I have family across Canada and we often like to have video chats to mainly try to chat with our growing nieces and nephews (if they can ever sit still). Skype has been our main go-to-app but after the many poor call quality experiences, security breaches, login problems going on and with the plethora of alternatives available – Skype is now dead to me.

Here is what I use:

  1. Facebook Messenger
    My non-techie parents are on Facebook (check), they know how to turn it on (check), the the video call quality was awesome. My sanity is saved (check)
  2. Google Duo
    Simple, clean (landscape rotation needs to be fixed), and it works!
  3. Face Time
    Tried-tested-and-true (however that saying goes)
  4. WhatsApp
    3 options is what my brain can usually handle at the moment, but from what my international friends have been saying, it’s amazing. Will eventually add this to my repertoire of tools.