How to Choose the Best Internet Video Chat Software
Social distancing comes with a unique set of challenges for productivity and connectivity. As we stay away from each other and try to fight the COVID-19 virus by limiting our exposure, many people have been forced into working from home. And it isn’t just our work lives that are affected right now – online birthday parties are being thrown, anniversaries are being celebrated, and even wedding are being attended all over online video chat.
So, what are the best apps for online collaboration and connection? There are several options out there and choosing one can be difficult. I have done the hard work of reading reviews, trying them out, and writing my thoughts below.
Zoom
Zoom has been the newcomer that has taken the post-coronavirus world by storm – it saw a huge uptick in users when the pandemic hit. Unfortunately, it also had some security concerns early on, but these seem to have been patched now.
Zoom is great – it works, it’s fast, and the app works on any device you are likely to have (including Windows, Mac, iOS and Android). There’s also a browser version if you don’t want to download anything and it has a bunch of features, like screen sharing, break out rooms, and a separate chat. The free version allows you to video call anybody one on one for an unlimited amount of time. For groups of 3 or more, you are limited to 40 minutes – unless you buy the paid version, which is only $15/month.
If you are using video chats a lot, and you want something that can work for everyone, I highly recommend Zoom. A wide range of people I do business with use Zoom, and countless friends have told me about using it for contacting friends and family.
FaceTime
If you are on an iPhone, you already know about FaceTime. It connects you with anyone else who is using an Apple product, including anyone on a Mac. It’s good! It works, and you can use it for audio only without feeling like you are looking at a blank screen – often with other apps, it can be awkward using audio only.
The big downside is that it only works on Apple’s products – so if you need to contact somebody on a PC or Android phone, you are out of luck. For this reason, it isn’t really the best option for a lot of purposes – but if you are regularly in contact with someone by phone, and know they are on an iPhone, it is a great alternative and much easier to implement than Zoom, which requires a meeting code, special link, and often a password.
Skype
Skype has been around forever and is installed on most PCs. The “business” version of Skype that was around for a while has been rebranded as “Microsoft Teams”, but uses the same basic software to deliver decent video chat. One of my favorite things about Skype is that it can be loaded up with credit to make overseas phone calls for extremely cheap – I’ve found that this is one of the easiest ways to contact people who are using a number outside the US. No more figuring out what your service provider includes. However, Skype in general is less intuitive than Zoom, and you will need to use their special Skype Meet Now function to chat to people who may not have installed Skype/haven’t got an account.
Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp
Facebook has put a lot of work into messenger after purchasing WhatsApp back in 2014. They still use some of the technology from the chat app in their messenger app to this day. Messenger is great – if you are in contact with somebody mainly via Facebook, it can be a fantastic option. However, in my opinion it can seem a little unprofessional as it links directly to your Facebook account. I personally do not have a Facebook account – and many people are following suit. So, unless you are already regularly using this to contact someone, I would use something else.
Across the globe, WhatsApp is far more popular with over a billion daily users. Part of this is its safety – WhatsApp is known for having very secure end-to-end encryption. In the US, this matters less to people (although it should). WhatsApp is worth keeping in mind if you are trying to contact somebody outside of the US, as there is a good chance that they are already using the app.
Google Hangouts/Meet/Duo
For a while, Google had Hangouts – but its usability was pretty bad, and the speed wasn’t great either (a rare miss from the internet juggernaut that is Google). This then changed to Google Meet, which a G Suite product aimed at businesses. It’s a good option if everyone you are contacting is familiar with the app but is probably the least commonly used out of the above. Currently, it is free – though this may change in September. Duo is the person-to-person version – I can’t speak for its usability, but since 2016 it is becoming more and more popular, and can now hold up to 12 people. It can also interact with cell phones and leave voicemail messages.
Summary
There’s a huge range of options out there. Personally, I love Zoom – it has naturally emerged as the leader of the pack because of how easy it is to set up, in my opinion. Most of the time, you are just sending a link, and whoever you are chatting to can hope on with or without an account. Of course, a few other services offer this, but they aren’t as intuitive as Zoom.
Whatever you end up using, the aim is connectivity. Don’t get too held up on features, bells, and whistles – the thing that matters is actually reducing friction. If you have a new business prospect that is already using Skype, then jump on Skype. If you know that your elderly relative is on Facebook all the time, then maybe that is the best option. And don’t forget – a good old-fashioned phone call without video nearly always works!