Category: Chat Apps

You might have noticed a sudden popularity in video chat apps since Covid-19 became a pandemic. Video chat apps like Zoom, Skype, Duo, etc serve as a great tool for visual communication across the world from our fingertips. Small and big businesses have understood the importance of video chatting, and want to create customized video chat app.

But the important question is – How to create a video chat app?

Let’s discuss about the different factors involved including the types, features, development team, etc.

Why your business needs a video chat app?

The corona pandemic requires people to maintain social distancing and to stay at home. So, most start-ups and business firms are now making use of video chat apps for communicating with colleagues and clients. This helps them to keep their businesses running.

A good video chat app results in a collaboration of various activities within the business firm without constant travel or physical meetings. It saves time, money, and can facilitate beneficial activities for the overall growth of your business.

You can speed up decisions even when employees are globally dispersed. Besides, the value of messages is amped up with facilities such app screen sharing, recording meetings, audio conferencing, etc.

• Steps to build a video chat app
• Features of a video chat app
• Types of video chat apps
• Development Team of a video chat app
• Technical stack
• How much does it cost to Create a video chat app
• Revenue generating models of video chat apps

Steps to Create a Video Chat App

Let’s now look upon the steps to create a successful video chat app

#1. Foresee Your Target Audience

Every developer desire to mould a successful app story.He/she should fix the intend and for whom they are creating an app. More than 55% of video chat app users are between ages 18 and 29, with around 40% of them being between the ages of 30 and 49.

From the studies itself, we could figure out the need for video calling apps among young users MVP

#2. Decide MVP vs Full-Fledged App

#3. Front End elements

UI/UX design acts as the pivotal factor of the app’s reach and usage. The developer should tune the features following the type of audience.

A minimal and simple design for a wide audience whereas complex elements for an expert audience. But the overall design should be enjoyed by every type of users who will engage in the app.

#4. Back end elements

The unseen codes and commands behind an app are these back-end elements. The timely coordinated activities of back end developers are essential in a video call app development.

It can be either build through scratch or software. The former makes your app more flexible whereas the latter reduce your time consumption.

#5. Testing stage

The above said back end elements should give out proper results. A slight change in the codes could end up in a failure of your app. Testing should be done in each stage and ensure the best possible user experience. Stages of testing are acceptance testing, system testing, integration testing, unit testing, etc.

#6. Video streaming protocols

A protocol is mandatory for the proper functioning of apps. WebRTC (Real-time Communication) is a collection of protocols that enable systematic functioning of audio-video codecs and data sharing between browsers. It is a very secure protocol for video chat app development.

Read Also : How to Create An App Like Zoom 

Features of a Video Chat App

Let’s go through the features a video chat app should have.

#1. User Registration

This basic feature differs from app to app. Most apps avoiding featuring a long row of irrelevant information and instead provide a simple form. Some of the necessary fields are username, email id, contact number, etc.

Usually, a dialog box enabling users to connect the app through Gmail, Facebook, or Twitter account is added which enhances better user experience. Registration can assure the user to constantly engage with the app.

#2. Profile Creation and Management

With this feature, users can display their general profile information which can be changed whenever the user desires to. You can surf a person’s who you wish to chat with, and the profile of that person appears for the first time. So, the profile info should be right and easy to access.

#3. Quick Search and Contact List

Once you have a registered account on a video calling app, you can search for your colleagues or friends in no time. People on your contact list with an account will be already notified to you.

Further, you can add others by searching them via the app. A button action could help you see and speak without interruption for hours.

#4. Video and Audio Calls

This is the vital feature of a video calling app. The sole service of a video calling app is clear and quality visual communication with one or more people beyond expensive foreign calls, time zones, and geographical factors.

A video calling app should contain high quality audio call systems too. People use both audio and video call systems provided by the same app and can have uninterrupted calls.

#5. Group Calls

Zoom with its facility of conducting group calls with about 1,000 participants and 10,000 viewers has gained great popularity. The feature of group calling is now integrated into e-learning. This allows teachers to create classroom-like ambiance from the video chat app itself.

