Staying Connected With Family & Friends on Zoom

In a year marked by physical distance, with the pandemic preventing many of us from traveling or getting together in person, connecting with friends and family in other ways is vitally important. While Zoom has become central to communicating with colleagues during this time, it also opens the door to staying in touch with loved ones over video. 

If you’re missing in-person get-togethers and celebrations, here are some ideas for making your virtual hangouts with relatives and friends more meaningful.

Maybe you’re used to sitting on your couch or at your desk for Zoom video calls, but why not mix it up with a dance-off or home tour of all the renovations you’ve been working on using your smart display? Zoom is already available on Portal from Facebook, and with an early preview of Zoom calling on Google Nest Hub Max now available and Zoom on the Amazon Echo Show coming this week, you have lots of options for more dynamic conversations.

The beauty of these devices is that you can easily start or join meetings with one touch or by using voice control, but some have cameras that also pan to follow you, or zoom in or out to capture a wider frame. Check out our blog post for some favorite gadgets that help you capture all the action and up the fun.

Or, try a new experience altogether. Visit OnZoom.com and book a virtual class with your friends or family members so you can learn something new together.

Share your screen and take a look at some digital photo albums together, or dust off your actual photos and create a simple document camera to share them (here are some tips for how to do that easily and affordably). 

You can also use virtual backgrounds to take a trip down memory lane. Before your call, ask loved ones to find a photo of a favorite memory and set it as their background to ignite instant conversation and nostalgia.

Being on video calls day after day can be exhausting, but mixing it up can help combat meeting fatigue. Have a short one-on-one call on Zoom Phone, plan virtual game nights with a small group, and keep in touch on the fly with Zoom Team Chat, where you have cool features like saving your favorite photo or GIF as an emoji. 

For special occasions like holidays or celebrations, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with how you throw virtual parties! We’ve added a feature that allows co-hosts to manage Breakout Rooms, which you and your loved ones can use for white elephant gift exchanges or games like Pictionary and Charades over Zoom. 

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