How Houseparty App Emerged as a Must-Have While Social Distancing
Gabi Gregg, like millions of others who are self-isolating due to the coronavirus pandemic, doesn’t plan on throwing a house party anytime soon. But the 33-year-old from Los Angeles has still found a way to virtually hang out with her friends and family recently by turning to Houseparty, the video chat app. “The Houseparty app has been so fun lately because so many of us are craving social connection,” Gregg told TheWrap. “[HouseParty] allows us to hang out with our friends in a way that’s lighthearted and have social interactions that aren’t based in fear and anxiety.” The app, which first launched in 2016, has enjoyed a flood of new users in recent weeks. It darted up the Apple App Store charts to the sixth most popular app as of Tuesday morning (and has also cracked the top 50 on Google Play’s top free apps). Based on data shared by Sensor Tower, first-time Houseparty app downloads last week increased 324% from the week prior; and from March 2 through March 9, first-time app downloads were up 563% week-over-week. Or, perhaps the best way to frame Houseparty’s surge: Adoption has increased 2,709% — or about 28 times — since early March,...
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