FAQ

General Information

What can I do with ooVoo?

ooVoo offers free high quality video chat and instant messaging for PC, Mac, iOS and Android smartphone and tablets. With ooVoo you can talk face-to-face with your friends and chat live wherever you are and see up to 12 video windows with your friends at one time for FREE, and it comes with a lot of cool features like video chat recording and sending video messages. If your friends are not on ooVoo, you can connect with them via Facebook, Twitter or email. It's simple! Just send your personal web link and bring your social network to life - video call with all your friends no matter where they are.

Why should I use it?

Because seeing is believing and an important part of our face-to-face communications has to do with body language and without out it you are really missing out.

ooVoo is a great way to connect with friends, family, and colleagues using high quality live video. Organize a family get-together, make a powerful impression or just heckle your friends during a sporting event. It's easy, innovative, and best of all, FREE!

Is ooVoo free to use?

Yes, you can use ooVoo for free to video chat with up to 12 friends, send video messages, record calls, text chat, send files and more. Premium features such as screen sharing and blocking advertisements require an ooVoo Plan. Dialing landlines or mobile numbers require the purchase of ooVoo credits.

Can a friend video chat with me from a browser?

Sure! If you are using ooVoo on a PC, just double-click on 'Web Call' in the ooVoo contact list (or use the 'Send web video call link' option from a Mac). You can send your link using an instant messenger, Facebook or via email. When your friend clicks on the link, you will receive a notification to answer the call.

What do I need to use ooVoo?

To video chat with your friends on a PC or Mac, all you need is a webcam, microphone, and speakers. For more information check out this store where you can purchase a webcam or headset. For your friends to see and hear you on video chat, a broadband internet connection is required. For more information see the necessary equipment FAQ . You can use ooVoo on the best selling smartphones and tablets running on Android and iOS. For a fast and easy way to make a video call with ooVoo, directly from your browser - Now you can video chat via the web or Facebook, no download needed (you may want to download anyway, to get all the awesome features ooVoo offers).

Is ooVoo available for my iPhone, Android device, PC and Mac?

Yes, you can use ooVoo seamlessly across platforms whether you have a PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, supported Android smartphone or tablet. The PC and Mac versions are available from the Download page, and our mobile apps are available on Google Play and the App Store.

Can I use ooVoo for my business?

Yes, ooVoo is a great business tool. Research shows that video increases audience attention and builds speaker credibility while improving collaboration and decision-making in a business environment. Video makes information easier to understand, reduces meeting fatigue, and can reduce cost of travel. Use it to video conference with remote offices, board meetings and to make a powerful impact with clients. To get the most out of ooVoo for your business, consider purchasing an ooVoo Plan which offers screen sharing and blocks advertisements. Dialing landlines or mobile numbers require the purchase of ooVoo credits.

I was asked for my email, what do you do with it?

Email is kept private and we do not sell, rent or disclose your email address to other companies. Only ooVoo will communicate you. Make sure you enter a correct email because:

If you forget your password, it's the only way we can send it to you.
Your friends that know your email address can use it to search for you.
You can choose to receive email notifications when you receive new video messages.

See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Can I report a user who is harassing me?

Yes, we want all our users to feel safe on ooVoo and we added an option to report abuse in the PC application by right-clicking on the user during a video call. We want you to have fun but please be wise and use good judgment!

Can I block a contact from contacting me?

Yes, you can easily block ooVoo contacts on PC, Mac, Android and iOS applications. It is not possible to block Facebook friends from the ooVoo application but they can be removed in Facebook.

On a PC or Mac, right-click on the contact and select the Block option. On mobile, tap the contact�s information icon, press the menu button and tap the Block option.

Are there any privacy settings?

Yes, ooVoo wants you to feel safe and has privacy settings. On a PC or Mac, select �Settings� from the �ooVoo� or �File� menu and click �Privacy�. On mobile, tap �Settings� and then tap �Application Settings�. Please click here to browse our dedicated Security and Privacy issues knowledge base section for more information.

