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Spending Mother's Day apart can be hard, whether it's due to social distancing or just because you don't live near each other. For many mothers, a video chat offers a better experience than just talking on the phone. Plus, it's easy to set up, even if your mom isn't tech-savvy.
There are few things mothers love more than having their kids all together in one place. While social distancing makes this difficult, you can use any number of free video-chat applications to connect the whole family. Which service you choose will depend on which devices your mom has and can easily use.
FaceTime: If Everyone Has Apple Devices
If mom and the rest of the family all own Apple devices, the built-in FaceTime app allows you to easily make video calls on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Apple TV also allows you to FaceTime, although it's easier to gather the family together on iPhone and iPad.
If you're having issues loading FaceTime, you can try updating the app or re-downloading it from the Apple App store.
Skype: If Everyone Has Different Devices
Skype is one of the most familiar video-chat apps, although it doesn't come standard on most devices. You can download the desktop version of Skype for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can also download the mobile versions for Apple or Android devices. Once you've gathered each family member together on devices that have Skype, you can set up a video call anyone can join.
Don't forget to change your background to something that celebrates moms!
Facebook Messenger: If Everyone's on Facebook
Many family members around the world use Facebook to keep in touch. Get together with mom and the whole family (50 guests, maximum) with a free Facebook account. You can access Facebook's video-chat app in Messenger through the desktop version of the website. It's also available in the mobile app for Android and Apple devices.
After you make sure all your family members are connected on Facebook, just start the video call.
Zoom: If You Want to Join by Phone
Zoom is a popular solution for free video chats on any desktop or laptop computer. You can set up a Zoom meeting for free in minutes. The person who starts and hosts the meeting will need to download the desktop client from Zoom's Download Center.
Once your call is up and running, you can invite anyone by sending them a link, whether they have the client installed or not. They can even dial into the meeting by phone.
With all these free video-chatting solutions, there's no excuse for not showing mom that precious face of yours on Mother's Day. If you have connection issues with one service, just jump on another!