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Houseparty, the group video calling APP that puts it together

18/03/2020

Houseparty , the app for group video calling, is gaining ground in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Houseparty has become the app of the moment, bringing together the highest downloads for iPhone right now and fifth app in the top downloads on the Google Play Store . In a matter of days it has climbed hundreds of positions, in Catalonia, Spain, Italy or Portugal. Coronavirus alertness and quarantine are one of the reasons.

Video calling and remote work apps are gaining more prominence these days. Skype, Google Classroom, Hangouts, Zoom or Microsoft Teams are just some of them. But also on the leisure side are Netflix, Discord, Movistar + or Amazon Prime. All of them are, in a way, predictable. However, what no one expected to see in the top downloads is Houseparty . It has slipped out of nowhere among the most downloaded (and sometimes the most) and is becoming the quintessential app of all those people who have been isolated at home.

Vitamin video calls

We have tried it on edeon.net these days and in many ways it reminds us of Snapchat. Houseparty is an app that is available for iOS, Android, macOS and Chrome. It has been available for years, even now when it has gained more relevance.

The app essentially allows group video calls (up to eight people) with friends, family and acquaintances, and differs from WhatsApp or Skype for games and overall approach. The app allows you to make direct video calls or chat with any of the contacts available at Houseparty . In addition to this, it offers the ability to create a kind of "virtual room" where other users join to have a group video call. In these group rooms you can start a series of games designed specifically for group play:

  • Pictionary : The classic drawing game in which one of the players draws and the other tries to guess what he is drawing before he finishes doing it.
  • Trivial: The quiz game to see which one is faster by answering questions of general interest.
  • Who's Who: One of the players has a virtual card in front of him and he has to guess what he puts according to the other's tracks.
  • Chips and Guac: A word association game.

Finally, it is worth noting that video calls and group rooms are private and not public. This does not mean that they cannot connect to strangers. The app allows guests to invite others as well. Anyway, the app has a privacy option that allows you to block the entrance to a room by non-guests. Also, the user will always be notified when a "friend friend" comes in. For calls between two people, you must always confirm each other to start video calls.

Houseparty is revolutionizing downloads because today, society sees a pleasant solution in communicating in a state of confinement. From the agency we will follow the evolution with great interest and see if it endures with this success for a longer period of time or if it is just a moment hit.

Source: Xataca