Now, more than ever, connections take place behind a screen. Think how many voice calls, emails, text messages and social media posts you have made in the past year. Sure, it is great having access to those channels, especially when you want to send out a message to a large group of people you know, but not that well. But, what about the opposite, when you want to really connect with your close circle? The ones you could spend all day talking to, who know you the most. Try a mobile app with a twist, such as Houseparty, which lets you see and talk to them all you want. Read on for the scoop, to see if it is right for you.

Features/Benefits

This app offers many features and benefits. Aside from seeing your friends and family, it lets you connect with them on a whole new level, thanks to the inclusion of the following:

• Live video
• High quality audio
• Colorful backgrounds and filters

Pros and Cons

You may be wondering what is really good and bad about Houseparty. Let us break it down for you here.

Pros

• Video chat in Fortnight: Play the game you love and catch up. Win-win!
• Chat with up to 10 friends: The gang is all here! Whether it is your gal pals or your bro squad, gather them together for a video call.
• Connect with your network: Houseparty makes it even easier to catch up with the ones you love.
• Invite your friends: Asking your friends to join in on the action is simple, thanks to a feature that makes it easy to pass along the invite.
• Face-to-face social network: See the most important people in your life in a whole new way.
• Effortless connection: Think it can sometimes be awkward seeing people in person, especially when you are behind a screen? Well, there is nothing strange here, since the app will let the others on your chat know when you are "in the house."
• Jump right in: No lag time or awkward pauses in the app means you get right to chatting when you are ready.
• Notified when opening the app: Whenever you navigate to the app, your friends will be notified so they can talk to you. Sweet!
• Play games: Host Game Night on the app and it will happen without a hitch.
• The next best thing: Sure, nothing is exactly the same as seeing people in person, but Houseparty is a viable alternative.
• Makes connecting a breeze: The app takes the hassle out of communicating with large groups of friends, family members or others who hold a special place in your life.

Cons

• Hard to sign up: Only certain emails are compatible with the app.
• Unreliable notifications: Do not anticipate always getting notified when your network is active on the app.
• Uses a lot of data: This app uses tones of data, so make sure you have enough have it run.
• Not compatible with some ear buds: Be wary, it may make more sense to use headphones, or nothing at all.
• Lags: It can be slow at times.
• Not mute feature: There is no way to mute someone on the call who is making a lot of noise.

Conclusion

For those who are hoping to connect with family or their family or their squad in an easy and fun way, check out Houseparty. It is well worth a download, and takes the awkwardness out of large video calls. Connect in a whole new way, thanks to the app. The one thing we want to note is that this app is best for those who have unlimited data and do not prefer to use the latest ear buds in place of old-school headphones. If you know you can accommodate the "juice" the app uses up, then great, try it out, but if not, maybe look for an alternative. All in all, though, we think it worth your while to give it an install. Get talking and join the party!