Reddit launches chat channels, coming for Discord and Telegram

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.

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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.

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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.