There was a time when your friends would lambast you for not answering their calls. After the advent of SMS, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, BBM, WhatsApp, and other such services, people seem to have a lot to say to each other. As every one scatters far and wide in search of greener pastures, these tools help you shrink the geographies and keep you connected no matter where. So this friendship day, we check out five such tools that help you stay connected.

WhatsApp
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Blackberry
Price: Free for the 1st year. Rs 55 for annual subscription

These days if you're not on Whatsapp, you're considered dead! While it said to have left the SMS culture far behind, this tool is possibly a reason for people to shamelessly ask you for your contact number. Available on all major mobile platforms, the service lets you share pictures, videos, audio clips, and text messages between individuals or groups. I don’t really need to tell you a lot about the service; you probably know it all by now. You might have a few pehchan kaun moments, if you have been holding on to the same number for too long, and have recently discovered the world of smartphones. Also, be careful of sharing your number on peer-to-peer gadget selling sites, you might end up with unwanted Fraaaandship request. But all these would be fun stories to share with your grandchildren.

Viber
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Blackberry, Windows, Mac
Price: Free

If you still prefer talking to your friends than just texting and chatting, then Viber is a brilliant tool. Viber-to-Viber calls and texts are free of cost, and the service works well from a smartphone or a PC, or both. This service works across countries as well, but use a Wi-Fi connection for best results. Even with 3G speeds you may experience call drops, which is sure to kill the fun out of gossips that you plan to share after ages! Apps like these can turn any of your tablets into an over grown phone, whether it supports voice calling through SIM cards or not.

LINE
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Blackberry
Price: Free

OK the adverts may be incredibly cheesy and downright annoying, but that's how teens are anyway. But it does get the point across; you can use voice clips, videos, FB-style chat stickers, and obviously text messages to communicate with your friends. Like Viber, Line also lets you make free calls, and the service works with PCs as well. So if Viber doesn’t work for you, and your friends are connected on LINE instead, you can give this baby a whirl.

WeChat
Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian, BlackBerry
Price: Free

If you like Parineeti Chopra, then chances are you already have the app installed on your smartphone. And if you have watched Student of the Year, you may have uninstalled it as well. But it is quite a decent service if you choose to overlook who endorses it. Just like Line, it lets you send voice SMSes, and make calls from a PC. It has some new features such as Shake that lets you look for other WeChat "shakers" and send them Greetings, and meet up with random strangers using the Drift Bottle feature (Chatroulette anyone?). And if you want to stalk fellow WeChat users that are close by, just use the Look Around option, and send out spooky messages. This app is ideal for those looking to send out random Fraaaandship requests or love receiving them. Don’t you just love services that force you to create a new account and remember yet another password?

Skype
Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian, BlackBerry
Price: Free

One of the oldest and most revered internet communication tools, Skype recently made it to the Microsoft stable too. The service is available on all major platforms including Linux and the Mac OS, and has been around since 2003, but burst into the mobile computing scene only in 2011. Skype-to-Skype calls are free and since the system uses data encryption algorithms to protect your conversations, it is considered safe. That said, you can't really be completely anonymous; there are ways to track your whereabouts using the service. So if you want to talk to a friend to whom you owe money, he just might find out where you are. But a good tool nonetheless.

Did your favourite app not make it to the list? Do let us know in the comments section below. And here's wishing you a happy Friendship Day from everyone at TechTree.com.

Tags : Internet, Culture, Apps, WhatsApp