WhatsApp unveils a treat for few 'lucky' users - have you been selected?

WhatsApp has announced a brand new feature that will be available for a select few users.

It is now possible to launch group video chats that let you see and talk to several friends at the same time.

Although officially announced at the Facebook F8 conference earlier this month, the rollout is only just beginning. And even then it is only being made available to a select few of WhatsApp's 1.5 billion users.

"You will need to be very lucky," wrote specialist blog WABetaInfo which first caught wind of the staggered rollout.

It is impossible to say with any certainty when the feature will be available for the majority of users. A gradual rollout allows companies to fine-tune their features and catch early bugs or issues.

Eager users can get on board by signing up for the WhatsApp beta - a test version of the app that gets newer features ahead of the main version.

iPhone users will have to have version 2.18.52 of the WhatsApp beta app installed to be in with a chance of getting group video chat while Android beta users will need to be on version 2.18.145.

Once you have the feature, you'll be able to see a small "Add Participant" icon on the top right window during a video call.

Tapping it will allow you to add up to three other people to the call which will then split the screen into quarters.