Video chatting is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family near and far. With social distancing being a reality, there has been a spike in the use of video chatting. Overall, it’s much more convenient and enjoyable to video chat anyway. If you have an Android smartphone, iPhone, iPad, or tablet, you can easily use any of those devices to video chat. All you need is an app. There are numerous apps out there, but we found some of the best free video chat apps to keep you connected. The apps we recommend are the easiest to use and allow you to video chat with multiple people at the same time.

Google Duo

Google Duo is a free calling and video chat app that comes preinstalled on Android phones. Although it comes preinstalled and is primarily used on Android, iPhone users can download Google Duo as well. Google Duo can also be used on the computer via web browser. You don’t need a Google account to use this app, but you do have to verify your phone number and allow access to your contact’s list. When making a call with Duo, make sure the person you are calling has Duo downloaded on their phone too. However, if you created a call on Duo and shared the link with someone to use on the computer, they are simply taken to duo.google.com and therefore do not need the app because they are on the computer using a web browser. With Duo, you can create a group of up to 32 people to video chat with at the same time. Google Duo can be downloaded from the Google Play Store for Android or from the App Store for iPhone.

Facetime

Facetime is Apple’s video chat app that is preinstalled on Apple devices. It’s exclusively for Apple users. That means if you’re an iPhone user and know people who also have iPhones or iPads, you can simply video chat with each other by using Facetime. With Facetime, you can video chat with up to 32 people at once. Although Android phones don’t have an app for download, it is possible through the iOS 15 update to Facetime Android users. To do so, Apples users must share a link that can be used within a web browser. To learn more about Facetime, click here.

Hangouts

Hangouts is an app for both Android and iPhone users. This app lets users include all their friends in a group chat of up to 150 people. Users can send photos, GIFs, emojis, videos, and maps in these chats. This app lets up to 10 users video chat one another. You can sync your chats across all your devices, and users are able to chat over the web. Hangouts can be downloaded as a Chrome extension, so if one of your friends doesn’t have a phone, they can still be included. The app keeps a history of past chats, photos, videos, and calls. This app can be found on the Google Play Store for Android or the App Store for iPhone.

Video chatting could use a lot of data. You want to make sure to use Wi-Fi as much as you can in order to save on data. Now that you are familiar with the best free video chat apps, you can enjoy the virtual company of your friends and family by using any of the great options mentioned.