Snapchat adds group conversations with up to 16 people

Most of us take group conversations in chat apps for granted, but it’s been a conspicuous omission from Snapchat since it launched its chat feature. That’s now changed, as Snapchat is rolling out groups to both Android and iOS today.

The conversations can hold up to 16 people. The limit is a bit unfortunate if you’re trying to organize a large event – say, a Thanksgiving dinner for a large family – but it should suffice for most uses like coordinating lunch plans and such.

You can share images, voice clips, stickers, and videos just like a regular chat, and participants names will be listed at the bottom of the chat window (tap on the names to enter private conversations). You can assign a name for the group as well.

Chats sent in the group are deleted after 24 hours, while Snaps can only be viewed once (and are also deleted after 24 hours if not viewed).

It’s been long time coming. Moreover, it gives people one less reason to use another social media or chat app  – which of course, is exactly what Snapchat wants.

There are a couple of other new features too. You can now use a scissors tool to cut out part of a snap to turn it into a sticker, while a paintbrush makes snaps saved in memories look all artsy and stuff. These are rolling out slowly though, so you might not see them on your device quite yet.