TikTok adds group chatting and video watching – with limits: How to try it

TikTok has finally unveiled a group chat feature to help you exchange messages and share videos with multiple friends, family members, or just people in your communities.

Announced by TikTok on Monday, the new chat feature lets you create and join groups with as many as 32 users. Beyond sharing videos, you can also watch them collectively with other group members and then post your comments and reactions for all to see.

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With an eye toward protecting minors from strangers, TikTok is limiting group chatting by age. Like direct messaging, groups chat isn’t available for kids 13 to 15. Even teenagers and adults will have certain safeguards.

Everyone from older teens to adults can be added to a group chat only by their friends, meaning people they follow who also follow them. If a teenager receives a link to join a group chat, they won’t be able to join unless that group contains at least one mutual friend. In that case, the teen will be able to decide whether or not to join. Further, if a teenager creates a group for chatting, they’ll have to require and approve all new joiners.

TikTok limits the number of groups that someone can create and the number of times a message can be forwarded. Anyone who joins a group chat will be able to mute and block fellow members whom they feel are acting inappropriately. You’ll also be able to report messages or an entire chat if the content violates TikTok’s community guidelines.

How to use TikTok’s new group chats

You can create a group chat a couple of different ways.

From your TikTok inbox, tap the Chat button at the top. Select friends you want to add to the group, noting that you can only invite mutual followed friends. Tap the button to start group chat.

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From a TikTok post, go to the video you want to share. Tap the Share button, select the option to create a group chat, and then select the friends you want to add, as many as 31 people. Type a message if you wish and then tap Send.

To join an existing group chat through an invitation, go to your inbox, tap the invite, and then tap the option to join group.

To further spice up your chats, TikTok has also introduced stickers to direct messages. With this feature, you can create and upload custom stickers for you and other people to add to your DMs.

What else to know

Initially designed to let people post and share short videos, TikTok has been adding more features typically found on text-based social networks. Last year, TikTok added an option to create a post with only text. Earlier this year, the company introduced TikTok Notes, a photo sharing app that lets you describe the photos you share using headlines and captions.

At the same time, TikTok has faced issues over privacy and security. The platform has been faulted and even fined for playing fast and loose with child data and child protection. TikTok also faces a ban in the US per a bill signed by President Biden, due to take effect unless the service is sold by Chinese owner ByteDance to a US company.