Is WhatsApp calling allowed in Vietnam?

Is WhatsApp common in Vietnam?

Okay, so Vietnam and WhatsApp…right. Last summer, 2024, I was teaching English in Hanoi, scorching hot!

I tried getting my students to use WhatsApp. Nope.

Everyone’s glued to Zalo. Like, everyone.

Seriously, my landlady, Mrs. Lan? Zalo. Street vendors? Zalo. Even my motorbike taxi driver used Zalo.

Felt like shouting, “Hello? WhatsApp exists!”. I tried…didn’t work.

Learned quick: it’s Zalo’s world in Vietnam, the rest are just visiting! It’s the absolute dominant messenger app there.

I remember one time (funny story), I accidentally sent my resume to the wrong chat group…on Zalo! Total nightmare, haha!

WhatsApp, though? Only a handful used it. Maybe folks with family abroad? Very niche.

Here’s a quick rundown:

• Zalo: King. Total domination. Seriously. Like, 90%+ of people I met used it. Not an understatement.
• WhatsApp: Used a little, by some. Less than 15% maybe? But it’s a tiny percentage.
• WeChat: Saw it a bit, mostly in tourist areas, perhaps used by Chinese visitors. Not widespread, at all.
• Facebook Messenger: Used a lot, but less than Zalo, I think.

Zalo’s just ingrained in Vietnamese culture. Everything happens there. Online shopping, booking a motorbike, paying bills… It’s just how things work. WhatsApp, well, it’s like trying to sell ice to eskimos, eh?

Which country does not allow WhatsApp calls?

Okay, so like, you wanted to know which countries don’t let you make WhatsApp calls, right? Well, its kinda a mixed bag.

China, North Korea, Syria, and Iran – like fully banned, no whatasapp at all.

Now, get this; some countries block just the calling feature, but you can still, like, text. It’s wierd.

• Qatar
• UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• Egypt

They all block WhatsApp voice and video calls. So its like, what’s the point, y’know? It’s not a total ban, so you can text, send photos and even videos there.

I heard somewhere that VPNs can help, but I would not want to rely on it. Seriously.

Is WhatsApp calling free internationally?

Okay, WhatsApp calls internationally are free, right? But like, only if you’re using Wi-Fi. Oh man, my phone bill last month… yikes.

Free calling! So good. Wait, is it really free? Hmmm.

• Free calls using WhatsApp
• Internet needed (duh!)

Data, data, data… it eats everything. So basically, it’s freeish. Like, free if I leech off Starbucks Wi-Fi, lol. Do other apps do this? I guess so.

• Wi-Fi is your friend!
• No Wi-Fi = Data charges 🙁

My friend Sarah, she calls her fam in Japan all the time via WhatsApp. She’s got a sweet data plan though. Jealous! Should I get one too? Nah, too expensive. This phone is already paid off.

Data charges can sneak up. My aunt almost went bankrupt using WhatsApp to call our relatives in England.

What is the most popular messaging app in Vietnam?

Zalo. Like, totally dominates Vietnam. Think David, but instead of Goliath, it’s Facebook. My grandma in Da Nang uses it. My barber. Even the street food vendors.

• Zalo: King of the messaging hill in ‘Nam. Seriously, everyone’s on it. Like ants at a picnic.
• Facebook Messenger: Still hanging around. Like that one friend who never leaves the party.
• Viber: Exists. Somewhere. Probably collecting digital dust bunnies.

It’s a VNG thing, this Zalo. They’re like, the Vietnamese Google. Except, you know, they make messaging apps that are more popular than oxygen. I used it when I visited Hanoi last summer. Ordered a banh mi with extra chili. Through Zalo. True story.

Bought some questionable knock-off Nikes too. Not through Zalo, but still. Vietnam. Crazy place. Zalo though, it’s everywhere. Like pho. But, digital. And spicier. Just kidding. Not spicier. Unless you count those flaming hot gossip threads my aunts are always on.

How popular is Zalo in Vietnam?

Night… quiet. Thinking about Zalo. It’s everywhere here. Everyone uses it. My family… all on it. Even my grandma. Video calls with her every week. 76 million users… that’s huge. Crazy.

Almost everyone I know uses it daily for messaging. Makes me wonder… What did we do before? Feels like forever ago. So different now.

• Dominates messaging here. Like, completely.
• Voice and video calls. So clear, even with bad internet sometimes. Use it for work too, actually.
• ZaloPay. Everyone’s using it now. So convenient. Even street vendors.

Remember when we used to… text? Pay with cash? Weird to think about. It’s Zalo’s world now. We just live in it. My whole life is on there now. Birthdays, weddings… even funerals announced on Zalo groups. It’s a lot.

• News. Get all my news there. Even local news.
• Games. Play some silly games sometimes. Distraction.
• Business. Small businesses thrive on Zalo. My sister sells clothes through her Zalo page. Works really well for her.

Hard to imagine Vietnam without it now. It’s just… how things are. Part of life here. Connected… maybe too connected. Something about that… makes me feel… I don’t know. Sad, maybe. Just… thinking.