Clubhouse launches direct messaging feature 'Backchannel' as user numbers rise
Clubhouse, the invite-only social audio app, announced Wednesday that it has launched a direct messaging feature called "Backchannel," which allows users to interact one-on-one or in a group text format.
The official launch follows last month's snafu when the company accidentally leaked the feature to a select group of users who updated the app on iOS and Android devices.
In just a year, Clubhouse has seen explosive growth and forced industry incumbents like Facebook, Twitter and Spotify to introduce similar audio products, or in some cases, make strategic acquisitions within the space.
The premise is relatively simple, since there's no video, pictures or text-based chat rooms. Users will log into the app and be greeted with a few live, virtual rooms, where they can see a list of the people participating. If they click on the room, the audio switches on and they can hear the conversation.
Earlier this year, the number of monthly app installs worldwide had declined by millions — from a peak of over 9 million in February — and in April, installs came in at 900,000. The company reports more than 10 million weekly active users, and since launching on Android in early May, has added 8 million new users.
