How to use Viber on Android

When Viber was invented and launched, it was a free mobile app for iPhone. It quickly became popular, and versions for all platforms were implemented within two years. However, being a multi-platform product, it keeps its original form of a mobile app: it must be installed on a smartphone, and a Viber account must be registered to a phone number.

Android version of this product is, perhaps, the most widely used edition of this instant messenger, as Android takes the major share in the world market of mobile OS. However, if you prefer iOS devices, there is also a user guide for Viber on iPhones and iPads.

Below we'll offer a manual on how to use Viber app on Android smartphones and tablets.

Instruction on how to install the mobile app on Android devices

Get the app, it is available for free on this page. Download it on your mobile phone and install it.

Make sure that your Android device can accept calls and SMS at the moment. This way you will create a Viber account: your login is your phone number. Enter it and continue.

Then you will need to permit this app to make calls and get access to your contacts. It is necessary, as it uses your phone number and communicates with other contacts from your phone book.

The service will have to activate your account. For that, it will either call the registration number or send SMS with a digit code in it.

It defines the activation code automatically during the call, you don't need to accept it (this option is for Android telephones only). In case you didn't receive a call, you can request a text message with the code to be sent to you.

It will offer you to configure some initial settings, add your name, etc. You can accept that and proceed or set everything up later.

Viber can also be installed on Android tablets. In case your tablet has a SIM card of its own and supports phone calls, just do the same steps as described above and sign up from scratch.

Or you can install the app on an Android tablet and register it to the initial phone account — this way you will get the second instance of the product fully synchronized with the main version on your smartphone. It will have your contacts and chats history, so you can start your chat on one device and continue it on another one.

Download the app from Google Play and install it on your tablet. Then enter the phone number you used for the primary registration.

Viber will not use any digit codes to verify that Android tablet as a secondary device. It will generate the QR code instead, and you will need to scan it with the QR scanner in the primary app.

It should be open automatically on your smartphone, however, if not, you can activate it yourself: tap the More icon at the bottom-right corner of the application window and scroll the main menu down to QR code:

Scan the QR code shown on your tablet's screen with the built-in scanner of the app. That's all, your second Viber is activated for the same account. When you open this mobile app on your Android tablet, you will see the phone contacts and existing chats there.

Besides, similar approach is applied to the desktop computers: you can have the desktop application under one Viber account and work with it in the same way as you do with the mobile app. Though the interface is slightly different, and some minor options are not provided in the PC version, it supports main functionality of the product. Please refer to the illustrated manual on how to use Viber on PC for more information if you are interested.

Text chats in Viber on Android

This service can be considered to be some kind of a phone enhancement. For its users, it offers the option of exchanging instant messages instead of SMS (besides, you can add file attachments and emoticons) and the possibility to call your contacts directly. If both you and your counterpart have Viber accounts, you can make free audio and video calls. Just connect to the Internet and launch the app on your device to start a call.

Personal chats

In Calls section on your Android device, you'll see the list retrieved from your phone book. Viber checks if your contacts are also its users, if yes, then it will also group them separately. Thus, you can see both the full list of your contacts in the All section and those ones whom you can contact for free in the Viber section. To add a new contact, use the icon at the top-right corner.

To start a personal chat, choose a contact from the Viber list, tap on it to view details and communication options and choose Free Message:

Type the text into the bottom field and add emoticons to make your conversation brighter:

There are predefined smileys and free stickers, and you can also get more stickers, free or paid. Refer to the Sticker Market — tap the large icon next to smileys in the chat window or go to the main menu:

Sticker Market is available in mobile apps only. However, if you get additional free stickers or purchase paid ones in the app on your Android telephone, they will also be provided in the other editions of the product on tablets or PC.

You can send attachments together with the text messages in a chat. First, these can be pictures.

Tap the picture icon to send a saved image from the gallery on your smartphone. Or tap the camera icon to make an instant photo and send it right away.

To send other files in the chat, tap the three dots icon, it is used to perform the task in the Android app.

You can also delete messages in a chat — just tap and hold the definite texting fragment.