When coming to business, management can have everyday conversations or weekly meetings with who they want to speak with.

Other features like muting/unmuting users, adding people, removing users, conference hosts, etc can balance the environment and should take care of the number of users too.

#6. Chatting and Instant Messaging

Texting is a convenient and inclusive method of communication. Usage of emoticons in place of long text messages can make your friend know about your current mood and intent of the message.

In business firms, all communication is now facilitated via instant messaging services such as skype and slack.

#7. Encryption

Content (text, video, images) you share should be safe and circulated to the people who you wish to. The encryption process which starts from the sender ends in the receiver where decryption starts.

AES-256 AND HMAC-SHA256 are the two major protocols used in video apps. Developers should ensure the confidentiality of the user’s contents.

#8. Push Notifications

Getting notified about new messages automatically is a very useful feature. Whenever you receive a new message or call, you can slide down the notification bar and reply in no time.

Advanced Features of a Video Calling App

#1. Screen Sharing

You can share the screen activities with the person or team on the other side with this feature. It can be used for formal business matters, tutorials, gaming, and movies whenever you need it.

#2. Emojis And Stickers

Most people express their likes and dislikes with emojis now. They ensure a personalized experience for users. It is a very common practice among users of social media and video calling apps.

Users also have the ability to create custom emoji packs and share those funny stickers and emoticons.

#3. AR Masks

Augmented reality is an interface that adds content (informative and entertaining) onto the physical world. Some news channels publish their statistics using AR tools.

AR masks in video calling apps are widely accepted and enjoyed by users. Snapchat was well known for this in initial times. Later, most social media apps including Facebook and Instagram launched AR stickers into their apps.

#4. Virtual Noise Cancellation

Unwanted sounds in a formal meeting or friendly conversation can distract and irritate you. Artificial intelligence is deploying its efforts for cancelling the noises in video calling apps and help users have better calls.

The above values on the development hours and cost is an average. It all depends on the number of functions and features that it offers to users.

Types of Video Chat Apps

We discussed the features of apps and their costs. Below are some of the popular video calling apps. Each app has specific intent, features, and target audience too.

#1. Everyday video calling apps

As the name suggests, it is used daily and mostly for friendly conversations. They can have all the basic and advanced features of a video conferencing app.

The main purpose is instant texting and chats. They are free apps and have no time constraints too. The number of participants is about 4-8.

WhatsApp: The moment you read this name; its icon appears in your mind filled with green shades. Most people now go through WhatsApp before starting their morning activities. It has influenced the digital world in a great manner, and it can have a video chat with 4-8 people at a time.

Facebook Messenger: It is an instant messaging app developed by Facebook. You can have uninterrupted calls with your Facebook friends. It has various effects, Arm asks, games included in chatting. But the participants’ limit is 4.

Google Duo: An app that can make you a participant through an existing Google account or number. About 12 participants can take part in video calling at a time. The low light, portrait mode, etc make it unique from other video calling apps.

#2. Entertainment apps

Video chatting plus entertainment sounds great. People love to engage with such apps. It contains built-in games and various activities with friends.

House party: Teens can lounge around the app like in a park. Inbuilt games allow them in the instant drop in and drop out group chats. There are many clones and activities to have fun with.

Discord: Great app for gamers. It allows voice chats while gaming or simple video chats. One must closely work with the app to get familiar with.

#3. Popular Video conferencing apps

These apps are one of the biggest technological blessings for businessmen and corporate world. They help in engaging up to 500 users at a time either for a meeting or a conference. It can be employed for work, e-learning, tutorials, etc.

Video and audio quality is high compared to other such apps. Companies keep revenue for buying a full feature set of these apps.

Skype: It is considered as the best solution for official matters. Employees can have intra and interpersonal communication in a very easy manner. It has been for a long time and supports quality video calls.

