In recent weeks, Clubhouse has been quite discreet. After deploying its Android application in May, the platform simply announced at the beginning of the month the end of invitations for summer 2021. It therefore seems that the specialist in audio shows fills the main flaw in its service: accessibility. A well-known mistake that other competing platforms, such as Twitter’s Spaces, Facebook’s Live Audio Rooms, and Spotify’s Greenroom app, have avoided. Now Clubhouse seems to be working on another feature: a private messaging service.
Private messages approaching for Clubhouse
Some Clubhouse users had the opportunity to wake up to a little surprise in their app last weekend. The platform gave a glimpse of a private messaging feature called “Backchannel”. This new feature is a way to chat by text instead of audio, the Clubhouse app’s preferred format. At first glance, a simple logo in the form of a message appeared next to the one depicting a calendar. By clicking on it, the “Backchannel” page opens, but remains empty for the moment. After being discovered, the feature very quickly disappeared from speed cameras.
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Wow looks like accidental update of @clubhouse enabled in app backchannel & switch of side bar & full experience.
Seems it’s rolled back now but from what I saw it was beautiful!!
On stage > move to hallway > hit arrow > back channel popped up! @jowyang @GaryLHenderson pic.twitter.com/5bJfVlg7t5
— Brian Fanzo ???? Keynote Speaker $ADHD (@iSocialFanz) June 18, 2021
The arrival of a private messaging system allowing users to communicate with each other by text is not new for Clubhouse. The CEO of the platform, Paul Davison, notably addressed the subject during a public meeting: “ I think there are so many people who send private messages, so many people who want to deepen friendships and relationships with people and do all kinds of other things. I think it’s something that we should have ».
After contacting Clubhouse, the media The Verge was also entitled to a comment from the spokesperson for the company regarding the subtle appearance of the private messaging feature. He thus underlines that ” As part of our product creation process, Clubhouse regularly explores and tests potential functions. Sometimes these functions become part of the application, sometimes not. We do not comment on potential features ».
It will therefore be necessary to wait some time to see (or not) arrive this functionality. It would still be counterproductive not to do so when we see, for example, the newly launched Spotify Greenroom already benefiting from a similar functionality.
And FWIW, @SpotifyGrnroom already has a backchannel feature, so expect @Clubhouse‘s to (possibly) look something like this.
/cc @ashleyrcarman @bryanmenegus pic.twitter.com/EyBWMSy6zX
— Chris Messina (@chrismessina) June 21, 2021
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