Snapchat Gets Group Video Chat Feature, Supporting 16 People at Once

Photo-sharing platform Snapchat has introduced a new Group Video Chat feature that will make connecting with friends and family more fun. It also introduced Mentions, allowing users to easily tag other users in their Snaps.

"Today, we're excited to introduce Group Video Chat on Snapchat!" parent company Snap said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

"We designed Chat to feel less like texting and more like hanging out. That's why when a friend opens Chat, their Bitmoji pops up to say 'I'm here!' - and why your Chat conversations aren't saved forever, by default," the company said in a blog post.

"Today, we're making Chat even more fun. Now you can video chat with up to 16 of your friends at one time. Just tap the video camera icon in a Group Chat to get your friends together! Friends in the Group Chat will receive a notification inviting them to join," the blog post added.

Users can start the group chat with just a tap on the video icon. Up to 16 friends can video chat together at the same time. Meanwhile, group audio chatting can support 32 friends at once.

Friends have the option to join a Group call just with voice too, or toggle between video and voice, if they aren't camera ready, the emailed statement added.

With another new feature, Mentions, users can tag friends in the Snaps they add to their own Story.

"Let your friends know who you're with or if you're thinking about them. Now, you can tag friends in the Snaps you add to your Story! Start by typing "@..." and then enter the username of who you'd like to mention. In some cases, you may need to type the full username. Viewers will be able to swipe up on your Snaps to watch the tagged account's public Story or add them as a friend," Snap said in the emailed statement.

Written with inputs from IANS