Tumblr’s Cabana app just launched, which allows up to 6 users to video chat with one another while also sharing YouTube videos. In recent years, Tumblr has explored expanding its video capabilities. Cabana seems to be one of the results of Tumblr’s video exploration.

How Tumblr’s Cabana App Works

Cabana is currently only available for iPhones, but an Android version will likely launch in May. After launching the app, users can connect with friends or contacts they already know, or search by username. This feature it similar to Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, and other apps. Like most social platforms, users can then either accept or ignore friend requests. Once contacts are imported, users can then set up mini-chat rooms.

In the chat rooms, buttons allow users to flip their camera, mute their microphone, add friends, and lock the room to private. Users can also search for videos and share them in the group. Additionally, users can exit the room while the conversation continues, which puts their video on “pause”, similar to FaceTime.

The Creation of Cabana

Surprisingly, Cabana was built in just two months by Tumblr-owned Polyvore Labs. Tumblr founder and CEO, David Karp, ran into Jason Lee, director of product management at Polyvore Labs. Karp then saw Lee demonstrate the product. After seeing an early version of Cabana, Karp said, “It just immediately clicked for me as this experience that every internet-connect human has had at this point. You find something incredible on the internet – the latest viral video that’s hilarious or profound, or that obscure thing that means a ton to you – and then you’re dragging your friends over to your computer to watch it. After some tune ups, Tumblr’s Cabana app was born.

Tumblr’s Relationship to Cabana

The same interaction that Karp describes, sharing content with friends, happens to some extent on Tumblr. But, Tumblr is a network of strangers who share interests. Cabana creators envision that it be used with real-life friends. Because of its different purpose, Cabana presents an opportunity for Tumblr to expand its reach. Advertisers currently using Tumblr might want to reach a younger demographic, and that can be done through Cabana. In surveys and tests, Cabana performed well with users 13 to 18, which is younger than Tumblr’s target demographic.

Many other apps are doing video sharing, so Cabana has some competition. It will be interesting to see how Cabana succeeds or fails in the coming months. To learn more about Tumblr’s Cabana app, click here.