5 video chatting options to use while social distancing

Stay social while social distancing with these five video chat apps. From Facetime to Viber, you have options, compare them all and stay connected.

Communication is essential to all of our lives. Being able to communicate with people — from far away or while social distancing — greatly improves your life. However, talking to loved ones, attending a video conference or giving your friends a virtual tour of your new place has never been easier. You will feel like you are talking face-to-face with your people on the other end. There are so many options for you to pick, check out our favorite five people.

Facetime

If you want to chat with your large family or a group of friends, Facetime has you covered. It's most recent update allows you to chat with up to 32 people at the same time. The only hiccup with this is that your other contacts need to have an apple product.

  • Up to 32 people
  • Limited to Apple users

Houseparty

If you're not much of a talker but still want to see your friends and family, Houseparty is a great option for you. Houseparty is a face to face social app that allows you to choose from a handful of games to play with up to 8 people. The only thing you have to do is download the free app and create your user name. The app also notifies you when your other connections are playing, so you can join in on the fun.

  • Up to 8 people
  • Must download the app

Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger is an easy messaging alternative, as most people use Facebook daily. All you have to do is log into your account. From there, you can video chat with any of your connections. Also, its video calling feature has an option for you to add fun things to your screen and face as you interact on the call.

  • Up to 50 people
  • Users may experience connectivity issues

Skype

Skype is one of the oldest and most widely known apps for video calls. It's free to download and use it on any platform or device that connects to the internet. Calls between Skype users are no charge, but the complimentary service has a limitation of 10 hours a day, with a maximum of 4 hours per call. However, there are flat-fee plans with unlimited calls.

  • Up to 50 people
  • Use on any platform

Viber

One of the most lesser-known apps is Viber. It is available for free download on any device. The user interface is straightforward, allowing you to be able to use the app very easily. The biggest downside to this app is that it is only for one-to-one chatting and game playing.

  • One-to-one only
  • No group chatting option

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