What WhatsApp can do, TikTok can do too – at least in part. Direct messages, for example, have long been part of the short video platform. What was missing, however, were group chats. Users have not yet been able to easily share TikToks with several people at the same time. Parts of the community have repeatedly expressed their desire for such a feature – with success. Because, as TikTok explained in a recent Press release announced that the group chat function is now part of the app. This puts the platform in competition with WhatsApp, but imposes special regulations.
TikTok: Group chats like WhatsApp
Up to 32 people should be able to take part in group chats in the future. The goal: more interaction. According to TikTok, group members should share videos together, comment on them and react to them in real time. The chat function apparently also works without a previously shared clip. So anyone who wants to watch short videos and chat with several friends will probably be able to do without a classic messenger app from now on. To start a group chat, the following steps are necessary: Click on “Chat” in the inbox, select the respective participants and tap on “Start group chat”.
Younger people need to pay attention to this
However, special rules apply to younger people: Both direct messages and group chats are blocked for people under the age of 15. For 16- to 17-year-olds, however, the company is a little more liberal. The feature is available here, but subject to conditions: adding each other to group chats is only possible if the people follow each other. Joining via invitation also requires that at least one person from your own TikTok circle of friends is already a group member. In addition, young people must first confirm their own membership manually. Such confirmation is also required if they want to add new members to a group they have created themselves.
Sticker function also newly available
The number of groups a person can open is limited. The same applies to forwarding messages. Common chat features such as muting, blocking or reporting people and messages are on board. In the shadow of the new group chat function is a second innovation that TikTok now offers: stickers. In addition to groups, users will also be able to create their own stickers, upload them or use existing stickers – another similarity to established messenger apps.
