The Brief: Squad is a new video messaging app that allows users to video chat while simultaneously sharing their phone screen with friends.
DEEP DIVE
WHAT IS SQUAD?
Launched in January 2019, Squad is a video messaging app that allows users to video chat with up to six people while simultaneously sharing their phone screen with friends. Described as a “digital hangout,” Squad goes beyond the typical, isolated video chat set-up you might find with Marco Polo or Houseparty.
Using the Squad app, smartphone users can cast their screen to other users participating in the same “digital room,” and share everything from a hilarious Instagram feed to the latest Shane Dawson conspiracy video on YouTube.
SCREEN SHARING
The app is currently only available for iPhone users, however the company is planning a launch for Android in the near future. It wasn’t until June 2018’s iOS 12 that Apple’s ReplayKit for screen sharing became stable and easy enough to be built into a consumer app for Gen Z users. While the app is rated for users aged 4+, as of now, about “70% of its current active users are girls between the ages of 13 and 17.”
MULTI-PURPOSE
Though Squad was originally designed to enhance social media experience, users have found multiple other uses for the app, including screen sharing for homework help and to do tech support with family members. Young professionals might also find the screen sharing capabilities of the app to be especially helpful when working from home.
SAFETY & PRIVACY
Olabot Inc.’s app, uses personal information, including user-contributed content like name, email, and stored phone contacts, personally identifiable information, and automatic information. By providing access to their stored contact information, users can connect with other users and invite them to join a video chat session.
Though Squad may utilize users’ contacts to connect them to people they might know, they do not share users’ phone numbers or the phone numbers of third parties with anyone else.