Video chat programs have been around for a long time, but with Corona they have experienced a boom like never before. And although the situation has calmed down again in the meantime, many private individuals and companies still use video chat for communication. TECHBOOK introduces the best video chat programs.
If you want to stay in touch with your loved ones without having to leave the house, you have a number of options. This can be done over the phone or messenger. However, it is often better to see the person or people you are talking to live. This is exactly where video chat programs come in, which allow live transmission via camera on a smartphone, laptop or desktop PC. They are suitable for individual chats as well as for group meetings.
WhatsApp: video chat with up to 8 people
WhatsApp is certainly the easiest way for many users to get in touch with friends and family. After all, the messenger is widespread and offers video telephony for groups in addition to classic chat. The service is free and can also be used on a PC thanks to WhatsApp Web. Another plus is its availability on both Android and iOS devices, allowing users to chat across platforms. Up to eight WhatsApp users can participate in a chat, which is sufficient for conversations within family or friends. However, the service is less suitable for meetings within a large team.
To start a video chat via WhatsApp, callers click on the desired contact and then on the video camera icon at the top of the service. Within a group, they first have to tap the icon with the phone receiver and the plus sign and then select the contacts they want to invite to the video chat from the list of participants. Once that’s done, the call begins with a click on the video camera icon.
Also Read: How Video Group Chat Works on WhatsApp
Microsoft Teams for the big round
Microsoft Teams experienced a boom in 2020. Many companies use the program for internal and external communication with colleagues and business partners. The program has been part of Office 365 since 2017 and replaces the previously available Skype for Business solution. Compared to Skype, Teams offers more options for HD video calling but also for larger video conferences. This includes, for example, shared OneNote notebooks and file storage via SharePoint and OneDrive. Microsoft has also integrated scheduling linked to the Outlook calendar into teams.
But Teams is also a good tool for private video chatting. The program is free and only requires entering a personal or business email address to register. It can be used on the PC, but also on Android smartphones and iPhones. Microsoft Teams allows up to 300 chat partners to participate at the same time and is available worldwide in 40 languages. For owners of an Office 365 Business Premium account, the person limit within chats does not apply, participation is unlimited.
Google Meet, formerly Hangouts
A relic from earlier times? Not at all! What earlier hangouts was called, has now been merged into Google Meet. The service is of particular interest to Google users, because with one click on the start button for a video chat, all contacts saved via Google are immediately displayed. Meetings can also be scheduled using the new Google Meet app. Up to 250 participants can be invited via a link. The program can be used free of charge on the desktop, but also via an app on iOS and Android smartphones.
Facetime: The solution from Apple
Facetime is the ideal solution for Apple users. The voice and video calls app comes pre-installed on all Apple devices – and only works with them. In return, users of an iPhone, iPad, Mac and Co. can easily initiate video conferences with their contacts. This can be done either from the app itself, from group chats or from the contact directory. Facetime calls are free, but they use data on the mobile network. Up to 32 people can participate in a video chat.
To use Facetime, users need at least an iPhone 4 , an iPad 2 or iPad mini, an iPod touch (4th generation) or a Mac with Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later.
Skype, the classic video chat program
Everyone has probably heard of Skype (not to be confused with Skype for Business). The service has been around since 2003 and “skypen” has almost become synonymous with video telephony. Skype can be used free of charge and installed on a PC or smartphone. For those in a hurry or those who only want to start a chat via Skype from time to time, the service also offers the option of a Video call via browser to start – without registration and with up to 99 participants. Users simply generate a link that they forward to all participants in the video chat.
Even deaf people can use Skype without any problems, because subtitles can be displayed if desired. The service converts all words that are spoken during an audio or video call into text.
Jitsi Meet integrates with Slack
This free and open source service Jitsi Meet (Bulgarian for “wires” or “lines”) relies largely on the open standard WebRTC and enables encrypted communication between participants. Users can use it via smartphone apps for iOS and Android or directly in the browser on the PC. Jitsi Meet also integrates with Slack. Up to 15 people can participate in a video chat.
The service offers features like text messaging, screen sharing, and video conferencing. And the registration is also practical, since you don’t need a user account and you can simply invite participants via a link, just like with Skype.