5 best group video apps to avoid isolation

Here are the top 5 apps you can use to stay in contact with your friends and loved ones depending on your situation and preferred app technology:

For the Facebook users – Facebook messenger 

If you and your friends regularly use Facebook as your mode of messaging, want a face-to-face chat and don’t want to use FaceTime, then Facebook messenger is the way to go. It’s free and you can call up to 8 people simultaneously or up to 50 people if they’re all in a group chat and you don’t need a phone number. There are even fun filters on the iOS or Android apps, with Facebook Portal or via the website. 

For the Instagram users – Instagram Direct 

Not just for taking amazing photos, you can also have video chats on the Instagram Direct platform. A maximum of 6 people can call in at one time without the need for a phone number. You can also minimise your chat screen and keep scrolling through your feed, see when there’s a live video in a group thread and easily block or mute people if you no longer want to hear from someone.

For the international calls – Skype 

Skype is free and is probably the best app if you have friends and family living abroad that you want to call. You can have HD quality video chats with up to 50 people, you can also send texts and voice messages, it even provides subtitles and calls are end-to-end encrypted for added security. Available on iOS and Android, Alexa and on your desktop. 

Best for Gamers – Discord 

Want to talk to your friends whilst gaming together? Well Discord may be the app for you. You can text, send voice-notes or video chat on a custom server with up to 8 of your friends. You can even create custom emojis, assign member roles and make VIP channels. You can download it onto your desktop or iOS and Android. 

Best for big groups – Marco Polo 

Really good for large groups, you can use Marco Polo for groups of up to 200 people. Even if you and your friends schedules don’t match up and they’re not free in that moment, you can still call them and send them a video message. They can then reply you with a video when they’re next free. There are also fun voice filters and doodle settings you can play with.

As with all online platforms, you should do your research before using them and you should always aim to stay safe when online.

Here’s more information on how to stay safe when networking online.