The best tools for video calls
The unusual times we’re living in mean that we can’t get together. That’s a shame, but fortunately with the good internet connections in the United Kingdom we can still stay in touch with family and friends. Video calls are the perfect way to do that!
During the current situation, many of our users can’t give each other gifts in person. That’s why we now have the option of adding a postal address when you draw names. Send your gift to the person whose name you’ve drawn and organise a video party to unpack the gifts together!
To help you do that, we’ve looked at the best tools for video calls. You may well already have a handy app on your phone or computer!
Nearly everyone has WhatsApp on their phone to send people free texts. But did you know that it’s also easy to use WhatsApp for a video chat with a group of up to 4 people? Make sure you use Wi-Fi for your WhatsApp video call, otherwise you’ll soon use up all your mobile data. Look here at how easy it is to start a WhatsApp video call.
Zoom
Zoom is a service for holding video calls, meetings and conferencing with large groups. You don’t have to download Zoom separately as it will work immediately through a modern browser. There has been some negative publicity about Zoom recently. So we would advise you to check your privacy settings before you use Zoom for a video party.
Jitsi
Jitsi is a free service that’s easy to use for video calls without signing up for an account. Even though Jitsi is less well known, its video and audio are just as good quality as the more popular services. Jitsi is open source software, so it works very transparently and puts privacy first. You can use the program via your browser whenever you want to start your video party. You can also download the app on your phone.
Discord
Discord is a free chat service that is normally used for gaming. But the Discord functions also make it very suitable for having video calls with a group of people. You can easily share your screen or send each other some great GIFs through the chat. You don’t even have to download the program – simply start a video call with Discord via your browser!
FaceTime
Do you have an iPhone, iPad or MacBook? Then you can use FaceTime. It is a free app that is standard on all Apple devices. FaceTime also has a unique function called Memojis. These are animated emojis that use your face and expressions during the video call. You can create your own Memoji and use it in a video chat. Have a look at how FaceTime group calls work.
Skype and Microsoft Teams
Skype was one of the first programs to give you the opportunity to have free video calls. Most people have heard of Skype, but did you know that you can use Skype to call Microsoft Teams and the other way round? Microsoft Teams is becoming more and more popular because it is used by a lot of businesses. As many people are now working from home, there’s a good chance that you are already using Microsoft Teams through your employer. Read more about what you can do with Skype and Microsoft Teams.
Take care and stay safe in these unusual times! Keep in touch, but keep your distance of course! #StayHome