How to Create a 1-on-1 Video Call App

Developing a 1-on-1 video chat app is an engaging project that aims to connect individuals through the power of real-time, personal communication. The key to success lies in choosing the right technology stack, ensuring high-quality video and audio, securing user data, and crafting a simple, intuitive user interface. Focusing on these critical elements sets the stage for creating a video call app that delivers seamless and private communication experiences.

What is 1 on 1 Video Chat?

A 1 on 1 video chat refers to a digital communication format where two individuals engage in a private video call, allowing them to see and hear each other in real-time through the internet. This type of video chat is used for various purposes, including personal conversations, business meetings, telehealth sessions, remote interviews, or virtual hangouts with friends and family.

Unlike group video calls or broadcasts, 1 on 1 video chats are intimate and focused, providing a direct and personal way for two people to connect, discuss, and share experiences from any location with internet access. These chats require devices with cameras and microphones, such as smartphones, tablets, or computers, and are supported by numerous apps and platforms that offer video calling features.

Why are 1-on-1 Video Calling Apps So Popular?

When creating a video chat 1-on-1 app, it’s crucial to grasp why video calling apps are so popular. Their success lies in providing a personal touch that text or voice calls can’t match; seeing each other fosters a deeper connection, making conversations more meaningful. This visual interaction is invaluable in our digital age, where direct human contact is often scarce.

Additionally, the shift towards remote work and digital communication underscores the importance of video calling apps. They eliminate geographical barriers, enabling personal and professional interactions across distances with ease. Understanding these factors is essential for developing an app that meets the demands of today’s users, focusing on simplicity, connectivity, and a rich user experience.

Most Important Features of Your 1-on-1 Video Chat App

When developing a one-on-one video chat app, focusing on key features is crucial to meet user expectations for a seamless and engaging communication experience. Here are the most important features to consider:

1. High-Quality Video and Audio Calls: Ensure the app supports high-definition video calls and clear audio calls, even in low-bandwidth environments, to provide users with a seamless communication experience.
2. End-to-End Encryption: Security is paramount. Implement end-to-end encryption to protect the privacy and data of your users, ensuring that their conversations are secure from any third-party interception.
3. User-Friendly Interface: Design an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that allows users to start, manage, and end their video calls effortlessly. A good user experience encourages repeat usage.
4. Real-Time Messaging: In addition to video calls, incorporate real-time text messaging within the app, enabling users to send messages, links, and files during a call for a more interactive communication experience.
5. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensure your app is accessible across different devices and operating systems (iOS, Android, Web), allowing users to connect from their preferred devices without limitations.

Benefits of 1 on 1 Video Chat

1 on 1 video chats offer several benefits that make them a popular choice for personal and professional communication:

1. Personal Connection: Video chats provide a face-to-face interaction that can help mimic in-person meetings, fostering a stronger sense of connection and understanding between the two parties.
2. Convenience: With just an internet connection and a device equipped with a camera and microphone, individuals can communicate from anywhere, eliminating the need for physical travel.
3. Flexibility: Video chats can be scheduled or initiated spontaneously, offering flexibility to accommodate busy lifestyles or unexpected needs.
4. Cost-Effective: They eliminate travel expenses and reduce the need for physical office spaces, making them a cost-effective solution for businesses and personal use alike.
5. Enhanced Communication: Visual cues such as facial expressions and body language can enhance understanding and empathy, improving the quality of communication.
6. Privacy and Security: Many video chat platforms offer end-to-end encryption, ensuring that conversations remain private and secure.
7. Accessibility: Video chats can include features like subtitles or sign language for those with hearing impairments, making communication more accessible.
8. Efficiency: For businesses, 1 on 1 video chats can expedite decision-making processes and foster more direct and efficient communication between colleagues or clients.
9. Global Reach: They enable people to maintain personal and professional relationships across long distances, making geographical barriers less significant.
10. Recordable: Many platforms allow video chats to be recorded, providing a reference for important conversations or meetings.

