Do you still remember silly online chat rooms were about the most entertaining thing to do online?  When AOL chat rooms were your haven, where you could pretend to be whoever you want in the hopes of meeting someone special (or just getting laid)?

If you’re yearning for those days to come back, Facebook just might be the answer to your prayers. It’s been revealed that the social media giant is testing a new feature called “Host Chat.”  Host Chat will function like Google Hangouts, allowing people to set up chat rooms and invite others to join.

Wait, but doesn’t Facebook already have that feature? Isn’t it already possible to invite people to groups and freely talk about anything under the sun? So what’s different about Host Chat?

Well, Host Chats can be created by anyone and like Groups, the creator of a Host Chat room will be able to place restrictions on those who can join. However, the big difference is that all conversations will happen in real time, unlike in groups wherein you need to sometimes refresh your browser to see if anyone has responded.

Facebook users would be able to access the feature via the status update bar. The plan is for a new button to go alongside the ‘update status and add photos/videos’ bar.  Users would just have to click on the Host Chat button to start a chat room, rename the chat room depending on the topic or type of people they want to talk with, and start inviting friends. When you start a Host Chat, your friends will be able to see that you’ve just created a room in their NewsFeed, and so even if you don’t invite them, they can jump right into the conversation – so long as it’s not restricted, that is.  Also, friends of friends can also join in too if the creator wishes, so it’s the perfect place to meet new people.

So when can we see this new feature from Facebook?  Not sure.  Though a source from Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch that Host Chat is being tested, the source stated that it might not see the light of day as the company “does test things from time to time with a small percentage of users,” and most of them get scrapped, it all depends on whether the feature will be something of interest to more Facebook users.

Saying that though, it seems as if Host Chat would almost certainly be something that instantly appeals to thousands, if not millions, of dedicated Facebook users. After all, there are plenty of people who like nothing more than to waste hours of their day talking nonsense and posting rubbish, and if they can get an immediate reaction each time they do so, they’ll be glued to their computer screens for even longer than they are now.

Facebook bringing chat rooms back is its way of coping with the success of other messaging platforms such as Google Hangouts, Apple’s iMessage, and the popularity of mobile chat apps like Line, Viber, WhatsApps, and Snapchat.

Facebook Beta Testers Wanted!

In other Facebook news, the social giant announced a beta testing program for its Android application, allowing users to participate and help make the app better.  Facebook knows full well that its Android app is buggy, slow loading and has many other issues that annoy people, which is why it’s so poorly rated on Google Play.  To combat having to launch awfully buggy apps and avoid the criticism of angry Android Facebookers, it’s now inviting fans to sign up as Android app testers to try out new features and identify bugs before any updates are introduced to the wider Android community.

If you’re interested in joining the Facebook for Android Beta Testers group, all you need to do is ‘allow beta downloads’ by clicking ‘Become a Tester’ in the Play Store, and download the current unstable Facebook app from Google Play to get your hands on it.

Beta app users can then provide feedback either through the Facebook for Android Beta Testers group on Facebook, or via the app itself using the feedback button.