Download.it search icon
Advertisement

A reliable video and voice chat application that allows users to make calls directly from their dessktop

A reliable video and voice chat application that allows users to make calls directly from their dessktop

Vote: (3,230 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: ooVoo

Version: 7.0.4.0

Works under: Windows

Also available for Android

Vote:

Program license

(3,230 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

ooVoo

7.0.4.0

Works under:

Also available for

Windows

Android

Pros

  • Cross-platform compatibility increases the communications tools available
  • Great social media integration on the desktop software

Cons

  • Too many ads
  • Inconsistent features between mobile and desktop versions

ooVoo folds instant messaging and video conferencing services into a single app, and it's completely free to use. With compatibility across all major desktop and mobile operating systems, it can provide you with all the tools you need to stay in touch with your friends, family, and colleagues. Video chat options are available with up to 12 people, making it a useful tool for work conferences, the planning of events, and impromptu family reunions. While it may not have the level of popularity as similar messaging platforms like Slack, Discord, or Skype, it has a number of interesting features that help it stand apart from the crowd.

These group video conferences are where ooVoo really sets itself apart from the competition. While popular platforms like Facetime allows face to face chat between two people, larger conferences are generally relegated only to professional video conferencing services. OoVoo allows you to see as many as four people in the chat window at a time. While the internet has put us more readily in touch with practically everyone in our lives, it also has a tendency to create more artificial interactions. OoVoo provides a sensible and natural alternative that doesn't quite simulate the fact of interacting in person with others, but it's one of the most apt programs on the market for replicating those experiences.

Unlike Skype, ooVoo is intended for the individual rather than for the demands of businesses. Despite leaning hard on cloud-based technology, both the audio and video quality are quick, crisp, and responsive. That makes it easy to check in quickly with a friend or use ooVoo as an integral tool in your social media footprint. And the fact that it works naturally across just about every major platform means that you can access it regardless of where you happen to be. This social media integration manifests through a number of cool features. One of the most prominent is the ability to stream YouTube videos on your video conference. The value for social media influencers is obvious, but it's also earned the platform street cred among younger users who naturally swim through currents of multiple social media channels running in tandem with one another.

That's not to say there aren't any downsides. OoVoo's PC and Mac platforms are feature rich, and they allow you to expediently fold the information you find on social media directly into your conversations. But many of these features are stripped out of the mobile versions of the app, and that becomes particularly ugly when you have a conversation with multiple users who are loading the app on both mobile and desktop versions. Then there's the preponderance of ads that floods the service. While it's a solid alternative to traditional video conferencing apps catered to the needs of the individual rather than the business, there are still some kinks that need to be worked out before it becomes the powerhouse it deserves to be.

Pros

  • Cross-platform compatibility increases the communications tools available
  • Great social media integration on the desktop software

Cons

  • Too many ads
  • Inconsistent features between mobile and desktop versions