Social audio application Clubhouse began rolling out an audio-free feature on Android and iOS Thursday: in-room chat.
The platform said in-room chat enables moderators and listeners to communicate with each other during a live room via chat, and it gives creators a way to get real-time feedback.
Creators can decide whether or not to turn on live chat when they start a room or via room composer, and they have the ability to delete messages during live rooms or after a room ends, as well as to urn off in-room chat at any point during a room.
Users can also delete their own message during live rooms or after the room ends.
And moderators can delete messages during live rooms or remove attendees for being disruptive.
Messages in chat that violate Clubhouse’s guidelines can be reported directly from the chat by long-pressing on the user’s name and tapping report, and blocking users can also occur via long-pressing.
In-room chats will appear during Replays, but comments cannot be added at that point.
If in-room chat is enabled in a room, users will see a chat icon on the bottom left of the screen, next to the icons for Share and Clips.
Tapping the icon or swiping right lets users access the chat. The number of messages will appear next to the chat icon, and a red dot will appear when there are new comments a user has not yet read.
Clubhouse wrote in a blog post Thursday, “There’s no shortage of people who want to talk on Clubhouse. From Women Watching Sports together to jazz piano rooms to people debating politics, we’re all about that back-and-forth conversation and banter. But we know not everyone in the community wants to raise their hands and jump on stage to participate (shout out to everyone who gave us this feedback during sound check). Many of you want a way to join in on the conversation from the comfort of the audience. And we get it—because even on the internet, stage fright exists.”
