As we come closer to the final hours before the dates on the calendar read 2021, people across the globe are prepping their celebration plans for new year’s eve.
What has been a bit of a buzzkill for many people in India is that state governments in Delhi, Mumbai and even Bengaluru have decided to impose curfew during new year’s eve due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and also to stop the spread of the deadly malady.
Since it’s always advisable not to mingle in large crowds and doing so can get you into trouble this new year’s eve, we recommend that you organize a virtual party on platforms like Zoom, Facebook among others.
So, here’s a list of apps that can help you connect with friends and party online this new year’s eve.
Houseparty
Houseparty shot to fame when the lockdown was announced in India and many other parts of the world. The video-chat app helps you connect with friends where you can play multiple games like Trivia, Charades and many more. The app is available on both iOS and Android and is one of the most-downloaded apps of 2020. The app allows a maximum of 8 people in a session and you don’t really have to worry about any limit.
Facebook Messenger Rooms
Little do people know that Facebook Messenger also offers a video mode called Messenger Rooms which has seen a spike in the number of users in the past couple of months. You can call up to 50 contacts on your list and use filters, send messages and do much more on the app. It offers a gallery view just like any other video chat app and I feel this it’s a great way to connect with friends online from remote locations and you can ensure that you maintain social distance.
Instagram Co-Watching
Instagram rolled out its Co-Watching feature for users globally where users can connect with friends over a video call and add more friends simultaneously. The feature lets you interact with messages and photos in a chat window while the video chat is live. The feature can be activated by anyone by participating in an existing video chat by tapping on the video camera icon on the top-right corner of the app. It will prompt you to activate the co-sharing feature to share content on the video chat.
Eventbrite
We should always be open to exploring something new and Eventbrite is another app that’s exceptionally handy. While people were able to attend events in-person, Eventbrite used to connect users to live events and gigs across town but since the world went into a lockdown the platform has shifted to connecting people on a virtual platform. There are multiple events, community building sessions and even speed dating that happens on the app and all that you need to ensure is you have Zoom on your phone to use the app.
Zoom
Last but definitely not the least, Zoom has been a savior for many people this year as it has helped us connect on a virtual platform via video conferencing. Zoom has its limitations and caveats but at the end of the day, you can connect with multiple people at the same time and share ideas. The free version of Zoom allows you to host up to 100 participants at a time but only for 40 minutes. The premium version gives you longer access. So, if you’re looking to party with friends online, Zoom could be the way to go.
