Three years after its pandemic-era breakout, Clubhouse pivots “to be more like a messaging app”

Clubhouse is changing. The app known for popularizing live audio chatrooms is launching a new format based around collaborative audio messages.

The app offered details about “the new Clubhouse” in a post on its official blog. It will push its new format — simply referred to as “Chats” — by encouraging users to send messages to their friends. “When you open Clubhouse, you’ll now see friends — not just the rooms that happen to be live,” the post reads.

The biggest difference between Clubhouse’s two formats is that its rooms are focused on live interactions, while Chats are asynchronous. Users who upload Chats can share them with friends (or even friends of friends, if they’re feeling particularly social). The people who view the Story-like pieces of content can then add their own commentary. The result, as described by The Verge, is “a kind of voice collage/conversation.”

Clubhouse’s live audio rooms, which helped it become a tech unicorn during the pandemic, are still available for all users. “Live isn’t going away,” the company noted in its blog post. But as The Verge

‘s coverage notes, that format has been deprecated on the app. Users who open Clubhouse are now prompted to upload Chats.

The shift away from live rooms makes sense. During the pandemic, Clubhouse’s signature format provided housebound users with social interaction and valuable financial support. Once in-person gatherings resumed, the tech giants that had cloned Clubhouse shifted resources away from their copycats.

By pivoting toward Chats, Clubhouse is hoping to prove that its pandemic-era success was more than just a flash in the pan. “There are plenty of places to talk in private,” reads the company’s blog post. “We think being able to people-watch and bump into friends is more fun. That’s why bars and coffee shops and public parks all exist. And that’s why Clubhouse exists too.”

More details about Chats and Clubhouse’s other updates can be found on the app’s website.