What are the technologies used to build video chat apps?

WebRTC

The most used technology for video connection between devices is WebRTC. It’s an open-source technology that allows you to arrange real-time communication using simple APIs.

Using WebRTC in the app gives you the opportunity to enact audio and video communication and data transfer without any additional plugins. A fully-functional WebRTC package might include such features as peering, streaming, and video and audio codecs for communication arrangements between two or more online users.

What else is worth to be mentioned about this technology is that there are 4 API Interfaces to use in WebRTC

MediaStream: with this interface, a client can chat with someone using either a webcam or a microphone.
RTCPeerConnection: with this one, you can activate audio or video data transfer with encryption support and access control.
RTCDataChannel: this interface provides users with a P2P communication network for data generalization.
OpenTOK: this is a cloud PaaS platform that acts as a wrapper library. You can find it as part of some WebRTC toolkits. It is an open-source library that makes it possible to create cross-platform video chats on a WebRTC API-basis.

SaaS Solutions For Building Video Chat Application

Some apps can use ready-made SaaS solutions:

PubNub

This site provides more than 70 data-streaming software development kits for websites and apps. It’s highly likely that you’ll find one that appeals to you as you begin setting up your application.

OpenTokRTC

This was an experimental feature created and launched by Mozilla. It makes it possible for users to connect peer-to-peer. They can easily add live video and voice and messaging to the web, iOS, and Android apps.

Wowza

It’s a powerful media server that has grown quite popular lately. It is aimed at audio and video streaming. It is a reliable and high-tech service upon which many companies have come to rely.

Twilio

This platform is famous for its SMS, contact center solution, and WhatsApp APIs. In addition to all of that, though, they are a notable player in the video chat space. Their video chat SDK is built using WebRTC technology.

Socket

This integration makes an interactive connection possible between the app and the server for real-time information exchange, such as what takes place during live streaming. With Socket, you can build a Starter or BaseProject kit which includes all the required features for many apps.

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES AND TOOLS TO USE FOR VIDEO CHAT APP DEVELOPMENT

Swift

For a video chat app on iOS, many developers see Swift as more accessible than Objective-C. That is especially true if they are attempting to create an iOS-exclusive video chat app.

Java and Kotlin

When it comes to Android-based applications, the top programming languages are usually Java or Kotlin. They both use Android SDK that is intuitive and straightforward.

Bambuser

Developers may opt for the Bambuser tool and its SDKs. In some cases, it will be enough to use native HLS methods. In fact, it is often easier and faster to build video chat apps using third-party services since they simplify the process dramatically.

Credit : Andrii Horiachko, COO at Softermii