Using ooVoo with Facebook

Can I have a video call with Facebook friends even if they didn't install ooVoo?

ooVoo has a web based Facebook App which lets you invite up to 12 Facebook friends to a video call! Just click on the Video call icon that appears next to the Facebook contact. If you want to take advantage of more great features, we recommend installing ooVoo for desktop or mobile (iOS and Android).

Is it possible to link my ooVoo account with my Facebook account?

Yes, you can easily communicate with both your ooVoo and Facebook contacts from the PC and mobile applications. If you are logged into your ooVoo account, connect with Facebook and your account will be linked automatically enabling you to communicate with your friends on ooVoo and Facebook.

How can I unlink Facebook from my ooVoo account?

You can unlink the accounts by selecting 'Unlink from Facebook' from the 'ooVoo' menu in the PC application. On mobile you can unlink your account from the Settings page.

Can I text chat with a Facebook friend from ooVoo?

Yes, you can send instant messages from ooVoo to a Facebook friend. Just click on the text chat icon that appears next to the Facebook contact. Please note that it is limited to one-on-one text chat with Facebook users. To text chat with 12 friends, you can install ooVoo for desktop and mobile.

Do I have to login to ooVoo with my Facebook account in order to connect with my Facebook friends?

No, if you login with an existing ooVoo account, you can click the 'Connect' button which appears at the top of your ooVoo contact list. This will display your Facebook friends in your ooVoo contact list.

Is there a difference between signing in with my Facebook account and my ooVoo ID?

No, the same functionality exists regardless of how you choose to login. If you have an existing ooVoo account, we recommend linking the 2 accounts in order to be able to communicate your existing ooVoo contacts. Some capabilities such as blocking Facebook contacts are not available because they belong to your Facebook account.

Facebook is asking to allow access to information. What does ooVoo do with this information?

ooVoo is bringing your social network to life. Now you can see all your Facebook friends on ooVoo and you can video chat or text chat with them for FREE. To do this, first you will need to connect your Facebook account upon login. For a better experience and so that you connect with your Facebook friends, ooVoo will access Facebook data: profile information, your list of friends, online presence (so your friends will know you're available) and access to Facebook text chat (so your friends can chat with you). Your birthday and gender may be used anonymously to display advertising banners geared for your age group and gender. Your email address will be used in order for ooVoo to contact you, such as for password recovery. Your privacy is important for us and ooVoo will not share your personal details.

Once you sign in with Facebook, your ooVoo profile will be automatically created using your Facebook display picture and your ooVoo contact list will be populated with your Facebook friends. It's simple and it makes it easy for you to see all your friends, Facebook or ooVoo, in one place. Connect with them instantly!

ooVoo on your mobile device

Which smartphone and tablets work with ooVoo?

ooVoo supports most iOS devices and over 300 Android devices. Click here to see if your device is supported. Our app is available for download from Google Play and the App Store.

Do I need separate accounts for my computer and my mobile phone?

No, we've built ooVoo so that with one account, you can access your ooVoo contact list from any place you sign in. You can also connect with Facebook even if you don't have an ooVoo account.

What networks does ooVoo mobile work on?

ooVoo works over 3G, and 4G networks. When you experience low network quality or slow connection speed, switch to Wi-Fi for a better experience!

Can I use ooVoo on my mobile device to call an ooVoo desktop user?

Yes, you can invite your friends and family to join ooVoo and video chat with you anytime you want. It doesn't matter if you are on a PC, Mac or supported smartphone or tablet.

Why can't I see my friends when I call them?

There are a couple of reasons why you may be having trouble starting a video chat.

Low network bandwidth - you need a minimum of 180 kbps to view one friend and an additional 130 Kbs for each additional person you bring on the call. Click here for more information. If it is less than that you may have issues with video and/or audio. Try connecting to a Wi-Fi network!
You or your friend may be on an unsupported device - if you've downloaded the ooVoo app on an unsupported device, you may have issues with video and audio.
If you continue to experience this issue, please contact customer support for more help: mobilesupport@ooVoo.com

Will my mobile provider charge me to use ooVoo?

