We need to keep our sanity while we’re staying at home and we need to keep communicating and staying in touch with friends, family and work colleagues. It is essential that although we’re being asked to stay inside our houses, that we don’t lose touch with those that are important to us or our sanity.
We’ve put together a short list of some of our favourite apps to use during this period where we can’t communicate in person.
THE HOUSEPARTY APP
Houseparty is an app that allows you to have open door communication with all of your friends and family while you’re working from home – it even includes an open door policy in which you can leave your chat unlocked which allows others online to pop in for a chat if they feel like it. Or you can lock your room to have a private video chat with family.
It’s ideal for talking to all your friends and family at once and you can see them all at the same time, unlike some other apps available. An ideal app whether you want to have a virtual movie night with your partner or have drinks with your friends through the lens – this is a great app to maintain a social life from your own home.
You can also play games and quizzes with your friends in the app and while on video, giving you something else to do when you’re not sure what to say but not yet ready to get off of the phone.
MICROSOFT TEAMS
Originally created as way to let businesses communicate and allow people to have business meetings but recently it’s come into its own as being a communication platform for friends and families who have no other way to talk.
You can have several individual chats or one mass chat – it’s entirely up to you. It has a pretty simple interface and the chats are easy to navigate. With it’s own GIF and Emoji options in-chat, you can express emotions and feelings all in one place.
There is a video calling functionality which allows you to call people and see them on the screen. Although you can have more than 4 people in a call, you can only see 4 people at a time – this is usually decided by the ones who are talking or making the most noise.
ZOOM
Although it was originally created as a meeting space for work conference calls, it has become a lot more popular in recent weeks as people need to find new ways to stay in touch. The free version allows you to have 40-minute calls, whereas longer calls will need a subscription.
NETFLIX PARTY
Is a new Google extension that allows you to watch all your favourite TV shows on your Google chrome browser with your friends and talk like you used to! Though you can’t physically be in the same room and watch ‘Tiger King’ together, you can both watch it online and still dish about it like you would if you were in the same room.
A really great way to keep people doing what they used to do, albeit in a slightly different way. Download the extension.
Of course, these aren’t the only apps you can use to communicate with your friends and family, the list is endless with Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat and so on. It’s important you stay in touch with your friends and family virtually if you can’t do it face to face so pick your favourite app and get in touch with your loved ones. Not only will it help keep you sane, it will help you feel a little less alone and a little more connected.