As per the Government, New Zealand will be on lockdown for the next four weeks starting 11:59pm on Wednesday, 25 March to help stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
I personally like to call the virus Rona. Rona is that uninvited guest that overstays her unwelcome. Rona is so rude.
During this time of necessary isolation (We have to flatten that damn curve!), remaining connected with family and friends outside of your household is crucial so you’re not bored and lonely. People have turned to video chat apps to keep in touch and since we’re not the first country in the world to go into lockdown, certain apps have risen to the occasion and have truly helped people to stay connected during long periods of isolation. Let me run you through what those (Free!) apps are so that we can all get through the four weeks not feeling even more isolated.
Houseparty
Houseparty is not a new app but it is fast becoming one of the biggest apps in this strange Rona world we’re living in now. Along with the video chats, you can also play quizzes and games. Up to eight people at a time can video chat and the app sends you notifications when your friends come online. Houseparty is considered more casual and, for a lack of a better word, “cool” than other video chat apps such as Zoom or Google Hangouts. I’ve had several people tell me that I need to download this app so that a group of us can virtually drink wine together.
FaceTime
I would have said just use FaceTime and you’ll be sweet but not everyone is an Apple user and owns iPhones, Macs, or iPads. It’s a shame, really, because FaceTime is so easy to use and would have been perfect, apart from, you know, the device issue, nothing major. For my fellow iPhone users, there is a Group FaceTime option that lets you chat with up to 32 people.
Google Hangouts
I feel like a lot of people have Gmail accounts (most of my contacts do anyways) so if you’re a Gmail or Android user, Hangouts is an easy way to video chat as Hangouts is linked to your Google account. We use Google at my work so I use Hangouts a lot, but since I’ve been using this platform for work, I’m personally going to choose other apps for my socialising during the lockdown. Because you know, work-life balance.
Zoom
Speaking of work, I’ve heard others use Zoom for their work meetings. While that doesn’t sound as enticing as other apps for socialising with family and friends, Zoom is good for large groups. On its free version, you can have up to 100 people in a video call. I don’t know about you but I personally wouldn’t be able to fill up those 100 slots but hey, the option is there.
Skype
It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention the original video-calling platform, Skype. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I used Skype but I do have an account. Skype is no fuss and easy to use because of course it is. It is the OG after all.
