It can if you phone has a IRC client (for example revolutionIRC on Android)
and it connect to a IRC server (libera.chat for example). There you can participate in #chatroom and message connected users.
Think discord/matrix but older, simpler, more bare-bones. Maybe you could consider it less bare-bones if the client support version 3 of the IRC protocol which must have added bells and whistles even though I don't know them.
I find that this client (Halloy) is beautiful and well-documented so I promoting it.
I personally use IRC as I use Discord, to connect with communities and get support from (generally older, more experienced) people.
