STAYING IN TOUCH

PEOPLE FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE AND ALL WALKS OF LIFE ARE COMING TOGETHER ONLINE AS A WAY OF STAYING IN TOUCH, A HABIT WHICH SEEMS SET TO CONTINUE LONG AFTER SOCIAL DISTANCING HAS ENDED. WORDS: KATE RUSSELL

When it comes to virtual socialising, there are now a dizzying number of text and video-call platforms. The most important question to ask when choosing the right one is: what are the people I want to talk to using? WhatsApp is a safe bet, with two billion active users worldwide and automatically encrypted messages for security. You can start a one-to-one or group chat with anyone in your phone’s contacts — if they don’t have WhatsApp, they’ll get a message inviting them to download it. In some regions (notably South America and Southeast Asia), it’s the default communication tool for both individuals and professional travel companies. A useful feature: give the app access to location data in your phone’s settings, and ‘attach location’ to show a map of where you are.

Video-conferencing app Zoom has exploded in popularity: free and easy to use, you don’t need to download the app to set up or attend a gathering. Just tap the invitation link and Zoom will run in your browser. Installing the app provides better call quality, and some security features aren’t default. Add the password option to stop random ‘Zoom-call bombers’ disrupting your call, and under advanced settings enable ‘Waiting room’ to place all attendees in waiting until approval from the conference host to ensure you have invitees only. Also, in advanced settings, ‘Touch up my appearance’ adds a soft-focus filter to your video that smooths out shadows and wrinkles in a subtle way. You can even add a virtual background, which is useful if your house or hotel room isn’t camera-ready.

The free Zoom video-call service can host up to 100 participants, but if you want something even easier for groups of up to six, Talky lets you set up and join an audio or video call without registering or downloading. Just give your room a name, then start chatting.

As online socialising becomes imbedded in daily life, the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Facebook have upped their virtual comms offerings. Microsoft Teams have travelled outside of office space with a mobile app to connect friends and family, while Facebook’s group video-calling feature, Messenger Rooms (which lets up to 50 people to chat at the same time), and Google Meet, platforms already at our fingertips, look set to become long-term travel companions. whatsapp.com zoom.us talky.io meet.google.com messenger.com/rooms