As we wait with bated breath for the day Facebook finally announces the addition of video capabilities to the site’s main chat feature, more third-party applications continue to appear. Many of these services offer the opportunity to chat with both existing friends and to meet other users from around the world. Here are six apps currently offered on the site — let us know in the comments section which one is your favorite.
TinyChat
With over 1.9 million monthly active users, TinyChat is a massively popular choice for video chatting. The application has the capability for video-based chats for friends and groups of up to 12 participants.This service’s popularity doubtlessly has some help from how simple it is to set up. The sign up for the application is a quick process that doesn’t require any sort of installation. Simply head to TinyChat’s official page on Facebook, follow the quick steps to connect, and invite friends to join.
I recommend that you send out private invites, however, to avoid having your chat sessions posted to your news feed so you can limit the conversation to only those you want to participate. Also, take a glance around at ongoing conversations in public live rooms, but approach these areas with caution.
VChatter
While the competition Chat Roulette random video chat fad has sizzled a bit since its initial boom, VChatter still averages over 700,000 active users a month.Last month, VChatter raised an additional $350,000, and it’ll be interesting to see how that money gets invested into the company’s product.Invite and connect with friends easily using the convenient screen on the side menu, and if you are feeling adventurous take a trip around the world without leaving your computer desk.
My personal random chat experience landed me in the midst of an excited tall fellow smoking a cigarette in a dimly lit room. Suffice it to say the conversation did not go very far, but the service does deliver what it promises.
Rounds Video Chat
Rounds brings a stylish and swanky look to Facebook video chat. The application hosts an estimated 386,994 monthly active user. With its sleek page design and application layout, how does it actually hold up as an application?Connecting to Rounds is as simple as heading towards the application, and setting up your camera. Invite friends to chat by dropping down the “Make A Call “button. One of the most engaging features offered by this service is the ability to participate in games and other activities by choosing the “Interactive Menu” located to the right of the previously mentioned button.
Overall, Rounds Video Chat definitely ranks highly on this list of choices as its layout is equal to its practicality.
FaceBuzz
To access FaceBuzz, I had to use a Windows PC, as the application doesn’t work with Apple-based operating systems. When I was finally able to access the random video chat application, it was exactly as I excepted: A older shirtless gentleman smoking a cigarette was my first encounter, followed by a few other guys seemingly meandering through the program as it was intended.Overall, I was not impressed by the experience. While the random video chat service does deliver as it suggests, it really lacked in both a purpose and fun. However, FaceBuzz has over 30,000 monthly active users. The trick is to find a normal video chat companion, and buzz the odd ones away as quickly as possible.
ChatVibes
ChatVibes is another Windows-only program that installs a video chat button directly into Facebook’s native chat feature. With a quick download of the program, you can invite friends to join you for a quick connection. The program also installs itself as a toolbar for easy access to updates from the company.For Windows users, this seems like a fairly simple solution to add video chat to your Facebook profile without having to fire up a separate application.
