It’s a well-known fact that human beings are social creatures at heart. So we’ve put together the best 5 social apps for you to connect with others remotely, even when under quarantine or practising social distancing.
With so many in the world currently being cooped up at home, it’s no wonder that we’ve seen such a surge in demand for video conferencing apps like Zoom and Houseparty. When safely practising self-isolation, life can get pretty lonely – fast, even for the most introverted of introverts. But just because you’re social distancing doesn’t mean you have to be socially distant! We’ve rounded up a list of apps that you can use to stay connected with others and keep entertained, even from afar.
Houseparty
Feel like throwing a party? With over 2 million downloads within the span of a week, Houseparty is arguably the video chat app of the moment, allowing you to have face-to-face communication with up to 8 friends in a “room” that creates the illusion that you’re all hanging out together, when really, you’re in the lounge alone on day 13 (or is it 15?) of home lockdown. Users can create different rooms, mimicking the experience of walking room-to-room during a house party, and can even play party games like ‘Heads Up!’ and ‘Quick Draw!’ Don’t want strangers crashing your party? Keep it exclusive with Private Mode, which limits the rooms to just you and your friends.
Available: iOS, Android, Chrome Web Store
Zenly
Turn social distancing into a friendly competition with location-sharing app Zenly, which recently introduced the ‘Stay At Home Challenge.’ Zenly can detect when users are at home and can rank friends by the amount of time spent at home over the course of three days. The app then creates a top-five leaderboard based on the highest-ranking individuals, which can be shared across social media. The app also provides information on the coronavirus as well as tips to stay healthy over the course of the outbreak.
Available: iOS and Android
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Squad
Hang out with friends while browsing your favourite apps with Squad, a video messaging app that allows you to screen share your phone while chatting with up to six of your friends. Users can switch back and forth between screen-sharing and video chatting, which makes for an easy way to beat isolation blues – even when just casually scrolling through your phone. With this app, the sky’s the limit: You can do anything from online shopping and watching Youtube videos together to hosting presentations and co-working on various projects.
Available: iOS and Android
Marco Polo
No, not the game! The Marco Polo app is a video chat app that lets users send video messages to friends. Rather than video chatting in real-time, users can instead leave video messages for friends to watch whenever they get the chance. With options like filters and doodling, this app allows users to personalise their messages before sending and is a great way to stay connected – even if you’re too busy to video call at the moment.
Available: iOS and Android
Netflix Party
If you miss having movie nights with friends, host a virtual movie night with Netflix Party! Netflix Party is a Google Chrome extension that enables you to watch movies or shows with friends in real-time. This easy-to-install extension is a great way to spend time with friends while getting your Netflix fix – and the chatbox on the side even allows you to chat with friends while the movie is playing!
Available: Chrome Web Store
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