Houseparty is a social networking service that allowed for group video chats via mobile and desktop apps. When friends are online and available for group video chat, users are notified. In group or one-on-one chats, users spent an average of more than 60 minutes per conversation on the app.
Life on Air, Inc. released it in 2016 and it was available on iOS, Android mobile devices, macOS, and Google Chrome. Sima Sistani is the chief executive officer and co-founder of the company. Epic Games announced on September 9th, 2021 that Houseparty would be discontinued and removed from app stores on the same day. It remained operational for users who had previously downloaded it until October 2021.
Major Features
Meet friends of a friend
Houseparty is a social app that allows users to instantly join video calls with their friends and anyone else who is on a video call.
No privacy
Houseparty allows you to quickly connect with friends via video calls and share your screen with viewers. It has a few flaws, most notably how it handles being a background app, but it’s a good program overall.
Because Houseparty is a social-oriented application, there is no privacy when using it, unlike standard communication apps. There is no way to decline a call, and anyone who knows who you are can start a chat. This allows you to have a group conversation with friends without leaving your couch, but it also intrudes on your privacy.
When contacts are online and available for video calls, the app will notify you automatically. This is a convenient way to always know who you might see while the application is open and ready to receive contacts. These notifications, however, will play even if your phone is set to silent.
As a result, the app will notify your friends when you are online and available for video calls. If you’re looking at the program quickly, this may irritate you because your friend may decide to join you and catch up.
The application is simple to use because there are no reject call options other than exiting the application. This is a significant disadvantage, but it contributes to the app’s ability to be a social tool as spontaneous as a friend unexpectedly appearing.
Houseparty lets you share your screen with friends, making it simple to play games and see who has the highest score. This mode is also useful for sharing messages and chat experiences.
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5 things you should know About Houseparty App
The Houseparty App has suddenly become ubiquitous. The video-chatting app, which allows up to eight people to share a virtual hangout, has been around since 2016, but its popularity skyrocketed during the Covid-19 lockdown for obvious reasons. Houseparty is now one of the most downloaded free apps on the iOS Store in the United States. (Houseparty has already reached number one in the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain.) If you don’t already have it, chances are someone you know will invite you to join it soon.
So, what’s the allure of the Houseparty app, and what are the drawbacks? The app, as the name implies, is essentially a virtual version of a large gathering. If your friends are “in the house,” you can talk to them one on one or gather a group in a room to talk or play online games with friends, either locking the door or leaving it open for new people to walk in and join you. Here’s what you should know.
1. Instant video chat with friends
The Advantage: The Houseparty app uses your personal contact lists (from your phone as well as Facebook and Snapchat) to help you build a social network on the app. The app then tells you who is using it and who has recently used it. If one of your friends is online at the same time as you, click the “join” button next to their name to be instantly connected to them.
The Disadvantage: Because friends can start conversations without your knowledge, make sure you’re prepared to be seen when you use the app: At any time, you could be zapped into a conversation. If you have a large number of contacts, you may want to be selective about who you add to your friend list; for example, you could limit it to people you wouldn’t mind seeing at any time. (Allowing any app access to your contacts also raises privacy concerns, but Forbes’ cybersecurity reporter finds no major red flags and offers some tips on how to reduce your risk.)
2. Spontaneous group hangouts
The Advantage: Houseparty allows groups of up to eight people to chat at the same time. However, when compared to other apps like Zoom, it has a more casual, spur-of-the-moment vibe. You don’t need to plan anything ahead of time or send anyone an invitation; you can join any open group that includes at least one person you know. As a result, it’s a good way to broaden your social circle, similar to attending a real-life party with a single friend.
The Disadvantage: is that you may not want strangers interfering with your conversations with friends. You can close the group by using the lock button at the bottom of the screen. And, if your children are using the Houseparty app, or if you are a child, be aware of the stranger danger that can accompany meeting a large group of new people online.
3. Notifications when friends are on
The Advantage: If a friend you want to talk to isn’t currently using the Houseparty app, you can let them know you’re nearby by tapping the hand-wave icon next to their name; they’ll receive a notification on their phone and have the option to join you or not. The app also sends you notifications to let you know when contacts of yours join the app or when friends of yours use it.
The Disadvantage: is that if you have a large number of friends and/or contacts, you will receive a large number of notifications about them. To do so, click the smiley-face icon in the upper left corner of the main screen. This gives you the option of completely turning off notifications or muting them for specific friends. If you don’t want to chat but just want to see who’s around, you can use the app without anyone knowing by pressing the app’s icon on your phone for a little longer than usual and selecting the “Sneak Into the House” option.
4. Games with friends
The Advantage: One of the app’s most popular features is the availability of simple games to play during chat sessions (for ideas, see our list of the best Houseparty apps). When you click on the dice in the upper right corner of your screen, you’ll be presented with four options: a trivia challenge and games similar to Pictionary, Heads Up!, and Apples to Apples. (The Pictionary one is the most entertaining.) If you want to spend some time with your friends, these can be a huge help.
The Disadvantage is that the games themselves aren’t as well developed as they could be; after a few rounds, you’ll find yourself getting an annoyingly large number of repeat questions and clues. Given the app’s newfound popularity, we hope that its developers will soon expand on this aspect of the experience, as it is one of the app’s main draws. (At least in the Heads Up! game, you can add new categories for 99 cents each.)
5. Easy recording
The Advantage: If someone you want to talk to isn’t available, the Houseparty app makes it simple to record and send them a brief video message—and receive a notification when they read it.
The Disadvantage: is that you may be recorded even if you do not want to be! However, if someone begins recording a facemail, your room is notified.
You must use a phone or tablet to fully utilize the Houseparty app. There is a desktop version, but it lacks the majority of the features that make the app worthwhile.
