Video Calling is rapidly changing the direction of socialization. Plus, the pandemic imperatives for social distancing and video calls are great for catching up with everyone. Although there are many applications for making video calls, it is quite difficult to choose one that meets your needs.
The apps we recommend can be used for personal and professional purposes to host quick group video calls. If you’re looking to host a video conference for a large, but limited crowd, consider options accordingly. Of course, you should consider everyone’s availability and not limit yourself to using FaceTime.
In this post, we’re going to cover the five best group video conferencing apps for connecting with friends, family, and people in the office so that none of them are limited to one platform. Lets start.
1. WhatsApp
We will start this list with WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging apps of all time. Billions of people are already using it, so it shouldn’t be too hard to try. Of course, the most basic requirement is to know the phone number of the person you want to call.
One of the ways to start a group video call is to call a person and then add other people to the same call. Alternatively, you can press the video call button icon in the group chat and then select the members you want to add to the video call. While this all sounds good, WhatsApp only allows up to four people on a video call. It also uses the least amount of data possible. So, don’t rely too much on the overall quality of the video call.
In short, it’s great to hang out with friends or family. So yes, WhatsApp is great for connecting with people. But don’t plan to use it to show some content or something that needs good quality.
WhatsApp is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Web.
2. Google Duo
Google Duo comes pre-installed on many Android phones. After adding your Google account, it only takes a few seconds to set up. Duo offers much better video quality compared to WhatsApp.
You can even create private groups to make video calls. Currently, Google Duo can support up to 12 people in a group video call. This may be good enough to discuss with your friends, family and relatives. He should also try to communicate with a small team. One of the best parts is that Duo offers a simple and no-nonsense interface. If you’re just getting started, check out our compilation of the best Google Duo tips and tricks.
Google Duo is available for Android, iOS and Web.
Group Video Call Capacity – 12
3. Skype
There is no way to miss an old app like Skype. It has been around since 2003 and remains one of the most reliable voice calling and video calling services. Skype hiccuped quite a few users initially, but the service works great on every platform.
One of the features we use the most out of the many features packed inside is Screen Sharing. This makes things smoother and easier when communicating with an individual or a group of people. If you’re looking for the privacy of your location, Skype also gives you the option to blur your background. Microsoft boasts of using AI Algorithms to achieve this with any type of camera – Internal or External. However, if Skype is not working with your camera on your laptop or PC, check out our guide on how to fix Skype Camera not working on Windows 10.
Skype is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and the Web.
Group Video Call Capacity – 50
4. House Party
Houseparty is a surprisingly new entrant among video calling apps. The name is clear enough to say that it is a fun app and perfectly suitable for calling your family and friends. Its popularity has soared recently due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced a nationwide lockdown in many countries.
One of the best things about this app is that you can join an existing video call with others. On top of that, you don’t even need an invitation from the people on the call. When you have a friends list, the app notifies you when someone is online. So it works great for a group of friends who want to hang out over a video call. Houseparty also includes games that you can play in a group, which makes it unique among all the apps on this list.
Houseparty is available for Android, iOS and macOS.
Group Video Call Capacity – 8
5. Zoom
Zoom is one of the fastest growing applications for hosting video calls and video conferences. The app had around 10 million users in November 2019, and that number jumped to 200 million by the end of March this year. When it comes to casual group video calls, Zoom locks the horns with Houseparty and the choice gets a little tough.
Contrary to popular belief, Zoom has a free tier for everyone. Whether you want to host a webinar or a group video call, Zoom delivers premium quality. If you plan to use the free tier for a limited time, you may not even consider reading all the features you get with other paid plans.
The only downside to the free plan is that you can take up to 40 minutes for a group call of up to 25 people. This limit can expire quickly and all attendees will appreciate the brevity of the meeting. You can also share desktop, software or presentation screens, images and other files over a video call.
Note: We strongly recommend that you avoid sharing confidential information, screens, and other details during video calls using Zoom.
Do you feel a little awkward working for home? Fortunately, Zoom offers virtual backgrounds to make your look look a little different.
Group Video Call Capacity – 25
Bonus: Google Meet
Google Meet is a lesser known feature of Google Hangouts. This is because it is designed for newcomers to this game and G Suite users. For many people, it is one of the applications to make video calls. You can go to meet.google.com and start a meeting.
Invite a few people to the meeting and you can even share your current screen using Present mode. Since you are the host, you must have a G Suite (business) account to start Presentation Mode. Meanwhile, attendees must have at least a regular Google account to join the Meeting.
Security is one of the growing concerns about the lack of end-to-end encryption on video calls. This is what you should look for if you plan to share screens, files and other documents.
Watch the video about the 5 best video conferencing apps on our Guiding Tech YouTube (English) Channel:
Now you may wonder why we didn’t include apps like FaceTime. Well, it’s limited to Apple’s ecosystem only.
You can always have two different applications, one for personal use and the other for professional purposes.
Next: If you’re trying Zoom and want to learn more about it, our ebook is the only guide you need. Check it below.
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