5 Android Video Chatting Apps
It seems like most devices today let you FaceTime with your friends and family - unless you have something not made by Apple. Fortunately, there are alternatives available for quality video calls.
In this day and age, it seems like the term “FaceTime” has become a general term for video chatting, just like how “Kleenex” is the universal term for facial tissue, or how “Band-Aid” is a shorthand term for a bandage. There’s just one catch – FaceTime is an Apple app exclusive to Apple devices, meaning the rest of us can’t technically “FaceTime”. That doesn’t mean there aren’t great ways to video chat, however. Check out these five FaceTime alternatives you can download onto your phone and use to get chatting today!
1. Hangouts
Offered by Google, this is one of the more well-known video chat apps on this list. It offers group video chats (for up to 150 people), two-person chats, SMS/MMS features, international calling (calling a Hangout user is free), interconnectivity with Google Voice for full integration with voicemail, phone numbers, and SMS, and the ability to contact any user, regardless of their device.
2. Viber
While people that are contact others on an international scale might be familiar with this app, there are features that are useful for anyone who wants an efficient and effective alternative to Facetime. The app allows you to send messages for free, along with free audio and video calls, although group video and audio aren’t an option. You can also have group texts with up to 200 people (though you’ll quickly get sick of all those notifications), delete messages after they’re sent, use it on all of your devices simultaneously and use it without creating an account.
3. Messenger
If you have Facebook on your device already, you most likely have this app already too, and know how it works. Congratulations! That being said, people seem to enjoy the video chatting and calling features on the app, which you can access by clicking on a conversation you’re having with someone, and clicking either the phone or camera icons on the top right corner of the screen.
4. Glide
Compared to the apps we’ve already discussed, this one is a little less known, though it seems to be just as effective and enjoyable as the best video chatting apps. Like the others, it allows you to send free messages, letting users text message and video chat (what the developers call “video messaging” on their Google Play description) at the same time. Additionally, you can use filters on your video messages, and review your videos before sending them. While the app is rather spartan when it comes to features, user reviews of the app speak highly of its functionality.
5. Zangi
Like Glide, this app is a lesser known gem – it is the most well reviewed video-chatting app on the Play Store (4.5/5). Notably, the app emphasizes its ability to function effectively in any online environment, regardless of connection strength. You can use the app for video and audio calls, along with messaging (all for free). It also lets users make calls to countries with internet restriction policies. The Zangi app has holistic support for people that are left-handed, high levels of security and privacy, low-battery consumption and the ability to call other phones with the Zangi-out service, which, according to the app description, offers “the lowest calling rates in the industry.”
Don’t let the conversation end too quickly! Make sure to download PSafe’s PowerPRO app to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your battery, so you never have to end your chats prematurely.