The world of work is changing fast, and in a remote-first workplace, it’s ever-important to have the best apps for team communication. These can help you to connect with employees who aren’t physically in the office, whether they’re working from home and coming into the workplace on a hybrid basis, or operating completely remotely from the other side of the world.
What’s more, many of these employee communication apps sync with in-office computers and interactive displays, helping remote and hybrid teams stay on top of work and keep open team communication.
To start, let’s look at a definition of team based messaging applications.
Team based messaging applications are software that can be used on any electronic device - mobile phone, laptop, tablet or interactive display - that focus on instant messaging and voice and video call, but with the crucial element that they are centred on team chat.
This means that IM groups and remote conferencing can all feature in these team based messaging applications.
If you’re wondering what is the best apps for team communication, check out this list!
When looking at a list of ‘what is the best team chat software?’, Slack often comes out as number one. Slack claims that it ‘replaces email inside your company’. The programme uses channels and threads, so groups of people can have seamless IM conversations and video calls. It is possibly the most popular company chat software currently used in the US by remote teams.
Trello uses a different kind of communication, but it is just as important as all the other business chat apps on this list. With Trello, it is possible to assign tasks to individual people and move them around into different categories, as each task goes from ‘to-do’ to ‘assigned’ to ‘doing’ to ‘done’.
Therefore, it provides a visual map of all tasks on a to-do list, and the processes of it. Trello can be used on the app or on desktop.
If you’re wondering ‘how do large groups communicate?’, let me point you to Zoom. Featuring a business model consisting of online meetings, webinars and conference rooms, Zoom is a great team based messaging application which is highly regarded amongst many businesses. Used by clients like Uber, Zoom works well when organising meetings outside of the office, so is perfect for remote teams.
Named after a type of song sung by sailors to alert others of news, Chanty is a team chat app that uses AI to offer unlimited messaging for virtual teams. The platform is praised for its simple, easy to use interface and the fact that different content can easily be shared across the app, mainly in its Teambook feature which organises tasks and conversations.
Troop Messenger is a handy team based messenger application which has features that include instant messaging, private messaging (where messages are no longer stored after the conversation has been exited), video calling, sharing and different group chat options, so it is perfect for business. They offer a free 30 day trial if you sign up through their website.
Syncing with some of the best features of previous apps Campfire and Basecamp, which were produced by the same company, Basecamp 4 aims to be ‘more than just a project management tool’.
Within the software, which is perfect for remote work, is a message board, communal to-do list, team schedule, docs and files list, group chat, and automatic check ins. It also has some nice features like the ability to set office hours - so time off is really time off - and automatic organisation, making tasks really easy to see and complete.
Part of the Google virtual empire, Google Chat is its video chatting app. It’s easy to use on laptops, tablets or mobile devices, and can be linked to interactive displays, which are a must-have device to keep everyone connected. Google Chat is great if you have an interactive display, which can be synced to people’s devices for remote meetings.
Used by 300 million people worldwide every day, WhatsApp is generally thought of as a social app for chatting to friends, but it can work well for remote teams as well. It is easy to make a group chat on WhatsApp, where teams can send quick messages and send audio clips and multimedia. Group call is another feature that has been recently added to the app, so while it might not be ideal for big meetings, it’s perfect for a quick chat.
Priding itself on ‘team collaboration all in one app’, Ryver is a popular remote collaboration tool. It features forums - where teams can discuss any pressing issues or hot topics -, private group chats, and one-to-one communication as well. Tasks can be assigned to employees, and there can be live discussion within the app about each task. This is Ryver’s USP - they offer 3x the functionality in just one app.
With the tagline ‘work remotely without feeling remote’, Microsoft Teams is a great solution for chatting to and collaborating with colleagues. With features like group chat messages, online video conferences, voice and video calls, and collaboration with Word docs, Powerpoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets, there are plenty of ways that teams can collaborate using this platform, which was especially made for remote work.
While Asana is more of a workflow tool, it’s also ideal for team communication and remote collaboration. With Asana, teams work using Gantt charts and calanders, so they can keep track of when tasks are due. Teams can also communicate on each task by adding comments and assigning them to different members.
Again, Monday generally functions as a workflow tool, but it’s also one of the best apps for team communication. With Monday, you can assign tasks to your teammates and, similarly to Asana, discuss topics right on the task cards themselves. It’s the perfect way to keep conversations organised by particular topics.
Convo is one of the best examples of business chat software, with a gorgeous interface of different chat styles, which you can theme according to your business. Using detailed research regarding the way that different offices communicate, Convo has developed a sophisticated platform to respond to the best way that your business communicates - whether that be synchronus, like chatting or asynchronus, like commenting.
Flock is a popular team communication software that merges many features, including chat, conference calling, project management and file sharing. It’s used across industries and in many departments, including human resources, engineering and marketing. If you’re looking for a one-stop application where you can collaborate with your whole team, Flock could be the solution!
Telegram is a famous messaging app that’s used all over the world. It’s especially useful for large teams where a manager or director wants to create a “broadcasting” channel. They can create a group, which anyone can join using a link, where the group administrator can post messages. They can also change the settings to allow other group members to message or not. Alternatively, Telegram has a group messaging feature that’s similar to WhatsApp groups.
While Facebook Messenger is often used for out of office communication, it certainly has a place as an easy to use messaging app. In the office, it’s commonly used for quick informal messages between employees. A benefit of Facebook messenger is that you can communicate with people who you aren’t yet a Facebook friend of (they will get a message request which they can accept or deny), which can be useful if you need to send somebody a message but don’t have their number.
Spike is a team communication app that offers “conversational emails” enabling you to collaborate with your team much more effectively than if you were just using traditional email. It has plenty of features that you can streamline, including making notes, creating to-do lists and organising meetings. You can also turn email conversations into video conference calls!
Pumble is a free company chat software, so it’s a good option to try if you aren’t sure which of these software options will work best for your team. You can have direct and group messages with your colleagues within multiple channels - and team members can follow various channels that they’re involved in. It’s a valuable way to keep chats - and the digital workplace in general - organised.
Notion is another project management software with some chat functions. While it doesn’t have an actual chat app - you’ll probably want to use it along with Slack or Ryder - you can create tasks, assign them to colleagues and comment on tasks for focused discussion. Using Notion is another fantastic way to keep your digital workspace organised!
These team chat softwares and team collaboration apps are perfect for any business to use, especially ones that are thinking of going remote. They can be easily synced with many devices, and enable remote workplaces to still stay connected.
Using team chat apps like Trello, Basecamp 4 and Ryver will help you stay on top of projects, while Google Hangouts, group communication tools like Zoom and Chanty are perfect for meetings and conferences.
Each business will have different uses for each app, so it’s a great idea to look at all the above and work out the perfect mix for your company. The real challenge is to find the best team communication app for your company.
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