Things you didn’t know you could do on a family video chat

If you ask most people what makes their life meaningful, there’s no doubt they’d answer “family”. Okay, sure—we all have an annoying aunt or a crazy cousin we have to contend with—but years of research backs up the idea that family really is everything.

In fact, a recent poll finds that the overwhelming majority of people believe that family gives them a sense of meaning above all else—beating out career, money and even faith.

a family of 4 video chatting on a laptop.

That said, it’s no surprise that 73 percent of people use video chat platforms to connect and talk with family. So, what’s the deal with the other 27 percent?

If you’re among the few that isn’t reaping the many perks of family video chats, a lot of apps are really sweetening the pot.

Aside from the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with seeing those smiling faces during a face-to-face conversation—here are some cool family-video-chat features you may not know about:

Use it for work and play.

First of all, if you already use a great app at work that you love, chances are, you’ll be able to easily add your personal account and then seamlessly switch between both. Not only does this keep you linked to your family, the easy transition makes it simple to stay on top of calendars, chats, and tasks—both in and outside of the office.

Take holidays to the next level.

It’s always tough to be far from loved ones, especially during the holidays. Whether you’re celebrating across time zones, or maybe you’re just planning an upcoming holiday when you’ll all be together—a good family-video-chat app will let you do it all. Just imagine: you can upload files, photos, videos and more right in the app, collect and exchange recipes, share recent photos, create holiday gift lists, open presents, or even plan the meal together. How you use your collaboration capabilities is up to you!

“It’s always tough to be far from loved ones, especially during the holidays. Whether you’re celebrating across time zones, or maybe you’re just planning an upcoming holiday when you’ll all be together—a good family-video-chat app will let you do it all.”

Budget and plan near and far.

Have a grown kid away at college? Maybe you’re helping your parents in Arizona maximize their retirement income? With the ability to share documents, you can tackle projects together during your chat, even when you’re far apart. Build a budget, help with homework, schedule doctor’s appointments: it’s all at your fingertips thanks to popular apps that let you create, share and edit spreadsheets, documents, presentations and more. After you’re done collaborating, you should be able to save everything securely in the cloud, where everyone can access it from any device.

Keep tabs on those you love.

Did you know that some family-video-chat software actually allows you to share your live location and other information? For example, you’re running late for your online gathering—you can help everyone rest easy by sharing your live location in any group or one-on-one chat—so they know you’re on your way. They can even get alerts when you leave or arrive at your designated location. Turn it on or off as needed, or set it for a fixed amount of time.

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Plan your family getaway.

Got a family reunion coming up? Maybe a big family vacation? Why not plan it together? Next time you video chat, you can create, share and organize your group’s itineraries, share packing lists, flight info, create to-do lists (and assign everyone tasks!) and so much more. Your video chat app is transformed into a centralized hub that makes trip planning a breeze.

Create a family “safe” to protect and share your valuables.

Ever worry that you (or your family) won’t have access to important documents or other critical information should you ever need it? Choose a video chat app that lets you share and store important stuff like passwords, passports, life insurance info, kids’ allergy lists, wills and more in a safe—right there in the app. Only those you share it with will have access. They can add content, too! Best of all, the data stored is completely encrypted and secured and you can choose how you want the encryption handled. It’s a very cool feature you’ll come to love—as it offers peace of mind for all family members.

Just relax and have fun!

Family time should also be about having a good time. Schedule a happy hour, game night, trivia night, or invent an entirely new tradition. You can use a wacky background from your favorite TV show, or sit amid a mountain of LEGO blocks, there are a ton of custom backgrounds for everyone. You can also share emojis, animated GIFs, memes and stickers—all great ways to add some fun to the family party.

As you can see, family video chats have become so much more than just face-to-face conversations. Choosing a great app gives you access to some pretty cool features that help you better connect with the most important people in your life!

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