Snapchat has become the preferred platform to share instant images and videos that document a user's life. Since growing in popularity, the widely-used social media app has continually introduced new features in order to elevate a person's experience when chronicling their daily escapades, filters and all.
Snapchat has now revealed group video chat, alongside the ability to add mentions to the Stories feature. The newly revised video conference option will roll out globally this week, and will allow up to 16 users to communicate with one another at the same time; group chats will never be the same. Participators will be able to turn off their cameras to access an audio-only function, or simply text their contributions to the discussion.
Additionally, Stories will now be equipped to include mentions, similar to Twitter, which can be simply accessed by typing the "@" symbol, followed by a user's handle. This update will effectively make the feature more conversational in nature.
Both of these enhancements are intended to keep users engaged with the app for longer, especially since Instagram has introduced similar functions recently. Mentions are the company's way of elevating Snapchat's interactive capabilities, while group video calls pose a direct competition to Houseparty and Bonfire.