During these times we know staying at home can be hard and seriously boring at times! Many of us are working from home, on furlough or even newly unemployed. A key to staying busy is routine, and part of your routine should be to catch up with friends and family.
To help you stay connected with loved ones we have compiled a list of free video calling apps.
Number 1 WhatsApp
Almost everyone uses WhatsApp on their phone. Making Whatsapp the easiest tool to use, there is no need to download another app and all of your contacts are at your fingertips instantaneously. Whats app also has conference call built in, making it great for a quick catch up with family in one group call. Many of our parents only have WhatsApp as a minimum so if they have a phone with a camera be sure to drop them a video call and see how they are doing. They will love being able to see your face!
Don’t have WhatsApp? Download the app here
Number 2 Zoom
Due to the lockdown lots of services are still running through zoom! Many people are providing home fitness, education and even offering entertainment. If your place of work needs a new professional video conferencing service then this could be the one for you! The basic tier offers free unlimited 1 to 1 meetings or if you have up to 100 participants the meetings last 40 minutes. This is not too much of an issue as you can start another call with the same meeting ID for people to join. It’s great for hosting an online pub quiz, joining a virtual dance party or holding a team meeting for your employees.
Don’t have Zoom? Download the app here
Number 3 Houseparty
Running out of how many ways to ask your friends what they have been doing at home all day? This is the app for you! You can now play popular games like Trivia and Heads Up through the interface whilst you are on a video call. Once you are friends with someone and are online they can call you immediately. Be careful though, if you forget to lock the room (the call) anyone on either person’s friends list can join the call. This is definitely one of the most entertaining apps during this time of self isolation.
Don’t have Houseparty? Download the app here
Number 4 Skype
The OG of video calling services. Great for video conferences as well as providing a messaging area. The interface is very user friendly and also allows you to record, save and share your video calls. A very unique feature this service is live subtitles; so if you know someone who is hard of hearing then this will be a very useful feature. Screen Sharing tends to be a requirement for conference calls with your team, which is another great feature that Skype offers.
Don’t have Skype? Download the app here
Number 5 GoogleDuo
This app is great for connecting with family. Another app that allows group calls, however they only allow a maximum of 8 people, One of the great features of the app is ‘Knock Knock’, this allows you to get a live video preview of the person calling you before the conversation has even begun! Another fun feature is the ability to leave someone a video message. This feature is great if they don’t pick up or if you have a friend or family member who is in a different time zone.
Don’t have GoogleDuo? Download the app here!
Be sure to check in on family and friends as much as you can. It is very easy for someone to feel alone and we hope these apps can help you stay connected. 🙂
Love AsianD8 x