Twitter has launched a new feature that allows users to more dynamically engage with their followers. The feature lets a user launch a live video feed where up to three people can be added as guests to engage in the conversation, it builds on the previous release of audio-only live streams for iOS. The user can decide who gets to join the chat but as soon as they’re approved everyone tuning in can listen to what they’re saying.
In order to go live on Twitter, you have to swipe left on the home timeline, and tap Live in the bottom corner, if you don’t want to show your face just tap the microphone at the top right to switch to audio only. Once you’ve done that fill in the optional description which will appear as a tweet and add your location if you want people to know your location, then press ‘Go live’. Streams can be stopped by pressing the stop button in the top left.
When you go live, there will also be an option to enable guests, this will let people join a call-in list from which you can accept them into the call. For the time being, guests can only communicate with audio but Twitter does say that it’s working on a way to enable video for guests too. If you want to join someone else’s chat, you can begin watching the broadcast and then tap ‘Ask to join’, once you’re accepted you’ll get a five-second countdown before you go live and everyone watching can begin listening to what you have to say.
With so many celebrities on the platform, it’ll be interesting to see whether they begin to use this feature to engage with their fanbase.