Zoom: Known for its participation limit and reliability. Many schools and universities deploy zoom for conducting classes, seminars, etc. But even then, reports are coming out that these apps provide poor security and low-quality encryption which has been deliberately misrepresented.

Read Also : 24 Best Video Chat Apps 2020

Development Team of Video Chat App

An app with a full feature set and making it visible on the internet is the efforts of a skilled software development team. It can be a team comprising in-house members or can take people from global sources.

In house team members can assure more flexibility and long-term development. But speaking about outsources, it has a huge pool of talent, but costs may vary.

The average number of members various personnel and their duties are mentioned below:

Business analyst: Through constant data analysis, He guides the company to provide better products and services.

UI/UX Designer: Determines how an app interface appears and felt by users. He also accompanies optimization works.

Android developer: Responsible for developing apps for android operating systems

iOS developer: Design and build apps for Apple’s iOS mobile platforms.

Testers: Provide timely testing on each stage and ensure the end-product to contain all requirements.

Project manager: Manages and guides the team to avoid pitfalls and make them work under deadlines

Technical Stack of Video Calling App

Finding the best technologies for the features you need is a task. Developers can discuss the technical aspects with experienced developers or development companies.

The most important technical aspects in making a video chat app are:

How Much Does It Cost To Create a Video Chat App ?

Estimating the cost to create a video chat app is extremely important. It depends upon the features and the complexity of your app.

As we know, an app is the end result of teamwork. Below are the table of various personnel involved and their cost.

To create a successful video chat app, various stages of development should be well planned and estimated.

The cost and hours can vary according to the platform chosen for app development, features and functionalities needed.

Revenue Generation Models of Video Chat Apps

After developing a dream app, you would think about building a strong customer base Gaining revenue is also an important area of concern. There are some methods to monetize your app.

#1. Advertisements

Advertisements have a prior role in generating revenue for your pastime words and engaging copies can make advertisements unforgettable. When they engage in video streaming, ads can be showcased.

But people don’t like interventions during their video calls for sure. Thus, you can display small promotional ads without interrupting the user.

#2. Freemium

We are very much familiar with the term as most apps deploy this strategy to make money. Video chatting apps are free and downloadable, but developers can add some premium features which can be used only by paying the premium amount.

The number of premium users can make developers realize and resolve the issues in the app.

Zoom provides free calls up to 40 minutes with about 100 participants. But to avail full features, one should pay $14.99 per month

#3. Paid calls

No one stays online always.You can make calls through the same app offline. The cost of such a call is surely less than that of a normal roaming call. Video call apps like Skype have specific rates on each country but cost less than that of a roaming call.

#4. Paid stickers

Video call apps now devote a major space for stickers and emojis. It helps in generating revenue and entertain users. Newer stickers are added so that users can’t choose other apps in a competitive era.

Read Also : How Much Does it Cost to Create an App

Conclusion

The demand for video call apps is increasing globally. Making a video calling app with thorough planning, and an efficient team can result in a great and successful video calling app.

2020 has brought an onslaught of uncertainties where people across the globe are being advised to maintain physical distances from each other. Such unique circumstances have forced the majority of the population and businesses to transfer to an online working approach.

To ensure that work gets done smoothly, many are increasingly becoming reliant on conference calls. Having said that, studies report that working and speaking with co-workers without actually seeing them can be a cause for distraction.

This paves the way for apps like Zoom that have proven to excellent platforms for businesses to conduct their meetings.

On the lighter note, apps like Zoom are also being increasingly used to remain in touch with friends and family members, conducting online classes to ensure that communication channels are always open.

Lets see how we can create a video chat app like Zoom and its development cost

Why Has Zoom Shot To Fame In Recent Times?

Web conferencing tools are available in plenty. That said, not every platform is suited to conduct group meetings involving a large number of employees.

While most support up to 10 members, you will struggle to find applications that can include higher employee numbers than that.

There isn’t a ‘one size, fits all’ solution that will ensure that your video meetings go smoothly.

But in recent times, Zoom as a video conferencing app has shot to fame as the application has been able to meet the operational demands for both businesses and personal individuals.

