HQ Trivia in the UK lets you see which friends are also playing
The update, which hit the UK in time for the 9 p.m. game Monday, will be available in the US "soon," along with other new features. HQ also teased a "surprise feature coming next week."
HQ Trivia has a new social component in the UK -- and coming "soon" to the US.
HQ Trivia's getting more social.
If you're playing the mobile trivia game in the UK, you can now see which friends and family members are playing at the same time as you through a new feature called "Friends on HQ." You'll also be able to track their progress and compare it to your own trivia skills. The feature rolled out for Monday's 9 p.m. local time game and is exclusive to the UK for the time being.
HQ Trivia told CNET it will be "widely available in the US soon."
HQ Trivia is a live streaming trivia game you can play on your smartphone. If you answer all of the questions correctly, you can win real money. HQ Trivia was developed by Intermedia Labs, the creators of the now defunct 6-second video app Vine. But instead of short-form video, HQ Trivia is a twice-a-day (once-a-day on weekends) live stream that lasts roughly 15 minutes.
The company on Monday said the new Friends on HQ feature "aims to make the experience of playing HQ even more social and personalized." It added that the update "forms the basis of a variety of new features that HQ will be rolling out soon, leveraging friends' connections, including another new surprise feature coming next week."
When you're in the HQ Trivia app, swipe the video to the right to see which friends are playing. You can tap the friends button on the upper left of the home screen to discover people, add friends and make new connections. The feature lets you search for your friends on HQ Trivia or by connecting the app with your phone's contacts. Tapping on any username will show you how many games they've played, their total winnings and their high score.
Earlier Monday, HQ Trivia announced that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will host the US game on Wednesday.
First published April 9 at 1:49 p.m. PT.
Update at 2 p.m. PT: Adds details.
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