Nationalpost. com/arts
As self- quarantining in the face of the coronavirus continues, many people have begun socializing via apps — organizing online happy hours, game nights, TV- watching parties and more.
But with so many different apps available, it can be tough to figure out which fits your particular social habits. Here are a few suggestions.
If you just want to hang out with a group of friends
Several weeks ago, it seemed like no one really knew about the video conferencing software Zoom. Then came COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and suddenly everyone scrambled to get the new hot app, which was downloaded 600,000 times in a single week.
Zoom has become a go- to app for video work meetings, happy hours and cocktail parties. The free version allows for up to 100 people to participate in a single chat — the catch being that these can last only up to 40 minutes. Some priced options allow up to 1,000 people and more time.
Its most attractive feature is how easy it is to use: A host creates a meeting and shares a link that takes you straight there. You can even join the meeting in a browser window — no need to install the app itself. Once in the chat, you have the option to use any of your saved photos as a makeshift background — you can appear to be at the beach, for instance, or inside a video game or in front of a giant image of your dog.
Google Hangouts, another popular option that comes with Gmail or can be downloaded as a Chrome extension, offers much of the same capabilities as Zoom, though the free version allows for only 25 people in a single chat. (It does offer the opportunity to share GIFS and emoji while live, a feature Zoom does not have.)
And Skype remains reliable but can be frustrating to use, requiring extra steps to invite non-registered users to a group chat.
If you want to hang out with one friend or have a date night
While all the other video chat services mentioned above would work for a long-distance date night, Facebook Messenger, Apple’s Facetime, Google Duo and Whatsapp would also suffice. They allow fewer people per call than the others.
If you want to meet new people
Discord can be useful if you’re hoping to connect beyond your social circle. Originally created as a platform for gamers, it’s set up like an enormous message board. You can create your own chat ( as with Zoom or the others mentioned earlier), but what’s unique is that you can also join one of the pre- existing semi- private servers ( if you can snag an invite, which isn’t difficult — often you can find these with a quick search on social media). While Discord hosts video chats, it’s primarily used for voice- or text- based group chats, meaning it’s best for when you want to be engaged with friends while doing something else, such as gaming, painting or what have you.
And if you’re looking to meet someone romantically without breaking self- isolation, the dating apps are trying to help. Plenty of Fish, for instance, recently announced a feature that allows users to pitch themselves via live stream, engage in speed dating or break off into one- on- one video chats with other users. Match has similar plans for a video feature in the near future. Tinder has temporarily made its Passport feature — which allows you to meet people outside your geographical area — free to everyone.
If you want to play games Houseparty, a video app released in 2016, has also seen a surge during the pandemic. Like the others mentioned, it supports basic video chat — including for groups — with a few key differences. Instead of requiring you to set up a hangout, you can simply log in and see which of your friends are online, which will remind some people of AOL Instant Messenger from the 1990s. You can also send video voicemails ( called “facemails”). But the main difference is that it comes with a variety of simple multiplayer games, such as trivia and card games. You don’t have to play them, but the option is always there.
The Chrome extension Netflix Party lets you watch a flick while chatting about it with your self- quarantining friends, and it requires only two things from everyone: a subscription to Netflix and the Chrome internet browser (which is free and easy to acquire).
One person fires up a Netflix video in their Chrome browser, then clicks on the extension button to begin a “party” and sends a unique link to anyone interested in joining. Click the link, and whatever the host is watching will pop up, along with a small text chat window that allows for your Mystery Science Theater 3000-esque group banter.
A test by The Washington Post revealed that the video doesn’t sync up precisely among screens ( even on computers connected to the same Wi- Fi router), but the disparity is minimal enough to probably go unnoticed.
Since quarantine began, artists ranging from Coldplay’s Chris Martin to John Legend have been taking live shows to the internet. For some, such as Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, that means intimate shows broadcast from a home studio, while others such as the Dropkick Murphys put on a full show.
There’s no constant for where these shows appear. Some stream on Instagram Live, some on Facebook, some on Youtube and some on Twitch. All allow the same basic experience: You get to watch the show and, if you choose, join in live commenting on the goings- on — if you’re not too busy dancing, of course.
Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in
happiness.