by Muyiwa Matuluko

Twitter is rolling out two new features to its messaging app. Users will now be able to edit and upload 30-second videos and share private group messages with up to 20 participants.

Previously users had to sign up on Vine – a video service acquired by Twitter – to be able to post videos in Tweets. Now users can directly upload videos taken in the Twitter app onto their timeline.

Videos uploaded directly have a 30-second limit, as against 6 seconds on Vine. This could possibly spell the demise of Vine, though it has managed to create a niche for itself in the short video messaging space.

Also users can now use the Direct Messaging feature to hold private group chats within the app. Unlike the original DM feature were you recipient has to be following you, group DMs allow everyone within the group chat, as long as they’re added to the group by someone they follow.

The premise for Twitter adding these new features is quite obvious – get more users to engaged each other within the app. “Twitter observers” who might want to discuss topics that matter to them are often discouraged by cyber bullying and other privacy concerns that plague the open internet. With group DMs, users will now be able to read (or watch) Tweets and then follow up the conversation in private with trusted acquaintances. The idea is to discourage users from continuing the conversation outside Twitter into other messaging platforms.

Twitter has continued to make efforts to move beyond it’s original text-based offering by iincrementally adding features like multiple image upload on timeline, Twitter cards, GIFs and Vine integration. Now with the ability to upload videos without leaving the app, Twitter hopes to drive even more engagement among its users.

The new features have begun rolling out in trickles to select users, beginning today, and to other users (Android and iOS) in the “coming days”.

Here’s the first Tweet sent using the embedded Twitter mobile camera.

Check out my Twitter video #Oscar exclusive! I gots me a scoop! pic.twitter.com/SGQ3oJHDqZ

— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) January 27, 2015

Muyiwa