Facebook Testing User-Hosted Chat Room Feature

Facebook is currently testing a chat room feature, thats lets users to set up chat rooms for their friends can join without any invitation. According to TechCrunch, the feature has been codenamed 'Host Chat' and is being tested internally.

Facebook chat rooms allow members to click 'Host Chat' from top their homepage, chats would be promoted in News Feed, though the host would have the option to set privacy, the option to 'Host Chat' will sit alongside the buttons for 'Update Status' and 'Add Photos/Video'.

Facebook Host Chat

'Host Chat' is similar to Google Hangout but takes it one step forward by offering "Spontaneity and Distribution" says Josh Constine, who first broke the news.

The new feature would allow Facebook to get its users spend more time on the service as it struggles to offer novelty in a world where communication is increasingly moving to mobile.

Facebook already offers a Messenger app on smartphones which competes with other mobile messaging apps such as viber, whatsapp.

Facebook has only confirmed it is testing the feature with a small group of users.