If you are now following the federal government's advice to self-isolate, that's a good thing. Because you are doing your part to stop the COVID-19 pandemic (open in new tab) that is spreading rapidly to large parts of the world. Needless to say, you are alone. Prolonged isolation, such as that required by a coronavirus quarantine, can take a huge toll on your mental health (opens in new tab). You've probably only used group video chat for work, so you may not be in the habit of using these apps for fun, but hear me out - you can use them for virtual game nights, catch-up sessions with a group of friends, or video calls with the whole family. (Another perk is that the latter allows you to hang up whenever you want.)

I moved to the US from the UK about 10 years ago, so I am familiar with group video calling technology. (I am also familiar with getting hung up on during a video call. This is because my sister's teenage years were during that period.) So let me take you on a journey that I would call "How not to isolate yourself more than necessary to save others 101."

This "cool kids" app, for example, is more like Snapchat than Skype for Business. Touted as "the next best thing to talking in person," the app allows you to receive notifications when your friends are using the app. You can video chat with up to eight people at once, play the party game "Head's Up" (see below), and "ghost" (open in new tab) house parties (see below).

Download (open in new tab)

Zoom is not at all better looking than Houseparty - you've probably used it in work meetings and it speaks for itself. The free plan allows video chat with up to 100 people for up to 40 minutes, and the interface is clear and easy to use. (FaceTime would have led this category, except for one thing: you have to exclude friends who don't use iPhones, making it essentially a party only for people with iPhones, Macs, and iPads. That's because there is a group FaceTime option that allows you to add up to 32 people and switch to audio FaceTime if the service is bad, which is perfect, except for the non-iPhone thing.

While still in its early stages (i.e., expect the occasional crash), Bunch has taken the Houseparty concept one step further and introduced virtual game nights. Described as the Xbox Live of mobile gaming, Bunch says you can video chat with friends while playing virtual pool, "Mars Dash," trivia, "FlappyLives" (basically a revived Flappy Bird), and more. If you're interested in a game-slash-talk app, you might also try Discord (opens in new tab), which is not as strong in terms of video chat, but is developed to allow multiple people to play at once without lag.

download it (opens in new tab)

The original. It is also the app your parents or grandparents are most likely to have, making it ideal for family video calls; Skype's interface is simple and hard to mess up, and it is easy to use. There's a reason your parents prefer to use Skype over downloading the aforementioned latest apps, and Skype is a great way to reach friends and family who don't have much time to download and learn a new app. As of last year, you can even call 50 people at once, and it's free.

Download (opens in new tab)

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

Click here to sign up (opens in new tab)