X is following through on a promise by CEO Linda Yaccarino, adding video and audio calls to the platform.
X has been looking for ways to boost engagement and increase monetization, and it appears video and audio calling are the attempt of the day. Yaccarino said in mid-August that the feature would be coming soon:
Think about what’s happened since the acquisition,” she added. “Experiences and evolution into long-form video and articles, subscribe to your favorite creators, who are now earning a real living on the platform. You look at video, and soon you’ll be able to make video chat calls without having to give your phone number to anyone on the platform.
According to Engadget, users are beginning to see a prompt that says: “Audio and Video calls are here!”
As the outlet points out, this is a feature that no one was really clamoring for, so it remains to be seen if it will see any measurable use.