ADVENT CALENDAR – DAY NINE

The 12 best mobile phone apps you don’t already have

Bored of talking to the family and tired of trivial pursuit? Matt Taylor has the apps you need to install this Christmas

Houseparty, which lets you join video calls with up to eight participants, is the digital hangout of choice for over 20 million people
Houseparty, which lets you join video calls with up to eight participants, is the digital hangout of choice for over 20 million people
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Matt Taylor
The Times

Pick up a phone in the November sales? Stand in a (virtual) queue for hours waiting for an iPhone X? We have looked beyond the predictable clutter of new apps on your home screen – WhatsApp and Instagram anyone? – to tell you what else is out there. From apps that search through thousands of photos in an instant to those that help the visually impaired, our list has everything to sate those with a curious appetite for mobile technology.

Houseparty
Casual video calls with up to eight participants, houseparty is the digital hangout of choice for over 20 million people. Simply open the app, wave at your friends to invite them into a “houseparty”, lock it down when it gets lively, and drop out