you will not see them.

Related Questions

What do I need before my first video call?

Three things: a phone or tablet with a working front camera, a Wi-Fi connection, and your grandchild saved in your contacts with the exact phone number or email they use for the app. Plug the device in or start with a good charge, because video uses more battery than a normal call. If you are still choosing a device, our Phones section covers screen size, loudness and hearing-aid compatibility, which all matter more on video calls than people expect.

Why can’t my grandchildren see or hear me?

Nine times out of ten it is one of three things: the microphone or camera is muted inside the app, the volume is turned down, or your thumb is resting over the lens. Look for the mute and camera buttons on screen and tap them once to turn them back on. If that fails, end the call, close the app completely and start again — a fresh start fixes more problems than any setting does.

How do I make video calls easier to see and hear?

Turn the volume all the way up before the call starts, and prop the phone or tablet on a stand or against a stack of books so your hands are free and the picture stays steady. Sit facing a window rather than with your back to one, so your face is lit instead of shadowed. Both iPhones and Android devices have text-size and display settings that make names and buttons bigger — worth setting once. Our Video Calls & Apps guides go further on the accessibility settings that help most.

Is it safe to accept a video call from a number I don’t recognize?

Treat an unexpected call the way you would an unexpected knock at the door: you do not have to answer. Consumer protection officials, including the Federal Trade Commission, have warned about family emergency scams, where a caller claims to be a grandchild in trouble and pressures you to send money right away, often by gift card or wire transfer. Hang up and call your grandchild back on the number you already have. And never give anyone remote access to your device, a password, or a verification code — no real family member and no real company will ask.

What to Do Next

Getting the first call out of the way is the whole battle. Here is a short plan that works.

1. Text or call one grandchild and ask which app they use. Let them pick; you are joining their habit, not starting a new one.
2. Install that app if you do not have it, and save their contact with the exact number or email they gave you.
3. Book a five-minute practice call at a time when nobody is rushed. Tell them it is a test. Nothing goes wrong on a call that everyone expects to be a test.
4. Write the three steps on an index card in your own words — “Open FaceTime, tap New Call, type Emma, tap FaceTime” — and keep it near where you sit. You will stop needing it after about the fourth call.
5. Pick a standing time, like Sunday at four. A regular slot beats a perfect setup, because the calls actually happen.

If the first attempt stalls, ask the grandchild to start the call instead and simply answer when the screen lights up. Answering is one tap, and it is a perfectly good place to begin.

Sources:

• Apple — Make FaceTime calls on iPhone (iPhone User Guide, iOS 27) — Supports the FaceTime steps: FaceTime app, New Call, enter name/number/email, tap FaceTime; and starting FaceTime Video from a Messages conversation.
• WhatsApp Help Center — How to make a 1:1 video call — Supports opening the individual chat and tapping the video call button, that there is no auto-answer for video calls, and that emergency numbers such as 911 are not reachable through WhatsApp.
• Zoom Support — Joining a meeting — Supports joining via the invite link, Join from your browser, join.zoom.us with a meeting ID, dialing in by phone with meeting ID and passcode, and joining without an account.
• Federal Trade Commission — consumer protection guidance on family emergency scams (see consumer.ftc.gov for current articles on imposter and family emergency scams) — Supports the warning about callers claiming a grandchild is in trouble and demanding fast payment by gift card or wire transfer.