TikTok has announced improvements to Direct Messages, giving users the ability to communicate via group chats.

One of the new features is the ability to send stickers via Direct Messages:

On TikTok, creating and sending videos to each other is our love language. We always look for ways to up our game and create real and visually entertaining tools for our community. Creative expression and accessibility are at our core, and we brought that energy to DM features with the introduction of Stickers in DM. Stickers provide fun and creative visual chat options that encourage the community to create and upload their own custom stickers for everyone to use.

The headline feature, however, is the ability to chat with groups of up to 32 people:

TikTok inspires self-expression, providing an easy way to share authentic and relatable content. Group Chat harnesses this power, allowing you to create a shared viewing experience with friends, family, and communities. Watch, comment, and react together in real time, making every interaction more dynamic and connected. People can curate dedicated groups with up to 32 people through group chat and easily share their favorite videos.

The feature is not available for users ages 13 to 15. For teens ages 16-17, the company says it is taking steps to protect them:

• Everyone, including teens, can only be added to a Group Chat by their friends (people they follow who also follow them).
• If a teen is sent a link to join a group conversation, they will not be able to join unless the group includes at least one mutual friend. If they are eligible to join, they will be required to make a proactive decision to join.
• When a teen creates a group conversation, by default we will require them to review and approve new joiners.

The company says users will be able to mute and block messages they’re not interested in, as well as report messages that violate the platforms Community Guidelines.

TikTok has repeatedly been under fire for not doing enough to protect underage users, with the US government suing the platform last week for violating child privacy laws.

“The Department is deeply concerned that TikTok has continued to collect and retain children’s personal information despite a court order barring such conduct,” Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer said at the time. “With this action, the Department seeks to ensure that TikTok honors its obligation to protect children’s privacy rights and parents’ efforts to protect their children.”

Hopefully, the company’s new feature will live up to the company’s promises of protecting underage users, while simultaneously offering other users improved ways of staying in touch.