Current options for real-time web-based group chats?
April 3, 2024 2:20 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for a way to have a group of people join in a real-time chat via a web interface. Complications: can't require participants to download an extra app or create an account using their email or other personal info. Requiring a host login or accessing chat via a privately-distributed link would be fine. Discord requires a login, and Google Chat link-based access isn't working for reasons I don't quite understand. Where else can I go for this?
Extra desiderata would be:
-saveable chats,
-automatic timestamps,
-emoji or GIF capability,
-mobile access (just doing a phone/SMS-based group chat won't work)
-roomy interface/display for longer conversations.
Thanks in advance!
Extra desiderata would be:
-saveable chats,
-automatic timestamps,
-emoji or GIF capability,
-mobile access (just doing a phone/SMS-based group chat won't work)
-roomy interface/display for longer conversations.
Thanks in advance!
This sounds like what IRC used to be, but I always accessed it through a program on a PC, what would now be called an app I guess? But I did a little googling and found there are web-based IRC clients (relevant topic on irchelp.org, Kiwi IRC, etc). You didn't say how tech savvy you were, so maybe this is not the right path?
It does look like phone access to IRC is a thing these days, and the IRC I knew from 25 years ago meets all of your other requirements handily. Maybe someone else has direct, recent experience with this and can comment?
posted by AbelMelveny at 2:48 PM on April 3, 2024
It does look like phone access to IRC is a thing these days, and the IRC I knew from 25 years ago meets all of your other requirements handily. Maybe someone else has direct, recent experience with this and can comment?
posted by AbelMelveny at 2:48 PM on April 3, 2024
In today's day and age I would be tempted to use Zoom.
* Web interface which does not require a login for participants
* Meeting organizer can automatically mute all participants & turn off everyone's video & just use chat interface.
* Chat log can be saved.
posted by muddgirl at 4:19 PM on April 3, 2024 [2 favorites]
* Web interface which does not require a login for participants
* Meeting organizer can automatically mute all participants & turn off everyone's video & just use chat interface.
* Chat log can be saved.
posted by muddgirl at 4:19 PM on April 3, 2024 [2 favorites]
I have to say that some of the options that immediately come to mind our preinstalled on devices and computers so they wouldn’t require any downloads.
One web-based option (there is also an app, but it’s not required) is Slack. It’s free for an unlimited number of users, except the free tier only gives you access to 90 days of message history.
posted by emelenjr at 7:58 PM on April 3, 2024
One web-based option (there is also an app, but it’s not required) is Slack. It’s free for an unlimited number of users, except the free tier only gives you access to 90 days of message history.
posted by emelenjr at 7:58 PM on April 3, 2024
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posted by eschatfische at 2:48 PM on April 3, 2024