You can use ooVoo for free on WiFi networks or within the framework of your data package.

How do I contact ooVoo for support?

Visit our Customer Support Center section on our website to search our extensive knowledgebase or submit a ticket or email: mobilesupport@ooVoo.com - we're glad to help you in any way we can.

What you can do with ooVoo

How can I know that I have missed calls or received video messages and files?

If you missed a call or received video messages or files, an icon will appear in the bottom-left corner of the main ooVoo PC application window. Click on the icon to see what you missed or select 'History' from the 'ooVoo' menu to open event history. On mobile, the missed calls appear in the 'History' page and on Mac they appear in a toolbar in the main application window.

Can I call phone numbers from anywhere in the world?

Yes, you can call landlines and mobile numbers in over 70 countries by using ooVoo Credit.

How can I see the amount of credits available in my account?

Click on the dial pad that appears in the bottom-right corner of your contact list. The remaining amount of credits is displayed in the window. On a Mac the information appears in the 'Phone' tab. For mobile devices go to 'My account' from the website.

Can I make video calls in HD?

With the right computer, webcam and internet speed, you can see amazingly clear and crisp video calls in HD or High Resolution. The latest version of ooVoo supports HD quality video (720p) or High Resolution (480p).

To make an HD call over ooVoo you need:

The latest version of ooVoo for Windows
A high speed broadband connection of 1.5 Mbps or higher
An HD webcam
Computer with a dual core 1.8 GHz processor

Can I record an ooVoo call?

Yes, you can record your video chats using the PC and Mac applications and store them online or upload them to YouTube. You can become a hit on ooVoo! Make sure to ask for friend's permission before you start recording your video chat.

Can I save a recorded conversation and upload it to a website?

Yes, you can save the recording in an AVI or FLV format and upload it to YouTube or to other websites for free. If you want to store your video call using the PC application on an ooVoo server which can be accessed from a browser link, you need to buy a monthly plan.

Can I invite friends from my social networks and email applications?

Yes, you can easily invite friends from Twitter, E-Mail accounts and popular social IMs. All you have to do is sign in with your credentials, find the friends that you want to invite, and then send them a link to video chat. If you sign in to ooVoo using Facebook, all your Facebook friends will appear automatically in your contact list. If they're not on ooVoo, send them a link to join you. It's really that simple.

Can I import phone contacts Microsoft Outlook?

Yes, from the PC application, click 'Import phone numbers' from the 'Contacts' menu and click 'Import'.

How can I use video messages?

Need to talk to someone who is not online or is online but busy? No problem. Use ooVoo's PC application to easily create and send video messages. Video messaging is an exciting way to reach out to your contacts when they are unavailable or you just want to send a quick message: "Hey guys, big game tonight, big screen, snacks and drinks at my house!"

Can I send a video message to more than one person?

Yes. You can record a message using the PC application once and send it to as many contacts as you want! You can even send it to people who don't have ooVoo yet.

Does my friend need ooVoo to view a video message?

No, the video message can be sent to your friend's e-mail and s/he can view it without having ooVoo installed.

How can I increase my microphone volume so people can hear me better?

During a video call your microphone volume will be adjusted automatically and call participants can adjust their speaker volume during the call. However, if you need to adjust your PC microphone volume manually, simply select the Microphone drop-down arrow, deselect the auto-adjust setting and move the slider to adjust your volume. For smart phones, simply use the phone's volume buttons.

How can I increase my speaker volume so I can hear better?

Use the speaker volume slider in the ooVoo video call window or press the volume buttons on your mobile device.

Can I mute my video during a call?

Yes, on the PC and Mac applications, just click the 'Stop Camera' icon that appears in the bottom of the video call window anytime you want to stop sending your live video; your ooVoo display photo will appear.

How can I mute myself during a call?

If you are in the middle of a call and your roommate barges in to relay highlights from last night's exploits, click 'Mute Microphone' in the ooVoo video conversation window.

