It also includes encryption that's in beta, and lets you have a lobby to limit who can join a meeting. Free users can have only up to four people in a video call, but there's no time limit, no login required, and nothing to download.īrave Talk is a branded version of the open-source Jitsi software (see Jitsi entry below), which is not a bad thing since that service is replete with desirable features: chat with emoji, screen sharing, and polls. PCMag has reviewed those apps extensively for the business environment, but here we're looking at the best apps for making personal video calls.īrave is known for producing one of the most privacy-focused web browsers around, and the company has expanded its portfolio with the video calling service Brave Talk. Note that we aren't talking here about about business videoconferencing services-BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, Webex, and the like. Zoom has been working hard to fix these issues, but if you've been put off by these missteps, or you just prefer another service for video calls, there are plenty of excellent choices out there, as you'll see below. Zoom bombing has been a particular problem for schools, some of which have actually banned the app. The service has been criticized for privacy and security issues, and the term zoom bombing-when unwanted interlopers interrupt a group video session-has entered the lexicon.

People use Zoom to stay in touch with families, hold book club meetings, and even host virtual parties.

The free version of Zoom lets any group create a video call where they can meet or socialize. With all the prohibitions against in-person gatherings, and with so much business and education shifting online, Zoom's users have has grown from about 10 million daily to more than 200 million, according to the company's blog (Opens in a new window). Thanks to the social distancing that has become the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom has entered the national consciousness, both as a tool for working from home and for communicating with friends and family. It's hard to remember that Zoom Meetings, the wildly popular videoconferencing app, was previously known mostly by businesspeople only.

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The best app for video calling