UPDATE: Reddit has announced that it has 100% rolled back this feature, one day after launching it. You can find out more information here.
Reddit has announced Start Chatting, a new chat feature that lets users join randomly-generated group chats of up to five people from the same Subreddits.
As is the case with other social networks, Reddit has seen its usage increase significantly in the last few months due to COVID-19 lockdowns across the globe.
Reddit says that chat usage on its platform had increased by 80% since late January – when one-to-one Subreddit chats were introduced.
Now, Reddit is launching a new chat feature called Start Chatting, in response to the demand.
“After seeing a spike of redditors using chat, we moved quickly to create Start Chatting so we could provide users with more intimate, real-time interactive experiences,” said Alex Le, VP of Product and Community at Reddit. “This is the most connective feature that Reddit has added in light of COVID-19 and we’ll continue to introduce products that bring together and inform users in a beneficial way, so that we can all get through this together.”
Start Chatting allows redditors who are looking to connect with like-minded people in real-time, to easily join randomly generated group chats with people who are in the same Subreddits as them.
Related | Facebook Brings Back Its ‘Live With’ Video Feature
When Reddit started experimenting with Start Chatting, it found that “conversation-oriented and gaming communities were the most engaged,” with r/teenagers being one of the highest engaged communities.
Image: Reddit
How Start Chatting Works
To use Start Chatting, you’ll have to be logged into Reddit first (duh). Then, go to a Subreddit and click on the ‘Start Chatting’ button at the top right of the Subreddit’s page, next to the ‘Join Community’ button.
You will be taken to a “randomly generated, community-themed chat room,” where you can start chatting straight away with up to 5 people who share your interests. If you don’t want to get matched with the same person again, just block someone in a chat. They won’t be able to contact you anymore, and you won’t get matched with them the next time you use Start Chatting.
Start Chatting is accessible on desktop and mobile. You can find out more about how to use the feature, here.
You might also like
More from Other Platforms
LinkedIn Introduces Retargeting By Video Views And Lead Gen Forms
LinkedIn has announced the ability for advertisers to target their audiences based on Video views and interactions with Lead Gen …
Google Adds Anxiety Disorder Self-Assessment To Search
Google has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to bring a clinically-validated questionnaire for anxiety self-assessment to search.
Pinterest Launches Shop Tab On Lens Results
Pinterest is adding a shop tab on visual search results, showing users a feed of shoppable Pins based on in-stock …
Spotify Will Add 8:46 Of Silence To Playlists And Podcasts In Honor Of George Floyd
Spotify will add 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence to playlists and podcasts as part of the music industry's …
Instagram Starts Rolling Out IGTV Ads
Instagram has announced the rollout of ads on IGTV, with the advertising revenue being shared with creators.
How To Create Or Join Messenger Rooms On Instagram
As of last week, Messenger Rooms are also available on Instagram. Here is how to create or join a Messenger …
Pinterest Introduces Shopping Spotlights With Influencers And Publishers
Pinterest is introducing a new feature called shopping spotlights that brings expert recommendations from influencers and publishers directly to consumers.
How To Pin Posts On Tumblr
Tumblr has added a new feature that allows users to pin posts to the top of their pages.
Spotify Removes Its 10,000-Song Library Limit
Spotify is finally removing its 10,000-song library limit, allowing users to add as many songs as they like to their …
