Social Media Instagram How to Use Instagram Video Chat Gab with up to six friends by Rose de Fremery Writer Rose de Fremery has been writing about technology since 2011. She's covered numerous tech topics for companies such as Ziff-Davis, Intel, IBM, and HP. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Rose de Fremery Updated on April 21, 2020 Tweet Share Email The Ultimate Guide to Instagram The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Introduction Instagram Basics How to Use Instagram Instagram Tips for Beginners Check Messages on Instagram Add or Change an Instagram Background Search Instagram for Tags and Users Add Music to Instagram Video Use Instagram Video Chat Try Instagram Shopping Get Verified on Instagram Clear Search History on Instagram Posting on Instagram The Best Time to Post Save a Draft of a Post Repost an Instagram Story See Previously Liked Posts Post a GIF to Instagram Add Multiple Photos to Stories Save Instagram Videos How to Quickly Repost Photos Saving Photos Deleting Photos and Videos View Saved Posts With Instagram Collections Working With Followers Mute Someone on Instagram See Who Unfollowed You on Instagram Block Someone On Instagram Unblock Someone on Instagram See Who Viewed You Great Tools to Track Comments Remove Followers on Instagram Tips to Get a Shoutout on Instagram Attract More Instagram Followers Delete 'Suggestions for You' IG Tips & Tricks Instagram Tips and Tricks to Try Add Highlights on Instagram Learn About Instagram Direct Use Instagram's Close Friends Feature How to Delete or Deactivate Your Account Reactivate Your Account Reset Your Password Get Started With Location Tagging How to Repost Shoot Videos with Instagram Video Understanding IG Privacy & Security Hide Your Story on Instagram Does IG Send Screenshot Notifications? Make Your Instagram Account Private See Who Saved Your Instagram Posts Download Everything IG Knows About You Manage Multiple Instagram Accounts Hiding Photos Rather Than Deleting Them How to View Private Instagram Accounts Engaging Users on Instagram Start an Instagram Live Video How to Sell on Instagram Use an Instagram Creator Account Make Money as an Instagram Influencer How to Get More Likes Things You Should Definitely Do Get on the Instagram Explore Page The Best Instagram Apps to Boost Engagement How to Make a Poll Instagram Extras: Captions & More Steal These: The Best Instagram Captions Discover the Best Instagram Filters Have Fun With Instagram Hashtags Use Emoji Hashtags on IG The Easy Way to Track IG Hashtags How to Use the IG Questions Sticker Using Instagram on Other Platforms Can You Get Instagram on Apple Watch? Use Instagram on a PC or Mac Get Instagram for iPad What is the Galaxy S10 Instagram Mode? View Instagram on the Web Online Connect Instagram to Facebook Tools for Posting From the Desktop Instagram's not just for taking gorgeous photos of your vacation and sharing perfectly stylized selfies anymore. With a feature called Instagram Direct, you can video chat with up to six friends on iOS and Android devices in much the same way you might join video chats in Skype, Snapchat, FaceTime, Houseparty, or Facebook Messenger. Here's how to set up Instagram Direct so you can enjoy video chat sessions with your fellow Instagrammers on the same app you already use for sharing photos. How to Start a Video Chat on Instagram Ensure you're running the latest version of the Instagram app installed on your iPhone or Android and that you have an account. From there, open the Instagram app. Open Instagram Direct to start a video chat. Tap the paper airplane in the top right corner; it should appear just to the right of the IGTV icon that looks like a miniature television. This tap opens your direct inbox, where your direct messages live on Instagram. Now you can start a video chat with up to four of your Instagram friends. You can do this one of two ways: Start a Video Chat in an Existing Conversation Tap a username or group name to open an existing conversation then tap the video camera icon in the top right-hand corner of your screen to initiate a video chat. The person or group you call will receive a notification indicating you're video calling them. Start a Video Chat in a New Conversation Start a new conversation by tapping the Plus (+) in the top right corner and picking the people with whom you want to video chat. Tap the video camera icon on the top right-hand corner of your screen to initiate a video chat. The person or group you call will receive a notification indicating you're inviting them to join a video chat. Four-way video chat in Instagram. Enjoy your video chat! When you're done, tap the red phone button to hang up. How to Browse Instagram During a Video Chat You can browse Instagram while you're in a video chat with your friends. Tap the minimize button in the top-left corner, represented as a little square within a square, while on your video chat. A window with your friend's face on it will appear, which you can move around on your screen wherever you like. You can now browse your feed, send direct messages, post photos, and do anything else you normally would while continuing your video chat; your friends won't see what you're browsing, only your face. How to Troubleshoot an Instagram Video Chat Instagram video chats are pretty straightforward, but if you find you're having trouble receiving a video chat request, there's a chance you might need to turn your Instagram push notifications on. Privacy Considerations for Instagram Video Chats Prevent someone from trying to video chat with you using one of these two methods: Block the user by tapping the relevant username to access his or her profile. Tap the three small dots in the top right-hand corner of your screen then choose block. The user won't be notified you've blocked them. If you want to unblock this user later, repeat the above steps and choose Unblock. Alternatively mute the conversation you've had with the user from your Instagram feed. Tap the paper airplane icon in the top right corner to open your direct messages within Instagram. Select the group conversation you'd like to mute, then tap the group name at the top, then tap next to Mute Video Chat. If you haven't named the group, just tap the list of names. You don't have to give the group a name. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. 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