The Impact of One-on-One Video Chatting on Modern Communication

1 on 1 video chat is revolutionizing communication by making interactions more personal and engaging, even across vast distances. This transformation is evident in several key areas:

1. Personal Connections: Video chats mimic face-to-face conversations, enhancing emotional bonds between friends and family members who might be separated by geography. Seeing facial expressions and body language enriches communication, making it feel more intimate and meaningful.
2. Professional Interactions: In the business world, 1 on 1 video chats are streamlining communications. They allow for clearer discussions, more effective decision-making, and stronger relationships between remote team members, clients, and partners. This real-time, visual connection can replace emails and phone calls, which often lack nuance and immediacy.
3. Telehealth Services: The healthcare industry has embraced 1 on 1 video chats to provide remote consultations, therapy sessions, and follow-ups. This approach has made healthcare more accessible, especially for people in remote areas or those with mobility challenges, and ensures continuity of care.
4. Education and Tutoring: Video chats enable personalized learning experiences, connecting students with tutors and teachers worldwide. This has opened up opportunities for specialized education and language learning, tailored to the individual’s pace and needs.
5. Hiring and Interviews: The recruitment process has been streamlined by video chats, allowing for remote interviews that save time and resources for both employers and candidates. This has expanded the talent pool for companies, as geographical limitations become less of a barrier.
6. Customer Support: Providing customer service through 1 on 1 video chats adds a personal touch to troubleshooting and helps in building customer trust and satisfaction.

Top 5 Video Chat APIs to Build 1 on 1 Video Chat App

1. ZEGOCLOUD

ZEGOCLOUD Video Chat SDK stands out as a premier solution for developers keen on integrating real-time one on one video call functionalities into their applications. Recognized for its exceptional performance and reliability, ZEGOCLOUD’s SDK guarantees a top-tier, high-definition video chat experience. This makes it a go-to choice for various sectors, including social networking, e-learning, gaming, and telehealth.

In building a 1-on-1 video call app, leveraging ZEGOCLOUD UIKits can streamline development. These UIKits offer customizable, pre-built components for video calling features, significantly reducing development time and effort, and enabling a focus on creating a seamless user experience.

Key Features:

• Cross-platform compatibility (Web, Android, iOS)
• High-definition video and audio quality
• Real-time broadcasting capabilities
• Screen sharing feature for enhanced collaboration
• Secure communication with advanced encryption
• Seamless integration with third-party applications
• Scalable for both one-on-one and group video chats

2. Twilio 

Twilio Video Chat SDK has emerged as a powerful tool for developers aiming to integrate 1-on-1 video chat capabilities into their applications. This SDK is designed to offer a seamless, high-quality video chat experience, making it a preferred choice for many businesses and developers.

Key Features:

• Unified cross-platform interface
• Customizable UI
• High-quality video/audio
• Screen sharing capability
• Advanced security with encryption
• Integration with Twilio services
• Scalable for various chat sizes

3. Agora  

Agora one on one video call SDK is a cutting-edge solution designed for developers aiming to embed real-time one-on-one video chat capabilities into their applications. Recognized for its high performance and reliability, Agora’s SDK ensures a seamless, high-quality video chat experience, making it a top choice for industries ranging from social and education to gaming and telehealth.

Key Features:

• Cross-platform support (mobile, desktop, web)
• Rich media messaging (emojis, GPS location, structured messages)
• Advanced security (GDPR and HIPAA compliant)
• Offline messaging and message recall
• Read receipts and typing indicators
• Content moderation tools
• Automatic message translation

4. Vonage

Vonage 1-on-1 Video Call SDK, formerly known as OpenTok or TokBox, is a leading solution for developers who wish to integrate real-time video chat capabilities into their applications. With its roots in the cloud, Vonage’s SDK is renowned for its superior performance, reliability, and ability to deliver a high-definition video chat experience. Whether you’re in the realm of social networking, e-learning, or telehealth, Vonage’s SDK is tailored to meet diverse industry needs.

Key Features:

• Supports Web, Android, and iOS.
• Ensures crystal-clear communication.
• Enables live streaming capabilities.
• Facilitates collaborative interactions.
• Provides end-to-end encryption for secure chats.
• Integrates effortlessly with third-party applications.
• Adapts to both individual and group video chats.

