As busy university students, it may sometimes seem impossible to make time to keep in touch with friends and family. The cool new app HouseParty has been created to answer all of your long-distance needs.
The app, which already has over 1.5 million downloads, allows you to stream live video chats with other users. It’s easy to download, and works like other social media apps. Once it’s downloaded, you can add friends through your contact list, or you have the option of inviting friends to join.
“We were talking as a team about the concept of a house party,” Director of Growth, Kimberly Kalb explains when asked how the idea emerged. What this means is that once your friends have joined the app, you are able to talk in a “room” of up to eight people. If more friends join, you can swipe the screen, travelling to a different room to see more friends.
Another fun feature is that if you are chatting with one friend, and one of their friends enters the “room” a banner appears warning “Stranger Danger!” This way, you can choose to leave the app or make a new friend.
Kalb argues that HouseParty is a greater alternative to Skype or FaceTime because of its spontaneous element. Due to our demanding schedules as university students, it can be difficult to schedule times that works for everyone to talk. With HouseParty, you can simply open the app whenever you like, see who else is online, chat for a few minutes, and leave. “It creates a world of deeper connection with all your friends and loved ones,” Kalb explains.
The app has been especially popular with university students since It is less of a time commitment than a phone call, but more personal than Snapchat or Instagram. In addition, it relieves us of the particularly horrendous task of trying to organize plans in a group chat. By just opening the app, you are able to quickly figure out plans with friends, or rehash the party you attended last night.
Kalb also points out that it allows for more candid interactions as so much of our social media presence is fabricated and manipulated. With HouseParty, it exists in real time, allowing authenticity to shine through.
The app is still very new to Canada, so why not be a trendsetter and download it yourselves? It’s free to use, and definitely a casual and fun way to connect!
Download the app here and let us know what you think HCUBC Cuties!