Slack Debuts Huddles For Impromptu Audio Chats

Enterprise communications platform Slack is launching a new audio feature called Slack Huddles that enables workers to have audio conversations throughout the workday, according to a company blog post on Wednesday (June 30).

Slack Huddles offers lightweight audio calls, a new solution that sprung from the COVID-19 lockdowns. The tool is similar to Discord in that it enables users to join a conversation at their convenience or leave a call at any time, according to the post.

“As our customers look to the new normal of work, each organization must decide for itself what mix of in-person, remote and hybrid work best suits its needs — there is no one-size-fits-all answer,” according to the post.

Slack Huddles are intended to serve as a replacement for the informal chats people have with co-workers around desks or the break room. The audio tool is meant to mimic co-workers walking by a cubicle or desk area. There are no invites, links or dial-in numbers, and the feature extends to any channel or direct-message thread.

“It allows for two- or three-minute conversations,” Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield told The Verge. “If you have to schedule a call … you talk for the full 30 minutes instead of the two or three minutes you needed right at that moment.”

The new feature, which is powered by Slack’s collaboration with Amazon, removes any worry about how someone looks on a video call. “On an audio call, you can be doing many other things and maintain the illusion that your counterpart is paying complete attention to everything you’re saying,” Butterfield said.

The launch of the audio-only social media platform Clubhouse grew beyond two million active listeners and got a $100 million infusion of capital from investors in January.

Salesforce closed a deal last year to acquire Slack for an enterprise value of roughly $27.7 billion; the deal is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of Salesforce’s fiscal year 2022.