Instagram's new 4-way group video chat lets you browse, too

Sure, FaceTime will have 32-person chat -- but you can keep using Instagram while you gab.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews

When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.

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Sean Hollister

June 26, 2018 2:38 p.m. PT

Instagram could be worth more than $100 billion, and has 1 billion users a month. So it's not surprising that the company would roll out its own group video chat service, separate from its owner Facebook.

What might surprise you: You'll be able to keep browsing Instagram while you chat with three of your friends -- thanks to a nifty picture-in-picture mode built into the app. The new feature is rolling out now for iOS and Android, the company announced Tuesday.

Here's what it looks like, thanks to TechCrunch:

Sure, FaceTime will support 32-person chat and Snapchat has 16-person chat, but Instagram has something you can all do together.

Disclosure: Sean's wife works for Facebook as an internal video producer.

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