Video chat is the most preferable form of communication than its text counterpart. And video chat apps are instant messengers that incorporate high-quality video recording.
Moreover, there are pure video chats without text messaging. In this article, we cover the A-Z of a video chat app, its functionality and types to give you a clear insight into what goes into building a great video chat app for your business.
APIs provide top-notch functionality that saves developers time, and money and the hassle of developing complicated features in-house. This also facilitates quick implementation of the video chat app.
What is a Video chat app?
A video chat app is an online visual communication application that allows you to have real-time conversations over the internet via a webcam and relevant software.
Video chat gets established when video-based communication is incorporated into your existing service or application. Facebook incorporated Skype in 2011 in order to add a video chat. And video chat is otherwise known as video conferencing or video calling.
Essential features of video chat apps
The leading video chat apps have significantly advanced technological features that allow “crystal clear” HQ audio and video, including a secure and user-friendly interface. These features include:
Registration
Registration adds security and makes a video chat app user-friendly. And it is better to provide users with sign-up via social networks or through manual registration
User Data
Users can customize their profiles by adding their personal data, profile picture, etc.
Contact List
Gives users the option to have quick access to contacts. Make it easy to add participants during a video chat.
Group video chat
An ideal video chat application has to provide group video chats. And each participant must be able to turn on and turn off both the camera and microphone.
Virtual Noise Cancellation
In a video chat app, one of the most crucial needs is to cancel out the background noise. In this requirement, virtual noise cancellation makes it possible to separate the user’s voice from the background sounds. And this is a widely used functionality in video chat apps.
Screen Sharing
Screen sharing is another great feature that simplifies presenting the information and also enables participants to share their presentations.
Security Features
A video conferencing app should have all the necessary certificate encryption protocols like AES encryption and TLS/SSL to ensure personal data protection for all participants.
Text Messaging
Text messaging is another feature that serves great when users can’t hear each other or cannot talk to each other for some reason during an ongoing video call.
Push Notifications
This feature keeps the users well-informed about new updates, chat texts, missed calls, and new updates.
Types of Video Chat Apps
Video Conferencing
Video conferencing apps are used to conduct remote meetings. These apps allow screen sharing, and recording and are predominantly used on laptops and desktops more than mobile devices.
- Zoom was released in 2013 and attained peak popularity during the pandemic. The 40-minute free version accommodates up to 100 participants. This application enables screen sharing, encryption, and live recordings. Its unique features include virtual backgrounds, beauty mode during video calls, and gallery view with up to 49 open windows on one screen at a time.
- Hopin is used for large virtual events that could have up to 100,000 participants. It includes audience polls, quizzes, and Q&A sessions. And users can store and edit video recordings.
- Google Meet helps teams to stay secure and connected with enterprise-quality video conferencing for desktop and mobile experiences. Users will be able to join meetings via a Calendar event, an email invite, or Gmail without wifi or data.
Video Calling
- Facetime is available by default on all Apple devices. And users can initiate video calls like they would do with a contacts number, unlike a video conferencing app that needs an email or calendar invitation.
- Facebook Messenger connects users with their friends over text-based and video chat. It also includes features like filters, masks, and stickers for a better experience.
- WhatsApp is primarily a text-based messaging app. Its features include presence indicators, push notifications and video calling capabilities. But it is limited to only four participants per video call.
Entertainment Apps
- Discord is a free gaming application that allows creating channels, streaming live games, and conducting video calls. It runs on most operating systems and is versatile and easy-to-use.
- Bunch serves as a great group video chat app for games. It lets users invite their contacts via other social media apps like iMessage, Bunch Code, Facebook.
- Snapchat chat app allows users to send messages, pictures, or videos, called “Snaps,” that vanish after getting viewed. Users can stay updated with all the latest news with Snapchat.
Steps to creating a Video Chat/Calling App
Creating a video chat or video calling app can be greatly simplified with the right team. The expert solutions offered by a self-sufficient development team involves a comprehensive approach that takes care of every single aspect that goes into the app. The various phases include:
Selecting the team
Choosing a qualified software development company helps a team of developers to build the best app. It allows instant real-time communication, while allowing complete control of your video chat app development process. Additionally, you get access to a vast ecosystem of talents, while saving time recruiting a team.
Solution design
The team will move forward to the solution design stage where the goal and the scope of the project gets defined. The team includes a Business Analyst, a Solution Architect, and a Designer. The team also offers an approximate estimate and calculates the time required to build your video chat app.
Discovering stage
The project requirements are outlined in a development plan during the discovery phase. In this phase, the team clarifies all agreed requirements, such as the platforms needed to be used along with third-party service integrations, and functionality features.
UI/UX design
UI/UX design services come first as you create a customizable video chat app. A minimalistic and intuitive design is prioritized if you serve a broader audience. A user interface that has relevant essential features will always perform well among a specific audience. But if it has multiple menus, it will deter the users away. So your video calling app has to be made for all age groups and technical levels to enable a user-friendly experience for everyone.
Development and integration
This is where the video chat app development begins. With all the documents to refer throughout the process, the development phase attains momentum. Programmers build the software during two-week sprints, and a part of the application will be completed at this stage.
WebRTC protocol integration
WebRTC protocol integration has features like streaming, and audio video codecs that facilitate communication between users. This denotes that the server exchanges data between the clients and establishes a direct connection.
Build your own video conferencing application
You can easily build your own video conferencing application without coding. You can have the whole process simplified for you. And get help in analyzing what your app actually requires to stand apart as the best video chat application. If you reach out to the right team, then the whole process can be simplified and executed for an expected output.
Takeaway
When your business demands qualified expertise, turn to the best video chat API provider for support. And MirrorFly is that video calling SDK provider who will guide you every step of the way and help your app to take shape from the concept stage to the launching stage. Professional assistance can offer you the best after-development assistance to make sure you got what you wanted for a high-quality video chat app.
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