By enabling HD video conferencing and supporting up to 1000 participants in a single session, Zoom capitalized on the growing needs of the market that was looking for platforms to conduct online meetings.

Start-ups and entrepreneurs, inspired by the skyrocketing demand for video conferencing platforms are viewing this as a viable opportunity for investment. Many are keen to create an app like Zoom too.

So, the question is, how to create an app like Zoom from scratch? Let’s find out.

Read Also : 24 Best Video Chat Apps 2020

Start With selecting a Platform

Before you commence with the application development, you need to decide on the type of target platform that you will be using. This is essential as it helps in determining the cost outlay and the tools required in the development process.

Ask yourself this key question. Where do you want your application to run – Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, Desktops? You can choose one or even all of these platforms to host your application.

Alternatively, you can opt to use WebRTC which does not restrict you to a particular platform only as it can support all of them. That said, you should go with an approach that is best suited to your app’s requirements, the resources available at your disposal, and the budgetary allocations.

In the current scenario, your available options are to go native or web-based.

Native Apps

If you choose to go the native route, you need to select which platform will you be deploying the application on. Officially, Android and iOS are supported by their respective programming languages, namely, Java and Swift/Objective-C.

So, you will have to create a separate application for both iOS and Android platforms.

On the other hand, you can also utilize frameworks such as React Native that permits you to develop native apps that can run on both Android and iOS devices.

Web-based Apps

A web-based application is what most developers think of first. Since WebRTC APIs come included with all major browsers, the app can be accessed on any device that has any one of these browsers installed.

Moreover, using web-based applications is advantageous as there is no need for an additional third-party tool. You can use simple HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the application. Or else, go withReactJS, Angular, or Vue that makes the app more powerful.

Developing your video conferencing app is convenient on the web-based application as many desktop platforms offer it as a default inclusion with the system.

It is said to be ideal for those apps that are looking to enter both general computers and laptop markets. But it has been said to work well on mobile devices too.

If you wish to give more power to your app as an individual entity for respective platforms, opting for the native route makes more sense. Also, if your objective is to support legacy devices, native is the way to go as it is not supported by WebRTC APIs.

Progressive Web App

Progressive Web App or PWA is a concept that has been recently gaining in popularity. This combines the best of web and native which you may wish to consider as a third strategy when creating an app like Zoom.

Define Your Video Chat App Features

Now that you have your target platform sorted, the next step is to make a list of features and functionalities that will be highlighted through your application.

A lot will depend on the requirements of your application and the budget allocations.

Here is a list of recommended features that can be included in your video- conferencing application.

#1. Pre-call Video Preview

Allow your app users to check the camera before joining in on a video call. Enable them to disable video, if they wish to do so.

#2. Chat

While enabling video is a must for online meeting applications like Zoom, you also need to integrate a chat feature as an add-on channel of communication that users can utilize during a call.

#3. File-Sharing

When creating a Zoom clone application, having a feature that allows users to exchange files during the online meeting offers convenience. That said, you must ensure that the app provides a secure platform to store and transport these files.

#4. Multi-party Conference

An online meeting app will only be successful with the users if it allows more than two users to join in the call. A multi-party conference feature is a tough task to accomplish but is the heart and soul of any video-conferencing application.

Enabling more than 10 users to join in the call will require adequate backend support and reinforcements to ensure that the app works smoothly.

#5. Desktop Sharing

Integrating a desktop sharing feature is a key functionality that comes in handy when users are connecting from remote work locations and wish to share the content of their screens during the online meeting.

This is especially useful in cases where technical support is needed and an expert can guide users to get a specific task accomplished.

#6. Recording

Recording during an online meeting can be advantageous for very many reasons. Having said that, if you consider offering this feature then make sure that you provide storage for these recordings too.

Although, you can allow the user to save the recording on the Cloud or locally on their device too. You should also think about security measures to ensure that access is not granted to unauthorized users.

