Ways to keep in touch with loved ones during Lockdown!

March 30, 2020

Great apps to call and video chat with family and friends

A couple of days ago I sent out an email update to my lovely subscribers to find out how they are. And to share some good ways I know and use to keep in touch with family and friends while we are all confined to our homes.

I had such a lovely response from people that I thought it would be good to share that information here too.

One thing this whole Corona Virus situation has made me take stock of is just how crucial family and friends are. It's more important than ever to keep those connections strong through this awful time. I am also taking the opportunity to reconnect with people that I've been out of touch with simply because our busy lives kept getting in the way.

Has it been the same for you? Are you finding ways to keep in touch with your loved ones who don't live with you?

Regular coffee meetups with friends have turned into 4-way WhatsApp video calls. Older family members who never used to WhatsApp or Facetime before are now using such apps all the time.

I do know from conversations with some of my friends and family, however, that not everyone is familiar with some of the ways you can connect online or on your devices. So I want to quickly share a few of the key ones that I use, that you could try too.

WAYS TO KEEP IN TOUCH

These apps are all free or have free options and you can use them from your smartphone or tablet (over wifi or mobile data), or on your PC (with broadband).

ZOOM
https://zoom.us/
There is a free plan available and this app is ideal for groups to get together online for video calls.
Could be a good one for a family or friends get-together.
Or for your hobby or business group, etc. to continue meeting.

WHATSAPP
https://www.whatsapp.com/
Download the free app on phones and devices. But you can also use it on your PC.
Use it for chat and sharing photos, as well as one-to-one or group (up to four people) audio or video calls.

FACETIME
Available on Apple devices only. Can be used for one-to-one or small group audio and video calls.

SKYPE
https://www.skype.com/
Download the free app on phones and devices. But you can also use it on your PC.
Use it for chat, as well as one-to-one or group audio or video calls.