It seems that lately users have been craving more immediacy in their online experiences. Following a year of quarantine, this is an unsurprising trend. No amount of likes, comments, or shares can replicate the experience of a genuine conversation. Apps that have brought a sense of community and connection have found success as a result. This was the case with Clubhouse, the invite-only network of users who gathered around shared interests and held conversations for their friends and followers. Clubhouse is audio-only, a feature that can be charming but that some users find unappealing. This brings us to Hotline, Facebook’s answer to the massive success of the Clubhouse app.

Hotline is, in many ways, similar to Clubhouse; users can attend live streams about topics of interest and ask questions to the conversation’s host. On Hotline, however, users can write or speak their questions, and other users can upvote the written questions they would most like to have answered. Also, the live stream hosts are on camera, so attendees can see as well as hear them speak. This gives Hotline a strong resemblance to Instagram Live, with its video live streams and enthusiastic comment sections. Finally, unlike Clubhouse conversations, Hotline live streams can be recorded. Whereas Clubhouse is ephemeral – as in offline life, the conversations last only as long as you are listening – Hotline live streams can be listened to and shared after the events themselves have ended.

The relative permanence of Hotline conversations, coupled with the feature of text-based questions, might make it a more viable option for professionals. This seems to be what Facebook had in mind when it organized the April 7 live stream with Nick Huber, who discussed real estate investment. The app, in its public beta testing phase, has begun to position itself as a resource for advice-seekers to connect with professionals. Erik Hazzard, who has prior experience in Q&A-based social networks, leads the Hotline project at Facebook. Whether the app will prove to be a threat to Clubhouse, or simply an alternative option for the professionally-minded, remains to be seen.