Blackpool Grand introduce you to free Apps (Applications) to help you stay connected during coronavirus (COVID-19).

This feature aims to help us Connect our audiences, give them Comfort as well as Uplift their spirits.

Over this current time how many adverts have you seen for Facebook’s new video chat service Facebook Portal – should every home have one? Is it the future of home calling, not having to hold your phone in an uncomfortable position for 30-minutes, or it constantly falling over as you’re chatting as you’ve tried to prop it up on a shiny service? Could this be the answer for us all?

Although face videoing isn’t new the practice has increased over recent years. What people experience at home will drive the workplace.

During these recent times employees have become comfortable with more user-friendly, engaging interfaces. easy to learn and importantly integrate with software they already own. Employees training time could also be reduced.

However, this will now be employee’s expectation when they come to work, too. Logitech has reported that video conferencing has increased by 800 percent over the last four years, and technology has to be able to meet the growing standard.

Microsoft Teams for business has seen a huge increase in users, but a more user-friendly way to communication with others outside the organisation (which is possible) would take it to another level.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, forcing masses of people worldwide to stay at home and practice social distancing to help control its spread — this method of video, reaching out and touching each other virtually is more important today than ever. This has helped incredibly with wellbeing and mental health allowing people to ‘see’ one another.

Here’s our list of simple-to-use Apps/services you can use helping maintain visual contact with one another and the ones you love, no matter how far away they are.

Apps to help you stay connected during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Apple – FaceTime

Do you have an iPhone, iPad, MacBook or iMac computer? Then Apple’s built-in FaceTime App (video chat) with any of your contacts (they must also be on Apple). Primarily a video chatting App, it can additionally make audio calls if you’re connected to WiFi spot. The offer of Group FaceTime allows a conversation with up to 32-people at once (iOS 12 and above installed).

Google – Duo and Hangouts

Google, known for keeping things simple has the Hangouts App which seems to follow that mantra. With a simple design and intuitive use this is an easy App to get up and running and doesn’t take long to figure how to send messages or start video calling.

A fantastic option (Android, iOS and Desktop), the only intermittent downside is that at times it can lag the more people you start to add, a reliable and strong internet connection recommended. We feel this will get sorted quickly though.

Although take a look at the new Google Meet for business and education.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the most popular chat App on Android and iOS with over 2 billion users, increasing half a billion every 2 years – an incredible number of people. Something to note is that WhatsApp is part of the Facebook family. 65 billion messages a day around the world are sent on WhatsApp.

Connecting more than a billion humans. This is a staggering number of people all using one app not just to talk but to share multimedia media as well. If you want a platform that most people use this is going to be the one.

Rumour is Mark Zuckerberg (owner of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and others) wants to make it possible for Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram to send messages to each other.

Skype

Skype messaging is a video and audio calling platform that offers both one-to-one and group conversations, and you can use it on mobile, PCs and Macs, Xboxes and even your Alexa (which is a great addition for some).

Free to send messages, audio and video calls with groups up to 50 people (small fee to be able to ‘call’ mobile, landlines, or standard text messages). Additional benefits include; record, save and share your video calls, and live captions and subtitles.Free to download (for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac) and easy to use.

Facebook Messenger

More than 2.5 billion active monthly users have Facebook accounts, using the Facebook Messenger app you can connect with any of them (desktop, tablet or mobile). Send instant messages, photos or videos, stickers, GIF files, emojis and more.

Voice chat up to 50 people at a time; video will only show up to six people at a time, otherwise the dominant speaker’s camera feed will be shown.

Zoom

Who can honestly say they’d even heard of Zoom before Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Some of us may have heard it mentioned for conferences at work? but many of us weren’t using it to keep in touch with family and friends.

However, Zoom is now one of the hot-sources to hold all manner of things from online tutorials, staff hangouts, musical collaborations, news conferences, social family quiz’s and much more.

Not the easiest to install and a little bit of getting used to (which we think they will work on quickly), it’s free to download to your smartphone or computer, and that gives you access to an unlimited number of video meetings (which can support up to 100 people), and private and group chats, you know, in case you need all of that. One thing to know though is on the free service you are limited to 40-minutes. Question is, is that perfect for those hard to get out of chats…?

Blackpool Grand Theatre

Take a look at what’s on at Blackpool Grand Theatre this Autumn / Winter 20/21

Blackpool Grand set out a COVID-Community Communication Programme (CCCP) during the Coronavirus pandemic. Our aims were simple, to CONNECT, COMFORT and UPLIFT. We would Connect people by offering tutorials on communication tools like Zoom and conduct community face-to-face meetings (book readings, youth groups and more). Comfort through stories of heritage, memories and storytelling, and to Uplift visitors spirits through laughter and exercise. Please do enjoy and if you can afford to donate please do.

The information in this story is accurate as of the publication date. While we are attempting to keep our content as up-to-date as possible, the situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continues to develop rapidly, so it’s possible that some information and recommendations may have changed since publishing. For any concerns and latest advice around COVID-19, visit the World Health Organisation. If you’re in the UK, the National Health Service can also provide useful information and support, while US users can contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.