It is important to stay in communication with the important people in your life. Your daily routine has probably been turned upside-down, and your new lifestyle may have you feeling lonely and cut off. The solution is to try some new technologies to improve your situation. The other people in your life are probably feeling the same way, so reach out and communicate.
Some popular and easy to use programs you can use to chat with your friends, family or co-workers include WhatsApp, Messenger, FaceTime, Zoom, and Google Duo.
WhatsApp (whatsapp.com) is very popular around the world. It supports group chats for up to 256 participants, and allows free audio and video calls for up to four people. It works on your tablet, PC or Smartphone, and works on older models of phones. It features strong encryption to provide secure communication.
Messenger (messenger.com) is a FaceBook program and has a lot of chat-friendly features, like stickers and emojis. You can have six people on screen during a video call but up to 50 people can participate at once.
FaceTime (facetime.com , for Apple users) can include 32 users at once. It boasts of being very secure, and has many Apple features you will enjoy.
Zoom (zoom.us) is a video conferencing tool that is web-based that can be used on your PC, phone or tablet. It allows users to meet online, either with or without video. With it you can record sessions, work together on projects, and then share or make notes on one another’s screens.
Google Duo (duo.google.com) prides itself in being easy to use, but has some key features making it a useful video calling app. Allowing either audio or video calls, Duo can have 12 people on a call at once, and it works on mobile devices and your PC web browsers. It includes nice features like video voicemails, end-to-end encryption security, and a call preview option so you can see beforehand who is calling.
You have some time on your hands, so learn and use some of these cool chatting apps to interact with your people. It will be good for you, good for them, and will open up new ways to cope in these strange times.