“Rooms”: The Latest Anonymous Group App From Facebook

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There is always a moment when you want to go where nobody knows your name.

Here is Facebook’s much-anticipated anonymous social app. The app, which called “Rooms”, allows people to create a “room” on any topic. The room can then be customized with colors, icons and photos — even the Like button can be changed. Text, photos and videos can be posted to a room’s feed, creating an ongoing multimedia conversation. The goal of the app is to transfer the utility of message boards to the mobile world.

“Basically it is a feed of photos, videos, and text — not too different from the one you have on Instagram or Facebook — with a topic determined by whoever created the room”

The most unique trait of this app lies on its anonymity feature. The app allows users to sign in with “whatever name makes you feel most comfortable and proud.” Users can create different names for each room. Rooms can be shared through invitations that look like QR codes. You take a picture of the invitation, and the app scans your recent photos for the QR code and signs you into the room, like this:

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In fact, to get started on Rooms, Facebook requires users who don’t already have an invite to a room to take a screenshot of a QR code that the app provides. New users can then access one of four recommended rooms: “backpack diaries”, “noms from above”, “kicks from above” and “parkour spots” — by taking yet another screenshot of a QR code.

Obviously Rooms is a separate app form Facebook, since it does not require users to have a Facebook account, nor does it allow users to import lists of friends. The invitation process means each room can be as public or private as its owner and members wish. The invite codes can be posted anywhere online or share just among a select group of people. Each room can also be customized to a certain level of privacy, including whether or not the room’s post can be discovered on search.

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Unfortunately, some issues arise regarding the app’s availability on iTunes. Some people who attempted to download the app have reported their failure to acquire the app on their Smartphone.

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