In-app chat solutions have become new avenues to engage and retain players of gaming apps. Recent years also have witnessed a revolutionary change in the gaming industry, with mobile gaming currently leading the way in terms of user engagement and income creation. Also, in-app chat can satisfy users' needs for convenient communication, increase brand awareness, increase retention, and provide businesses with complete control over the customer experience.

What is in-app chat?

Let’s begin by defining what is in-app chat. In-app chat or in-app messaging for gaming app is a chat interface that allows users (game players) to connect and interact with others in private or in groups. The chat or messaging is in real-time, instant, and seamless. And the mode of the chat can be text, audio, or video.

Why is in-app chat important for gaming apps?

As players are seeking new ways to connect and communicate with other players, in-app chat solutions have become essential. Otherwise, they will leave your app and search for other apps that allow real-time chat. Here are the top reasons why an in-app chat is important for gaming apps.

• In-game chat surges User Engagement & Retention: User engagement and retention rate are the key metrics that let you know how much your gaming app players value, enjoy, and stick with your gaming app. The more you engage your players, the higher will be the retention rate. In-app chat helps you to engage players with its instantaneous and real-time chat features.
  
  
• In-game chat provides a consistent brand experience: The blend of all of your players’ interactions, perceptions, and impressions of your brand through various channels and touchpoints is called a brand experience. In-app chat’s ability to interact and connect with players and communities within the gaming app may have an influence on how your game players perceive, feel about, and trust your app, which may then have an impact on their advocacy and loyalty. In a nutshell, in-app chat solutions for gaming apps improves customer experience, which improves the brand experience.
  
  
• In-app chat for gaming apps yield profits: No matter how your game app is unique and has exciting features, people won’t pay attention if they are not connected with the app personally. Thus, providing an in-app voice/video chat feature in your game encourages socializing, which helps players get over their weariness with playing alone. We can see how PUBG and LUDO multi-player games have gained more revenue with their outstanding in-app chat features. The more people involved and retained in your app, the higher will be the per-user session times, LTV (long-term value), and, thereby, ROI.
  
  
• In-game chat is the room for innovation and improvement: As it is a chat platform, the app owners can have immediate feedback from the players. In addition, they can know all the statistics of the game and players through in-chat app analytics. This helps the app owners to improve or update their game features as per users’ requirements and stand tall in the vast gaming arena.

What are the essential features of in-app chat solutions for gaming apps?

If you are going to develop a game app or have had an app already, you must integrate an in-app chat solution to improve the gaming experience for all players. These are the six essential features you must look for before designing in-app messaging. Let’s walk through 6 essential features!.

• Real-Time Communication: Real-time communication is one of the fundamental features a gaming app must have. This feature of in-app messaging for gaming apps allows users to communicate with their teammates and friends within the game quickly and proactively. Users can exchange crucial information, discuss their game strategies, talk about in-game events, and celebrate their event or game victories instantly by eliminating delays. All this is in real time!.
  
  
• Group Chats: For multi-player games, group chats are another essential feature an in-app chat must have. So, ensure the Chat API for gaming has this feature. This group chat allows users to form groups, teams, or communities and communicate with their teammates. They can also play together and challenge each other, which makes their gaming experience more exciting. This removes the boredom of playing alone. Ultimately, this feature can draw users' attention and increase the popularity of the game.
  
  
• Moderation Tools: Though an in-chat app has myriad benefits, there might be some risks. As we are connecting and interacting with other users whom we do not know, we have to be cautious, especially kids and teenagers. Because, some people may use mean comments, request to chat in private, use unmoderated and inappropriate chat, and offer gifts. However, thanks to the Gaming Chat Apps that have moderation tools. This tool must include parental controls, customizable rules and guidelines, friends-only chat, mute/blocking, setting up profanity filters, and reporting.
  
  On the other hand, these tools allow admins to monitor and control the user-generated content (user profiles and chat) to protect users from toxic behavior, harassment, inappropriate group or community chats, and other harmful interactions. Thus, moderation tools ensure a safe and seamless gaming experience for players of all ages.
  
  
• Customizable UI: The complete design and functionality of a mobile application that facilitates a seamless user experience is known as the user interface (UI) and is the success factor of any application. If you want to cater to a broad audience, prefer a customizable user interface. Because one size does not fit all. Players have specific needs and tastes when it comes to UI. They want personalization in terms of fonts, themes, chat window size, and colors.
  
  Gamers should also have the option to select which chats or groups they wish to stay updated with, as well as to prioritize notifications. Customizable UI features not only improve the app's visual attractiveness but also allow gamers to personalize the app to their unique needs and preferences.
  
  
• Support for Multiple Devices: Gamers frequently move between platforms, including PCs, gaming consoles, and mobile devices, based on their personal choices or situations. So, gaming isn't limited to a single device. Hence, it is important for in-chat software solutions to be multi-device compatible so that users can stay in touch with their friends on any gaming platform.
  
  In addition, cross-platform support must be provided to users to access their groups and conversations from different devices. This promotes a sense of consistency in the gaming experience apart from improving convenience.
  
  
• Scalability: The volume of app downloads, number of players, and data traffic may skyrocket as the gaming app is gaining popularity. Also, the chat traffic may fluctuate during in-game events and peak gaming hours. So, scalability is a feature that ensures In-App Chat API can handle the rising volume of app users and data while offering a reliable and seamless gaming experience to all players. Hence, gaming app developers must design app infrastructure that ensures scalability without downtime and decline in service quality.

Conclusion

In today’s mobile-first world, In-App Chat Solutions have become a fundamental aspect of outstanding gaming experience. So, it is time to incorporate Chat API for gaming. The aforementioned essential features help to improve player engagement and build gaming communities. What are you waiting for?. Incorporate these features into your in-app chat and provide your app users with a seamless and exciting experience.