Threads users can chat in real time during major cultural events.
Aaron covers what’s exciting and new in the world of home entertainment and streaming TV. Previously, he wrote about entertainment for places like Rotten Tomatoes, Inverse, TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter. Aaron is also an actor and a stay-at-home dad, which means coffee is his friend.
Engagement is a big problem in the world of social networks. On Wednesday, Meta announced Live Chats, a new feature for the Instagram-supported social app Threads. It adds a real-time chat component, allowing people to connect during high-profile cultural events, such as playoffs or championship games, or even the release of a highly anticipated album.
Live Chats, the new public chat feature on Threads, will launch in time for the NBA Playoffs.
MetaThe live chats won’t be limited to sports, but the feature will launch during the NBA playoffs within the NBAThreads community, and an assortment of personalities – Malika Andrews, Rachel Nichols, Trysta Krick, David Rushing and Lexis Mickens – will host live chats as the games unfold.
The group chat experience includes countdown timers, polls, live scores, and other real-time options designed to keep the conversation active.
How to find live chats on Chats
Live game discussions will appear at the top of the NBAThreads Community, and they may also appear in your main feed on Threads if you follow a personality who posted the link. A red circle will appear on a live chat host’s profile picture when they are live. More community feeds will have Live Chats functionality in the coming months.
After joining the chat, you will be able to send and receive messages, attach photos, videos and links, and send reaction emoji. Anyone can join a chat, but the chat may reach capacity and stop accepting new users.
“Up to 150 participants can participate in the Live Chat conversation (unless the host decides to make it invite-only), but anyone can watch it,” a Meta spokesperson told CNET. Once a live chat ends, it will no longer be pinned in the community feed, but will remain visible in previously shared posts.
How to start a live chat on Threads
Live chats are open and public, but Meta only allows a select number of creators and personalities to host them on Threads. This includes Community Champions, who are active and influential users within a Threads community who stay engaged with others and keep conversations alive.
To schedule a live chat, a qualified host will tap the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and select “Schedule a Live Chat.” You can give the chat a name, select a time period for it to be live, then invite other Threads users to join or post the link to your Instagram feed and story to spread the word.
A bigger live chat experience is coming
Once Meta refines the functionality, more live chat attributes will roll out in the near future, including co-hosting, play-by-play commentary content, lock screen widgets, and a sharing option that will allow you to quote chat messages directly in your Threads feed.
Aaron covers what’s exciting and new in the world of home entertainment and streaming TV. Previously, he wrote about entertainment for places like Rotten Tomatoes, Inverse, TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter. Aaron is also an actor and a stay-at-home dad, which means coffee is his friend. See full bio
