Reddit is now rolling out a community-specific chat functionality. Called ‘Start Chatting,’ the new feature randomly matches up to seven users in a subreddit who are interested in real-time conversations.
 
Within the thread, the small group of Redditors can send and receive messages, posts, and GIFs.
 
The new feature has been deployed as a response to an increase in chat usage in recent times. Reddit already has a chat feature and the website has seen its popularity increase by 80% since late January, which is when the coronavirus started spreading across the globe.
 
As the virus has brought life as we know it to a halt, more and more people are finding solace in online contact. As a response, companies are rolling out features that can be beneficial for internet consumers and help them expand user base at the same time. Reddit believes the new feature will make it faster and easier for people to connect.

To get started, just visit a community and select the ‘Start Chatting’ button 

The Start Chatting feature is more intimate than the one Reddit already has. As mentioned before, only a select number of users can join a chat room at any given time. These chat rooms are randomly generated, and not created by moderators.
 
If you are interested in chatting with like-minded Redditors, all you have to do is visit a community or subreddit as Reddit likes to call it and tap on the Start Chatting button.
 
Users can also mute notifications if they wish to stay in a chat but don’t want constant alerts. And, of course, there is also an option to exit chats.
 
The feature is now live for 16,000 ‘safe for work’ subreddits on both mobile and desktop and it will be expanding to more communities in the coming weeks.