TikTok has finally rolled out a highly requested feature: Group Chats. In a recent blog post, the company announced that users can now watch videos and interact with a larger group simultaneously.
According to the blog:
“Watch, comment, and react together in real-time, making every interaction more dynamic and connected. People can curate dedicated groups with up to 32 people through group chat and easily share their favorite videos.”
However, there are certain restrictions for younger users. TikTok users aged 13 to 15 will not be able to participate in Group Chats at all. For those aged 16 and 17, Group Chats will be available, but with limitations. Only friends, including older teens, can add them to a group. Moreover, if an older teen receives an invite, the group must have at least one mutual friend, and they must make a proactive decision to join. Older teens who create new groups will also be required to review and approve any new members.
Members of a TikTok Group Chat will have the ability to mute and block messages, and they can report individual messages or the entire group chat if they feel it violates TikTok’s Community Guidelines. Additionally, there will be limits on the number of Group Chats a person can create and the number of times a message can be forwarded.
Alongside Group Chat support, TikTok’s latest update also introduces custom stickers for Direct Messages. For more details on creating and using these stickers, including guidelines on what not to include, users can visit TikTok’s support page.