#7. Filters or Icons

If your Zoom clone application is being used in an informal capacity, then having a feature that allows users to add funny filters and icons during a call can help to attract a larger user base.

This will encourage more private calls to be initiated even though your target market primarily caters to a business audience.

#8. Whiteboard

If your application is being used by educational purposes, then a Whiteboard feature helps the initiator, or in this case, the teacher to impart a class through a tool that adds graphics to an idea.

#9. Live Streaming

Thanks to social media live streaming as a feature has become extremely popular. It allows a specific user to live stream audio, video, or both to a particular group in real-time.

From a business context, it can be helpful in live streaming conferences and meetings to a large group of audiences or help the government to gain access to disaster zones or rescue missions.

#10. Virtual Hand-raising

During an online meeting especially when there is a large group of members, having a virtual hand-raising feature enables a user to convey their wish to speak or voice concern by signaling to the host.

This is usually through a virtual emoji that is designed in the format of raising a hand. This feature prevents multiple users from speaking at once, thus ensuring that the meeting progresses coherently and seamlessly.

#11. Polls

As the online meeting ensues, the host can create a poll that is shared with the participants. This Poll feature enables the host to collect participant responses about a specific issue or topic.

#12. Mute Participants

When the host of a meeting wants to ensure that users do not speak out of turn, he or she can make use of the ‘Mute Participants’ feature. This mutes the mic of one or more of the online meeting participants according to the desire of the host.

Know the Technology Stack

With a well-defined platform and the list of features out of the way, you need to know on how actually to create an app like Zoom.

Here is the recommended technology stack.

Native Apps

• Android:
  • Programming Languages – Java, Kotlin
  • Toolkits – Android Studio
  • SDK – Android SDK
  • Video Chat – WebRTC
• iOS:
  • Programming Languages – Swift
  • Toolkits – Apple Code
  • SDK – iOS SDK
  • Video Chat – WebRTC

SDK and API

• WebRTC uses 3 APIs
  • MediaStream
  • RTC PeerConnection
  • RTC DataChannel
• Third-party APIs
  • ContusFly
  • Pubnub
  • CometChat
  • Willio

The Development Process

Take a look at the steps that you cannot ignore when developing your video conferencing app.

Step 1 – Back-end Development

To create your video conferencing app like Zoom, you need to figure out how to create the server part that contributes to the proper functioning of the platform. This has to be done right at the very onset.

A ready-made BaaS solution can be used for some select apps. That said, a video conferencing application is quite complex and may require more robust technologies such as building a server from scratch.

Step 2 – UI/UX Design

The design of the app is the next step. You must design the app user interface and experience making it attractive for popular usage to the end consumer.

The navigation should be simple and convenient to understand. The user should be able to quickly grasp the functioning and performance of individual features and functionalities.

Your team should consist of the following experts:

• Project Manager – 1
• Tech Lead – 1
• iOS Developers – 2
• Android Developers – 2
• Backend Developer – 1
• UX/UI Engineer – 1
• QA Engineer – 1

If you are building an MVP app, here is a stage-wise break-up of man-hours that you may expect to invest in the development process.

With a limited set of features, you are looking at a time investment of approximately 1200 to 1450 man-hours, whereas if you go with a full-blown, feature-rich version, the man-hours may range anywhere between 1750 to 2400 hours.

Read Also : 11 Steps to create a successful mobile application

How Much Does It Cost To Create An App Like Zoom ?

Basis these two ranges, here is a rough cost estimate to create an app like Zoom.

This is only an estimate and the actual cost will depend on several factors such as the final list of app features, the constitution of your app development team, their location, total man-hours put in the process, etc.

Final Thoughts

Zoom has set itself as a benchmark in the video conferencing app space. Having said there, there are still a lot of lee-ways available for more players to make their presence felt in the domain.

The benefits and subsequent returns to create a video chat app like zoom are crystal clear. Plus, the trends promise it a long life.

So, what are you waiting for? Start working on your idea today. Get in touch with our experienced consultants if you want to create an app like Zoom.