Apple opens applications for WWDC 'Digital Lounges'

Virtual attendees of WWDC will again be able to take advantage of Slack-based "Digital Lounges" to encourage discussion between attendees throughout the week.

Launched on Tuesday, the WWDC 2022 Digital Lounges are being billed as a way for attendees to talk to "Apple engineers and designers throughout the week," as a way for Apple to make the virtual conference more interactive to participants.

The Apple employees will host "text-based Q&As, session watch parties with the presenters, community icebreakers, and more" in each of the lounges.

The WWDC 2022 Interactive Events Attendance Policy advises that the lounges are opt-in Slack channels. As a major communications platform for work, it is likely most participants will be very familiar with how it works, rather than having to learn a new messaging tool.

Registration for the Digital Lounges is open, and are available to current members of the Apple Developer Program or the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, or a 2022 Swift Student Challenge winner. Once signed in with the Apple ID, users can then select to join one or more lounges, and will receive an email explaining how to take part after their registration has processed.

Apple suggests participants register in the week of May 31, so they will be ready to access the lounges once they open on June 7.

Apple's policy also states that attendees using the Digital Lounges must be at least 16 years old, only one registration allowed per person, and that "solicitation for any purposes is not permitted."