5. PubNub 

In the realm of real-time communication, PubNub Video Chat SDK emerges as a robust one on one video chat solution for developers. Designed to facilitate seamless video interactions, PubNub’s SDK is backed by a cloud infrastructure, ensuring high performance and reliability. Whether it’s for social platforms, e-learning environments, or business conferencing, PubNub offers a dynamic toolkit to embed video chat capabilities into diverse applications.

Key Features:

• Seamless integration across Web, Android, and iOS.
• Enables instant video streaming and communication.
• Ensures encrypted and secure video chats.
• Enhances collaboration with real-time screen sharing.
• Supports emojis, structured messages, and more.
• Monitors the online/offline status of chat participants.
• Access past chat records effortlessly.

How to Make One-on-One Video Call App for Web, iOS & Android

ZEGOCLOUD offers a robust and full-featured video call SDK. You can build reliable and scalable video calling features into mobile, desktop, and web applications for various use cases, such as one-on-one and group video calls, online education, entertainment, etc.

You may wonder why you should use ZEGOCLOUD’s video call SDK to implement video chat features. The advantages of this SDK make it highly appealing to novice and experienced developers. For example, unlike the traditional method of building from scratch, which can take days, you can implement one-on-one video chat functionality in minutes.

ZEGOCLOUD’s video call SDK offers 10,000 free minutes. So, it is arguably the best platform for free one-on-one video chat. As a result, if you’re looking for a platform to help you get started with your video chat app feature implementation, use the free minutes to build your free 1-on-1 video chat app.

Apart from the benefits above, below are some excellent features of ZEGOCLOUD’s Video Call SDK:

Embedded features:

• The out-of-the-box video chat interface
• Customizable UI
• Text chat
• Screen sharing
• Recording
• Cross-browser compatibility
• Built-in bandwidth management
• Auto network reconnection

ZEGOCLOUD Video Call SDK Integration for Free 1-on-1 Video Chat

To get started, you must have the following:

• A ZEGOCLOUD developer account —Sign up
• VS Code or any IDE or text editor of choice.
• A computer with audio and video support.
• Basic understanding of web development

Now, follow the steps below to integrate the low-code video chat SDK into your project:

1. Log in to the Zegocloud admin console.

ZEGOCLOUD offers a powerful developer console where you can create your apps quickly. The first step to integrating the Video Call SDK for the free 1-on-1 call feature is logging in to admin console or signing up if you don’t have an account.

2. Add a new project

Click on “Create new project” to get started with our video call project creation.

After clicking the “Create new project” button, you’ll be prompted to select the type of app you want to build. Select “Video and voice” since we are using the Call Kit, and click “Next.“

3. Enter the project name.

After creating a project in step (2), the next phase will be naming our application.

Note: You can only name a project with numbers, letters, and underlines (_).

4. Choose a UI build method.

ZEGOCLOUD offers two UIKits build methods. You can use the prebuilt UIKits to provide responsive UI out-of-the-box for our one-on-one video call app. Then, choose SDK-level UI customization if you need more customization privileges.

Proceed with the building process. Wait for the project to be completed.

5. Pick a platform and download configuration files.

I will choose “Web” as the platform I’m building for. You can also select other platforms as needed.

After selecting the platform, click the 1-on-1 calls button in the top-right corner to enable one-on-one video chat.

6. Download the project.

Click on “Get configuration and integrate” to download project files.

