Clubhouse introduced Chats feature with voice messages by default that are automatically transcribed and translated. It also turned one-way follows into friend requests.
Heaptalk, Jakarta — Social audio app Clubhouse announced its major shift from a live audio platform to an audio group messaging platform (09/06).
The changes include a new feature called Chats, a voice-only group conversation. This feature allows users to hear friends’ voices, meet their friends, and spend less time typing. “We released a big evolution of Clubhouse today, designed to make it easier for you to talk more often with your favorite people,” said the platform on its website (09/06).
Since its presence in April 2020, the platform found that the use of voice notes has grown rapidly around the world. However, at that time the platform still had difficulty using voice notes in groups making it choose text by default.
With the Chats feature, voice messages are considered faster than text, thereby encouraging more interaction within groups. Chats also allow automatic transcription and translation into the users’ language, simplifying conversations in different languages. Besides, voice messages can make the conversation more personal than text.
Clubhouse also turned its one-way follows into friend requests. This change allows users to see friends, not only rooms that happen to be live. The app stated, “One-way follows in the old Clubhouse will turn into friend requests in the new Clubhouse. We know this is a big change but we think it’s the right long-term move for Clubhouse.”
However, the platform realized that in the old Clubhouse, many users had built up a following. On the newest version, they can create Houses for all the followers. Chats feature will boost interaction within communities through Houses.
Apart from the Houses, the app still maintains live rooms as a central part of the platform. The app also redesigned its feed algorithms by emphasizing friends and Houses. It will rank conversations from friends and Houses first, and show other rooms and chats in the Explore tab.
