TikTok looks to be taking on popular messaging services like Meta’s WhatsApp and Apple’s Messages, as the company announced on Monday that it’s adding group chats to its platform. You can now create group chats with up to 32 people to chat and share content together.
While people often share TikTok videos with each other in group chats on messaging apps, TikTok is now letting users do so within its own platform. Users can now watch, comment, and react together all on TikTok.
The latest addition indicates that TikTok is interested in making its platform more social and a place for conversation with friends, not just an entertainment platform where you interact with strangers.
As with individual messages, group chats are only available to users above the age of 15. TikTok says it has added safety measures to protect teens between the ages of 16 and 17.
Everyone, including teens, can only be added to a group chat by a mutual follower. If a teen gets an invite to join a group chat, they can’t join unless the group has at least one mutual friend in it. Plus, when a teen creates a group chat, TikTok will require them to review and approve new joiners.
You can create a group chat by tapping the “Chat” button at the top of your inbox and then selecting “More options.” Then, you can select the friends you want to include in the group and then click “Start group chat.” To join an existing group chat through an invite, you can tap on the invite and then click “Join group.”
TikTok also announced that it’s rolling out custom stickers in DMs. The company sees the feature as a fun chat option that encourages users to create and upload their own custom stickers for everyone to use.