Reddit has introduced yet another way to chat on the platform, and this time the company appears serious about it.
Chat channels, which have launched on 25 volunteer subreddits, are a new way to message within a particular subreddit. The idea, basically, is for the chat channel to be a Discord or Telegram-like space where you can chat with other subreddit members in real time.
Reddit already has a feature called Live Chat, which allows anyone to create a new post and then chat within it.
Chat channels are different. In a post announcing the feature, the company says that the idea is for chat channels to be dedicated spaces that persist within a subreddit, rather than one-off chat locations. "This is your place for general discussion, a place to share random quips and reactions that you otherwise wouldn’t have in a post," the post says.
Chat channels are initially launching with a small number of subreddits. Credit: Reddit Furthermore, Reddit says chat channels will have a "mod-first approach," with more options available to moderators, and even a mod-only channel where they can share experiences with other moderators.
Reddit didn't offer a list of the 25 channels getting the new feature, but it said chat channels will "slowly expand" to other subreddits.
