Houseparty, the social networking service that Epic Games launched less than a year ago, has now become the go-to application for millennials on lockdown.
It is one of the most downloaded apps from Apple, in both the UK and the USA, and has taken video chatting to the next level by offering games and challenges, which FaceTime and WhatsApp don’t.
The speed with which Houseparty connects you with your contacts when you download it means it’s easy to reunite with old friends. Ever since I downloaded the application around a week ago, I have noticed up to three of my contacts joining the network every day.
Its main attraction is the ease with which up to eight bored isolators can quickly throw a party. You don’t even need to necessarily schedule anything, because Houseparty will notify you as soon as your potential guests are on the app. And Houseparty also lets you easily extend your invitations out to friends-of-friends as well – which means the party could quickly go global!
In fact two final-year Norwegian high school students told me that this is what they liked most about the app – the chance to meet new people. One of them also enjoyed the fact that you can remain anonymous, because of the way it allowed her to be more herself. The other student agreed that Houseparty helps people relax. “People are losing it!” she said. “They seem to be opening up more than when they weren’t stuck in a quarantine…”
So stay home, stay safe and perhaps I’ll see you at Houseparty – even if we have never met each other before!