Due to the coronavirus outbreak, millions of employees and students are asked to work from home. These social distancing measures are taken to keep us away from getting into physical contact – and creating a virtual connection via video conferencing software.
But the reality of Hangout Meets & other video conferencing software, like FaceTime for PC, is a mix of confusion. Therefore, here we bring simple ways to set up a Zoom and Skype Meeting on Mac and PC.
Is there a difference between FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype?
Well, Skype is a hybrid between Zoom and FaceTime. Zoom is quite a different video calling software. Using it you can make calls to up to 500 people as it focuses on enterprises. To connect with others when using Zoom you don’t need to have contact’s email or phone number. By using a link or meeting ID people can use Zoom calls. While on the other hand, unlike FaceTime, Skype allows calling up to 50 people.
Zoom is mostly used to host a webinar.
Now that we know how these video calling applications differ let’s learn how to set up FaceTime, Zoom and Skype meetings.
How to set up Zoom on a Mac?
Follow the instructions below:
1. Visit the Zoom website to Sign Up for a free account.
Note: You can join meetings using the meeting ID in your browser without an account. However, to host a meeting you’ll need to create one.
2. Once the account is created, you’ll get an option to download the app. Use it to get the Zoom app.
You are now all set to use this video conferencing app.
If you get the following message while using Zoom don’t panic. When you don’t have Zoom installed you get this message.
How to set up Zoom on iPhone and iPad?
Follow the step by step method:
1. To get the Zoom cloud meeting app click here.
2. Next, enter the meeting ID and tap on Join a Meeting button.
3. However, if you don’t have a meeting ID you will need to create an account to host meetings.
How to host Zoom calls?
To host a Zoom meeting, you need to be logged in to your Zoom account. Once you are logged in follow the steps below:
1. Launch the app.
2. Tap/click the New Meeting button to start a fresh meeting. However, if you want to schedule calls, click or tap the Schedule button.
3. Once the call starts during the time, you can add people by clicking the Invite button (Mac). If you are using Zoom on iPhone or iPad, tap the Participants tab present at the bottom.
Note: Since you are hosting a zoom meeting using a video conferencing app you can share the screen as well as video.
To know more about this cloud video conferencing app you can visit here.
How to set up FaceTime on Mac?
FaceTime is the most convenient and easy to use ‘work from home’ video conferencing app. Since this video calling app comes pre-installed in Apple devices, there’s no need to download or sign in additionally. Using it you can make video calls to everyone using an iOS device. The only disadvantage of this video calling app is that it is not available for Windows.
However, there are certain alternative apps to FaceTime for PC, that you can use on Windows. To use them you need to install Bluestack and then install the app. We do not suggest using such FaceTime for the PC app, it might harm your PC.
However, if you are a Windows user you can use Zoom or Skype. Both these apps are the best video conferencing apps.
To set up FaceTime go to Settings > FaceTime.
And that’s it!
Note: Using FaceTime you can call up to 32 people at a time.
How to setup Skype?
Owned by Microsoft, Skype comes preinstalled on your PC. To use it on Windows you just need to create an account, which you can do via Outlook or Hotmail ID. Once done you can search for your contact and start interacting with them.
Being the oldest video call app, Skype has become a mainstream platform and is used for video conferencing mostly everywhere.
- Using it you can share screens, images, documents, etc.
- To use Skype on Mac click here to download it.
- Once installed create an account > sign in and you are good to go.
If you want to use this video conferencing app on iPhone or iPad click here to download it.
Bottom Line
This is all for now, using these simple steps you can set up these best cloud video conferencing apps on your Mac and PC. If you are having a hard time selecting the right video call software try the ones we explained. Each of them is perfect in their own way.
Using FaceTime, you can connect with up to 32 people while using Zoom you can connect with up to 500 people and Skype allows users to connect with 50 people at a time. Those who want to save time or are looking for cloud video conferencing software try using Skype or Zoom.
Do let us which video call app you prefer using and why?
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