I've installed ooVoo but have no one to talk to, what should I do?

ooVoo has made it easy to connect with your Facebook friends. Just sign in with Facebook and your friends will automatically appear in your contact list. You can easily video chat or text chat with them. Ask them to join you on ooVoo! You can also add friends by using the friend finder. Invite friends from Twitter, Outlook, Hotmail, Gmail, AOL Mail, and other popular social IMs. You can also search the ooVoo directory. ooVoo is free, so share it with everyone you know.

How can I add a Call Me button in my Microsoft Outlook e-mail signature?

Click the Call Me Button. Enter your email, ooVoo ID and password or sign in using your Facebook account. Select a button. Click 'Save HTML' and attach this file to your signature.

Microsoft Outlook 2003: Select 'Options' from the 'Tools' menu. Click the 'Mail format' tab and click 'Signatures'. Click 'New'. Select the 'Use this file as a template' option and select your Call Me Button signature HTML file which you just saved.

Microsoft Outlook 2007:Open the saved signature HTML file using a web browser. Press Ctrl + A keys to select the button and then press Ctrl + C keys to copy it. Select 'Options' from the 'Tools' menu, click the 'Mail format' tab and click the 'Signatures' button. Create a new signature or edit an existing one. Right-click in the 'Edit Signature' area and select 'Paste'. Click OK.

Microsoft Outlook 2010: Open the saved signature HTML file using a web browser. Press Ctrl + A keys to select the button and then press Ctrl + C keys to copy it. Select 'Options' from the 'File' menu. Click the 'Mail' tab and click 'Signatures'. Create a new signature or edit an existing one. Right-click in the 'Edit Signature' area and select 'Paste Options'. Click on the left icon (to keep the source formatting). Click OK.

Can I share my desktop?

Screen sharing is available for PC and Mac users by purchasing an ooVoo plan. On a mobile device it's not possible to view a shared desktop.

Where can I update my personal details?

You can easily update your personal details on your PC or Mac by right-clicking on your display picture and selecting the option to edit your card. You can edit your personal details on Android and iOS applications from the Settings page.

Account Maintenance

How can I retrieve my password or ooVoo ID?

Simply click 'Forgot your password or ID' from the login page, enter the same e-mail address you registered with (or your ooVoo ID). You should receive an email with your account details within a few minutes.

How do I change my credit card information?

If you own a plan that renews every month, sign into your ooVoo account, select the 'Billing Profile' tab and update your credit card details

Equipment

What equipment do I need to use ooVoo?

You can use ooVoo on a PC, Mac, iOS and Android device.

The hardware requirements are:

PC: Pentium 4 2.6Ghz with 1GB of RAM, webcam, microphone and speakers, Microsoft Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.

Mac: Intel Macs with 1GB of RAM, Mac-compatible webcam, microphone and speakers, Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6.x) and later.

Smartphones and tablets: ooVoo is supported on the iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4, iPod Touch (4th generation), iPad 1 (voice only), iPad 2, the new iPad and most Android devices (OS version 2.2 and up) with a front camera.

You need a broadband Internet connection in order to send your video and to be able to see your friends. Click here for more information for bandwidth requirements.

Do I need to have a webcam?

You can participate in ooVoo calls without a camera but we highly recommend that you use one in order to fully experience ooVoo. You can purchase a webcam or headset at the ooVoo Store.

Do I need to have a headset?

No, you can speak using a microphone and speakers but we highly recommend that you use a headset to avoid background noise.

What if I'm behind a firewall or a NAT?

Firewalls and NATs are security devices (sometimes used at work or home offices) that can make it difficult to login or send sound and video directly over the internet. ooVoo is able to bypass most of these devices. If you have a problem connecting through your firewall, click here to check our support knowledgebase for more information or click here to contact our support team.

ooVoo Store

What is the ooVoo Store?

Our online Store is the place where you will find great choices for webcams and headsets that you can use with ooVoo. Orders that are placed in the ooVoo Store are serviced and fulfilled by Amazon.com and its partners.

How do I return something?

All orders placed with the ooVoo Store are serviced and fulfilled by Amazon.com and its partners. If you have problems with your order or would like to return your items, please follow the instructions included with your package.