In case you weren’t aware – and it seems some really aren’t – we’re not supposed to be socialising anymore. At least, not in person. In order to do our civic duty and be responsible, socialising is going to have to come in another form. Luckily, there are about 80,000 video conferencing tools to make that possible.
You might’ve only just got your head around conference calls with your boss, but with everyone and their grandmother (literally) using a different app for video calling we decided to break down the best things about each of them – and, more importantly, how to use them – so you can decide for yourself whether you want to Zoom, Skype or Houseparty with your friend and family.
So, get your pals onto it and plan your next after works drinks sesh.
A Guide To Video-Socialising This Weekend
1 of 4Zoom
Zoom is a very work-focused video conferencing tool, offering to 'empower your workforce' with different webinar software, conference rooms and chat services. This is a great one to call your boss on, but your mum might have a harder time celebrating 'wine o'clock' when you're invited her into a virtual conference room.
2 of 4Houseparty
The cool kids app, literally. Houseparty takes video calling that one step further with features to allow secret chats among group calls and much more.When you log into Houseparty, you're 'in the house' and can then be added into different rooms for different chats or ask people to join yours by sending a link through SMS text message. This one just SOUNDS more fun, and since we're all actually going to be sitting at home in our PJs wishing we could be at the pub, we need it.
3 of 4Skype
Probably the easiest video-chatting tool, Skype has been around so long it's potentially the easiest one for elderly relatives to get their head around. Not only can you video chat, you can call landlines or mobile phones around the world and send text messages.
4 of 4Google Hangouts
This app/Chrome extension allows you to call any phone number in the world and allows for status messages, videos and emojis to be sent in video or voice calls – group or individual. It strikes a healthy balance between feeling work-orientated and fun-orientated, so it's the best of both worlds if you fancy a one-size-fits-all tool.
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