Facebook is testing an app called Hotline that shares some of the features of the invitation-only audio chat room app Clubhouse, but allows speakers, or creators to appear on video as well as audio, TechCrunch has reported. Hotline is led by Eric Hazzard, who created the app ‘tbh’ that was acquired by Facebook in 2017 and shut down not long afterwards.
The first creator to try the product was real estate investor Nick Huber, who ran a session yesterday afternoon (April 7th). As someone who markets to people interested in investing or personal/professional development, he’s apparently one of Facebook’s target Hotline creators.
Hotline bears some resemblance to Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces and other audio-only chat room networks. To the left on PC and top on mobile is a speaker section featuring the event host either as a live video stream or icon for audio. On the right or below are the event’s listeners.
