Houseparty has become the hit app of the coronavirus shutdown, billed as a “face-to-face social network” the app is gaining users rapidly because of its simple ability to host easy group video chat.
It’s appealing because it’s simple to use. You can dip in and out of a “house” rather than having to make a call, plus the barrier to entry is low requiring only basic personal details (yet you can find your friends very easily).
As you’ll hear, you can also play games with your quarantine buddies which is one of the key features.
It’s not a new app though – it’s actually been around since 2016 and in 2019 was bought by Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite.
How do you get friends on Houseparty?
Houseparty uses your friends on other social networks – like Facebook or Snapchat – to make you aware that your friends have signed up, so once you sign up you’re quickly aware of others already using it and vice versa. You can send your friends an invitation link alternatively.
It isn’t connected to your phone number (although you can import your phone contacts) and it’s specifically designed for social chats unlike something like Zoom that’s a business app that’s been repurposed for group socials in these difficult times.
And as we mentioned you don’t need to make a call like on Skype, WhatsApp or FaceTime – you can simply drop in.
How does it work?
Once you’ve found your friends, the app alerts you when your friends are “in the house” and so ready to chat. It’s the same when you open your app – your friends are alerted.
In normal life this could be a bit annoying we feel, but in a quarantined world we found it’s quite refreshing.
You can then jump right into a call. You can also join other “houseparties” that your friends might be part of, so it’s a lot more fluid than other services which have rigid groups.
What is facemail?
You can send people facemails – yes, really – that are just video messages that appear as soon as the recipient opens up the app.
What does Houseparty work on?
The app is available for iOS and Android as well as macOS. There’s also a Google Chrome extension so you can use it on PCs, too. There’s also a web-based version in beta that you can use with other browsers.
The app is free to download and has shot up the charts on both Google Play and the App Store. At the time of writing it’s amongst the top downloaded apps on both stores.
Here are a few thoughts from some Zimbabwean users who have had an experience on the App.
“I think its the best app i have seen during this lockdown we have something good that is going to entertain us l love it,” said Musician and Actress Faith Candy.
On how different the app is from the usual social media, Faith Candy thinks House party is more fun.
“This one has so much fun, lol talking from my own experience, I clicked the join button and it was already connected and there was someone on a video chat unlike other apps where you have to wait for a person to accept your call,” she added.
Mai Gamu, on the other hand, thinks the app has no set order.
“This app has no order at all,” she said as she chuckled.
“It doesn’t offer you the option to accept or reject a call, you just find yourself on someone’s video chat,” she added.
Zimbuzz Sports Editor Brian Matamba is enjoying every bit of it.
“I think it an amazing app, somehow you feel more connected than other apps, it’s actually a house party,” he said.
“Because in reality at a house party you meet people you know as well as new people, its that experience of meeting mutuals friends at a part which gives this app a true party feeling,” added Brian Matamba.
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