Opening the application with development tools like an IDE or text editor reveals the following lines of code:

<html>

<head>
    <style>
        #root {
            width: 100vw;
            height: 100vh;
            }
    </style>
</head>


<body>
    <div id="root"></div>
</body>
<script src="https://resource.zegocloud.com/prebuilt/crypto-js.js"></script>
<script src="https://resource.zegocloud.com/prebuilt/prebuiltToken.js"></script>
<script src="https://unpkg.com/@zegocloud/zego-uikit-prebuilt/zego-uikit-prebuilt.js"></script>
<script>
window.onload = function () {
    function getUrlParams(url) {
        let urlStr = url.split('?')[1];
        const urlSearchParams = new URLSearchParams(urlStr);
        const result = Object.fromEntries(urlSearchParams.entries());
        return result;
    }


        // Generate a Token by calling a method.
        // @param 1: appID
        // @param 2: serverSecret
        // @param 3: Room ID
        // @param 4: User ID
        // @param 5: Username
    const roomID = getUrlParams(window.location.href)['roomID'] || (Math.floor(Math.random() * 10000) + "");
    const userID = Math.floor(Math.random() * 10000) + "";
    const userName = "userName" + userID;
    const appID = 839236438;
    const serverSecret = "Your Server Secret";
    const TOKEN = generatePrebuiltToken(appID, serverSecret, roomID, userID, userName);


        const zp = ZegoUIKitPrebuilt.create(TOKEN);
        zp.joinRoom({
            container: document.querySelector("#root"),
            sharedLinks: [{
                name: 'Join as a host',
                url: window.location.origin + window.location.pathname + '?roomID=' + roomID,
            }],
            scenario: {
                mode: ZegoUIKitPrebuilt.VideoConference,
            },

            turnOnMicrophoneWhenJoining: true,
            turnOnCameraWhenJoining: true,
            showMyCameraToggleButton: true,
            showMyMicrophoneToggleButton: true,
            showAudioVideoSettingsButton: true,
            showScreenSharingButton: true,
            showTextChat: true,
            showUserList: true,
            maxUsers: 2,
            layout: "Auto",
            showLayoutButton: false,

            });
}
</script>

</html>

Run a Demo

One-on-one video call UI configuration

As previously stated, there are two types of video calls: one-on-one and group. We’ll only focus on one-on-one video calling today.

 {
            turnOnMicrophoneWhenJoining: true,
            turnOnCameraWhenJoining: true,
            showMyCameraToggleButton: true,
            showMyMicrophoneToggleButton: true,
            showAudioVideoSettingsButton: true,
            showScreenSharingButton: true,
            showTextChat: true,
            showUserList: true,
            maxUsers: 2,
            layout: "Auto",
            showLayoutButton: false,
            scenario: {
             mode: "OneONoneCall",
            }
}

If you go through the codes above, you’ll notice the call mode in scenario parenthesis. which shows we’re in 1-on-1 video chat mode.

    scenario: {
             mode: "OneONoneCall",
    }

To test the application, open the file we downloaded in step 6 with any browser you choose.

If you want to develop live-streaming applications, you can download the sample demo source code in this article.

Conclusion

Video call is now one of the most used features in almost every modern communication and information transmission app. The one-on-one video call mode is often used for easy and efficient communication between friends and families. Building this app from scratch can be cumbersome, but you can do it easily with ZEGOCLOUD’s Video Call SDK.

Read More:

• Top 10 Video Conferencing APIs & SDKs
• How to Build an App like Omegle Video Chat

FAQ for 1 on 1 Video Chat

Q1: How can I ensure high-quality video and audio transmission in a 1 on 1 video chat app?

Ensuring high-quality video and audio involves several strategies: using efficient codecs like H.264 for video and Opus for audio, implementing adaptive bitrate streaming to adjust quality based on the user’s internet speed, and optimizing server infrastructure for low latency. Also, consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to reduce delays and improve connection stability.

Q2: How can I scale a 1 on 1 video chat app to accommodate a growing number of users?

Scaling a video chat app effectively requires a robust backend infrastructure. Utilizing cloud services that offer scalability, like AWS or Google Cloud, can help manage increased loads. Implementing load balancing, optimizing database management, and ensuring efficient data routing are also vital for accommodating a larger user base without compromising performance.

Q3: How do I monetize a 1 on 1 video chat app without compromising user experience?

Monetization strategies that don’t hinder user experience include offering premium features, such as additional encryption for enterprise users, custom virtual backgrounds, or extra file storage. Subscription models for enhanced features or small transaction fees for certain services, like expert consultations, can also be effective. Always ensure that the core communication features remain accessible to keep the app competitive and user-friendly.