At this point, it feels almost futile to write about yet another new social media app, no matter how buzzy it may be. We’ve been through numerous over the past couple of years—Clubhouse, BeReal, Lapse, Lemon8—none of which is still taking up much space on our phones.
But the next big thing has to come along sooner or later—and stick—so we readily consume any news of a potentially popular app.
The latest such offering is AirChat, which is being described as a combination of Twitter and Clubhouse, and focuses on speaking rather than typing. Think of it like sending a voice message—users speak into the app, which transcribes what is said and posts both the written and spoken (in your voice) versions to followers’ feeds.
Why do we want this, you might ask? Good question. Does anyone like when their friends send them voice memos? Yet the app is making some traction, and users have positive things to say. “The platform makes it feel like we’re actually having conversations with one another, but since AirChat is asynchronous, it doesn’t feel as daunting as joining a room on Clubhouse and having live conversations with strangers,” writes Amanda Silberling for TechCrunch.
After years of typing our thoughts—and sharing curated photos—online, putting our literal voices out there feels shockingly intimate, and one has to wonder who AirChat is for. Podcasters and influencers might have no problem with such a concept. But your everyday social media users might be less inclined to participate, particularly those from generations more accustomed to text messages than phone calls, even from their health care providers.
AirChat, which is currently available on an invite-only basis, ranked No. 27 in social networking on the App Store on April 13, when TechCrunch first reported on it. At press time, it ranked No. 72. That drop could have something to do with the invitation policy, but it’s hard to be optimistic about this app.
(AirChat screenshots via App Store)
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