If it is your own message, you can delete it on your Android device, your recipient's device and on the server if the message is not delivered yet.

For someone else's text you can only delete them on your side, in your Android mobile app.

Group chats in Viber

You can talk to several contacts at once, there is the option for group chats.

To add new members to an existing chat, tap three dots at the top-right corner. Then select “Create a group with…” from the menu. Define new participants in the contact list (search for the name or a number if the list is too long to scroll it down). After that, tap the tick icon to confirm adding more counterparts to the chat.

Also, you can create a new group from scratch. In the Chats section, click the bubble at the bottom-right corner. Note that there are several options for group communication available: group and community.

If you only want to chat in a company of your friends and inform several people about something, then, perhaps, you should choose New Group. As for New Community, it provides much more means for managing participants and their rights in the conversation.

Please refer to the article about Viber groups and communities for the detailed illustrated manual on setting up.

Voice and video calls

You can communicate with other Viber accounts in real time, hear each other's voices and see each other, free of charge and with no time limitations. In case you need to call usual mobile and landline numbers, you can do it as well and use this app on your smartphone. However, this service is paid.

Let's have a closer look on how to use Viber on Android devices for free and paid calls.

Free calls with the Android app

Check the Viber section in Contacts, those are the people whom you can call for free. Select the person you wish to call and tap the contact to open more options. You can choose Free Call or Free Video Call.

Or, if you are already texting and would like to switch to a voice/video chat instead, use the handset or the camera icon in the chat window of the app.

Note that the quality of the service will depend on the quality of the Internet connection, so, if your bandwidth is not powerful enough, it might have problems with video support.

Paid calls with Viber

You can use Viber app on your Android smartphone to call a usual landline or mobile number, as your counterpart might not be able to connect to the Internet at the moment or might not use smartphones at all. There is a separate service providing connection between Viber and non-Viber numbers, access it from the main menu:

Like Skype, Viber also offers two types of payments: Credits and Subscription. By purchasing Credits, you get a certain amount on your balance to use it when you call only. It is the solution for occasional calls. If you need to make regular international calls, subscription will suit better — there you get a definite number of minutes for a month at a standard price.

Go to Viber Out in the main menu of your Android app to get more information on both the payment systems and rates for your destination. By default it will show you packages for your geographical location. However, if you are interested in a different region, just type the name of the country into the search field at the top of the window.

After the purchase, you can make calls using the mobile app on your smartphone instead of the traditional phone connection.

It helps to save money, especially if you need to call overseas, as the rates offered by this service can be significantly lower. Your credits or subscription are saved under your Viber account, you can use this feature on your Android phone/tablet or PC, it does not matter if they have SIM cards or phone connection.

Tap the contact to view the available options. You will need Viber Out Call (it will be the only calling option for your phone-only contacts).

It is available for the Viber contacts as well: just tap three-dots at the top-right corner, and you'll see it in the menu.

Also, you can dial the number directly in the Calls section of your Android mobile app, just tap the dial pad icon:

Making and sending voice messages with Viber

You might need to leave a message for someone who is offline at the moment. For this, you can type a text and send it or record a voice message. In both cases, the data will be saved on the dedicated servers encrypted and wait for your counterpart to be online again.

If you prefer a voice message instead of typing the text, here is how to use Viber app on Android device for this.

First of all, activate the option in a chat — slide the send icon to the right in the bottom field. It will be replaced by the microphone icon.

Tap that icon and hold it — the recording process will start automatically and will be active for as long as you are holding the icon.

As soon as you release the microphone, recording will be completed, and the voice message will be sent automatically. Pay attention to this if you use this app on an Android phone or tablet, as you may release the icon accidentally, and this will send the voice message while it is not completed yet.

However, you can delete it in the same way as any other message: tap it on the screen in your Viber app, hold and choose to Delete for everyone.

If you want to cancel the record, slide the icon to the left. Make sure NOT to release it!

Hope this tutorial on how to use the service on Android phones and tablets was helpful. Viber is an easy-to-operate and really useful product for instant messaging and calls via Internet, no wonder that it can be found on so many Android devices.