Clubhouse launches direct messaging feature Backchannel as user numbers rise
Summary
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 months 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. 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. The new growth spurt was hinted at by Clubhouse CEO Paul Davison in an appearance on CNBC in May, when he said Clubhouse had seen one million Android users join shortly after launching for the Google mobile operating system, and added, "millions more people are on the waitlist."