How to video chat for the technologically illiterate
December 10, 2020 1:16 PM Subscribe
What is the easiest method for video chat with an android phone? I want to help my parents to video chat with my brother and his kids.
I live in an apple universe, and facetime is awesome and SO easy. But my parents have androids. And my brother has android. None of us live near each other, so this needs to be dead-simple to instruct from afar.
Is there any sort of built-in android app that allows for easy video calls? I understand they can do a video chat through Google Hangouts. If they have an android phone, does that mean they already have a google account, or do I need to set one up for them? Is the Hangouts app easily accessible from the original set of apps that come on an android phone? (This is most likely one of those burner-type phones with prepaid minutes, but I may be able to get a model if it's helpful.)
They do not have facebook, nor any other apps set up. If another app is best for this, how easy is it to install? They won't give a credit card to the Google Play store, so can free downloads be had without giving a cc number? This will need to be on a phone, not a tablet, not a computer.
I believe that my dad *could* handle some downloading and setup as long as he doesn't have to give his cc number. Or can I set up a google play account and give him a username/password to use, or will that mess everything up?
Please help me to help them!
I live in an apple universe, and facetime is awesome and SO easy. But my parents have androids. And my brother has android. None of us live near each other, so this needs to be dead-simple to instruct from afar.
Is there any sort of built-in android app that allows for easy video calls? I understand they can do a video chat through Google Hangouts. If they have an android phone, does that mean they already have a google account, or do I need to set one up for them? Is the Hangouts app easily accessible from the original set of apps that come on an android phone? (This is most likely one of those burner-type phones with prepaid minutes, but I may be able to get a model if it's helpful.)
They do not have facebook, nor any other apps set up. If another app is best for this, how easy is it to install? They won't give a credit card to the Google Play store, so can free downloads be had without giving a cc number? This will need to be on a phone, not a tablet, not a computer.
I believe that my dad *could* handle some downloading and setup as long as he doesn't have to give his cc number. Or can I set up a google play account and give him a username/password to use, or will that mess everything up?
Please help me to help them!
Google Hangouts baffles my dad, but Zoom he loves.
posted by johngoren at 1:25 PM on December 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by johngoren at 1:25 PM on December 10, 2020 [2 favorites]
We use Duo on our Google phones (including to talk with iPhone users) and it's dead simple.
posted by saladin at 1:36 PM on December 10, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by saladin at 1:36 PM on December 10, 2020 [6 favorites]
Best answer: I've found Whereby incredibly easy to get the technologically-hesistant using. No logins, no installing.
posted by Trivia Newton John at 1:39 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Trivia Newton John at 1:39 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yeah, Google Duo. It's some small work to set up but very easy and facetime-like after that.
posted by GuyZero at 1:44 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by GuyZero at 1:44 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
My 93 year old, deaf father was blown away by Zoom, loved it, asked me to put it on his phone, and asked if we could do more Zoom get togethers. Now, part of the attraction for him is the possibility to add captions in Zoom which made it much easier for him to participate. But being emailed a link and clicking on that link was something that seemed to be a reasonable ask.
posted by MustangMamaVE at 1:50 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by MustangMamaVE at 1:50 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Jitsimeet does not need an app or an account. Just send them a link:
https://meet.jit.si/Metafilter for example.
posted by Akke at 1:54 PM on December 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
https://meet.jit.si/Metafilter for example.
posted by Akke at 1:54 PM on December 10, 2020 [3 favorites]
Google meet will be fine, should be able to just send the other party a link.
posted by kschang at 2:17 PM on December 10, 2020
posted by kschang at 2:17 PM on December 10, 2020
You could try sending them a link to download Google Duo on the Google Play Store. I think asking them to click a link like this on their phone https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.tachyon&hl=en&gl=us would take them directly to the Google Play Store. Some Android phones may already have Google Duo installed.
WhatsApp also seems to work well for the less tech savvy. My parents are comfortable with Zoom but I had to be there in person to help them to learn how to use it.
I’ve had success using Google Meet with some people that are less tech proficient but it requires a Gmail email address which they probably have if they’re using an Android phone.
posted by mundo at 3:44 PM on December 10, 2020
WhatsApp also seems to work well for the less tech savvy. My parents are comfortable with Zoom but I had to be there in person to help them to learn how to use it.
I’ve had success using Google Meet with some people that are less tech proficient but it requires a Gmail email address which they probably have if they’re using an Android phone.
posted by mundo at 3:44 PM on December 10, 2020
Seconding Duo — the call quality is quite good, and once it's set up it's very easy. The only hiccup is that figuring out how to call a specific person can be a bit tricky (since it integrates with their phone's contacts), but if you have them install it, and then you call them, you'll get added to their contacts and you'll appear as an option for someone to call every time they open the app after that.
For computers, I usually use whereby, and it works well on phones as well, although not quite as well as Duo in my experience.
posted by wesleyac at 5:42 PM on December 10, 2020
For computers, I usually use whereby, and it works well on phones as well, although not quite as well as Duo in my experience.
posted by wesleyac at 5:42 PM on December 10, 2020
Just WhatsApp like everyone else.
posted by turkeyphant at 5:53 PM on December 10, 2020
posted by turkeyphant at 5:53 PM on December 10, 2020
As others have mentioned, Zoom is pretty easy. I email my parents a link and they click on it. My dad got it on the first try and is very comfortable with it.
posted by pangolin party at 7:59 AM on December 11, 2020
posted by pangolin party at 7:59 AM on December 11, 2020
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Very easy interfaces on all of them.
posted by ananci at 1:20 PM on December 10, 2020 [1 favorite]