Since their initial release, Smartphones have changed the way we communicate with each other. These days, people around the world can instantly interact and bridge the distance via text messages, instant messages, emails and voice chats or calls with the simple touch of a button.
Video calling which is the most recent of the developments has become a huge part and of our lives. With skype actually revolutionising video chats, there has been a massive change in the way people look for and use related apps. Many tech companies, have started to include their own proprietary chat clients in products in a bid to bring people together, granting them an easy means for intimately communicating with friends or colleagues thousands of miles away.
If you are in Africa and are looking to join the video chat clique, here are five video chat apps that you should consider downloading:
Skype:
One of the oldest and most popular video calling apps, Skype provides high quality functionality which is available on all platforms, including Android, iOS and computer platforms – Windows, Mac and Linux. It is especially standard among business professionals who use it for group calls and messaging. Aside from voice and video calling, it permits file sharing, messaging, and more. It also offers low cost to free calling and messaging facility to mobiles or landlines.
Facebook Messenger:
Facebook Messenger video calling app was released worldwide this year, so that users all over the world can set up real-time conversations with family and friends by tapping on a video icon at the top right corner of their existing Facebook Messenger platforms. Video calls in Facebook Messenger have cross-platform support between the iOS and Android apps, however, callers on both ends need to have the host application.
FaceTime:
Exclusive to Apple devices only, FaceTime comes with every iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and works with the incorporated wifi or data plan. Facetime video calls do not count against your carrier allotment of minutes, so, even though video calls can be initiated from within a voice calling session, the voice call ends as soon as the video call begins. Again, FaceTime works perfectly with contacts and address book so you do not have to enter your contacts from scratch. When you click on a phone number on iphone and ipad, or use an email address for Mac, an invitation pops up on the person’s screen. Once the person accepts, the video call begins…and there you are, face to face.
Tango
Available for Android, iOS and WP and also Windows OS for computers, Tango is another application that is similar to FaceTime, but it improves on its set-up by including functions such as sending music messages and files, playing games, and multiple other perks.
One fascinating feature of the Tango app is that it provides ‘Mini Games’ which can be played even during a call and you can challenge the caller on the other end; plus the video quality is great.
Viber
Viber is another great app for free video and voice calls. It runs on your PC (Windows and Mac), Android, Windows Phone, iPhone and Nokia devices. This tool is available for any country and is available for use as long as you are connected to the internet. The Windows client functions seamlessly and you can easily call your friends on mobile phones.
