Latest news with #directmessages
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Threads gets its own DMs as app distances itself from Instagram
Instagram Threads is rolling out users' most-requested feature to date: the ability to message people directly, without having to switch to another app, like Instagram. The company said direct messages (DMs) will begin rolling out to users globally beginning on Tuesday, alongside a new visual element called highlighter. The latter will emphasize interesting perspectives and conversations, Meta says, starting with Trending Topics. At launch, Threads DMs offer a basic set of features. They'll support one-on-one chats, preset emoji reactions, the ability to report spam, and mute DMs (as on Instagram). Other features, like group messaging, inbox filters, and more advanced message controls, will arrive in a later release. That means today, you can't block a follower or mutual from messaging you — you can only block them on Threads, which will also block them on Instagram. To control who can message you, you have to choose whether or not you follow the user. At launch, DMs will be available for users 18 and up in most markets where Threads is available, except for Japan, Australia, the U.K., and the EU. With the addition of DMs, Threads becomes more competitive with other text-first social apps like X and Bluesky, where users can engage with one another directly or even in group chats, as in X's case. However, while X is working on encrypted direct messages within X Chat, Threads has no intention of tightly securing its private messaging feature. Image Credits:Meta/Threads 'We're not encrypting our DMs,' said Emily Dalton Smith, Threads VP of Product. 'It's really about just connecting directly and talking to people about whatever is happening now, which I think makes encryption less core to the experience.' Instead, she said that DMs are meant to build on the community that people have created in the public space on Threads — a network that's shaping up to be entirely different from its parent app, Instagram, Smith pointed out. Image Credits:Meta/Threads 'One thing that's been particularly exciting is that we have seen that people are building their own graphs on Threads,' she said. 'They're building up what we think of as an interest graph that is new and distinct from the social graph that underlies their account on Instagram.' Despite having been built on top of Instagram's social graph, over a third of the people who come to Threads daily have less than a 50% overlap between their Instagram connections and Threads connections, Meta said. 'Instagram is really for creativity and Threads is really for perspectives,' Smith noted. The company also found that users are following different sets of people across Instagram and Threads and are engaging in different interests and conversations. Because of this growing disconnect between the apps, Meta aims to test other ways for people to use Threads without an Instagram account. For instance, it's testing the ability for users to log in with their Facebook account (in Europe) or create a Threads-only account. It's also testing the ability to use Threads from the web while not logged in at all. Image Credits:Meta/Threads The Threads creator community is unique, too. Although it may include those who are popular creators on other platforms, some have become creators on Threads itself. One example is David Rushing, a passionate fan who built up the NBA Threads community. Smith said Threads would like to make it easier for its users to find communities like this and others, and this is an important part of the app's upcoming roadmap. On this front, Threads initially introduced tags (like hashtags without the hash # symbol) to organize conversations. It then created topic feeds so you could see everything that was being discussed around that area of interest. Now the focus will be on identifying the people who are active and top contributors within a community. Threads expects to show more suggested users to follow in search and recommendations over the next couple of months, Smith said. Image Credits:Meta/Threads The new highlight feature could also help here. While today, the feature will highlight trending topics related to the content you are reading while scrolling your For You feed, over time, Threads could highlight perspectives from users or active conversations that you might want to jump into, including within various topic feeds. There are currently no other plans to monetize Threads beyond ads, Smith confirmed, even though Meta has an AI feature that could be integrated into the experience the way xAI's AI chatbot, Grok, is used to sell X Premium subscriptions. Instead, Meta is first focused on getting ads right, while using AI to power things in the background, like trending topics' headlines and summaries, for instance. That doesn't mean the team will rule out AI features further down the road. 'We consider, probably, all ideas,' Smith said, 'but we're really just building on what our community tells us and trying to prioritize such a small and growing app.' Threads is not small, to be clear; the app has 350 million monthly active users, far more than newcomers like Bluesky, which has 37 million registered users. But compared with Meta's family of apps, where user bases are counted in billions, Threads still has much to prove to its corporate parent. Ahead of the global launch, DMs were tested earlier this month in a few markets, including Hong Kong, Thailand, Argentina, and Brazil.
Phone Arena
a day ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
Threads gets private messaging and a fresh look to highlight top conversations
Threads is getting two notable updates: the ability to send direct messages and a new feature called the Threads highlighter. These additions come as the app enters its third year and continues to grow its community. Starting today, users can message each other directly in Threads. Until now, the platform was limited to public conversations, however, with this change, users can now take discussions private, making it easier to stay connected beyond public posts. To start, only mutual followers on Threads or Instagram who are at least 18 years old can use the messaging feature. Meta says this limit is in place to prioritize safety and user control. The company also says it plans to improve the feature with message controls, group chats, and inbox filters. These tools will help people decide who can message them and make it easier to manage conversations. Threads has now implemented DMs. | Image credit — Instagram Alongside messaging, Threads is introducing the Threads highlighter. This is a visual element that highlights posts tied to trending topics or thoughtful discussions. These highlighted posts will show up in places like the explore tab, where users discover new content. The goal is to bring more attention to unique perspectives and active conversations happening on the platform. Meta says that more than a third of daily Threads users follow different accounts than they do on Instagram. That points to Threads developing its own audience, rather than simply mirroring its parent app. These new features are meant to support that growth and help users connect in new ways. While messaging and highlighting may seem like small changes, they could play a key role in shaping how people use Threads moving forward. By adding private communication and emphasizing popular conversations, Meta is trying to make the app more useful for regular interaction. We'll have to wait and see how widely these features are adopted. Messaging is launching with restrictions, and the highlighter is only appearing in limited sections of the app for now. But both updates suggest Meta is still working to define what Threads is and how it fits into its larger social ecosystem. As the app matures, features like these may help Threads move beyond being an Instagram offshoot and become a platform where different types of conversations can take place. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
CNET
a day ago
- Business
- CNET
You Can Finally Use This Very Basic Threads Feature
Better late than never? Threads, Meta's answer to X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky, was launched almost two years ago in July 2023, and saw immediate rapid signups after piggybacking off Instagram's user base. Despite being around for that long, it's just now giving us the ability to direct message other users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg teased the new feature earlier this month as it was rolling out in beta. "We're starting to test DMs on Threads. If you get access to this -- slide through!" Zuckerberg posted on his Threads account on June 10. Meta says the feature is rolling out globally now for users who are 18 and older. Younger users won't have the option. Don't worry if you don't see the feature right away -- feature roll outs like these can take a couple of days to hit for all users. Make sure you've got the latest version of Threads downloaded. The new DM tab on the bottom menu will let you access your messages and filter through them. You will also have controls where you can select who is allowed to message you, as well as the ability to filter through the messages. Threads is also releasing new icon indicators to show when a topic is trending, called highlights. Meta According to the tech giant, Threads users have been requesting a way to continue conversations while keeping it in the app. You might have noticed that if you hit the arrow icon, you can send Threads posts to your friends and contacts on other Meta apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, rather than through Threads itself. Judging from the screenshot Meta sent of the new DM functionality, an envelope icon will be placed at the bottom left of the screen, between the home and plus icons, where the magnifying glass icon is currently in your app. The search icon will be relocated to the top right corner, in line with the Threads logo. The launch of DMs was purposefully timed for the app's second anniversary this month. Threads has been the recipient of many Meta updates lately, including a new way to hide spoilers, customizable feeds and a new domain name. The changes hope to make Threads a more staunch competitor and make it more independent from Instagram, which has been a "big sister" for much of Threads' existence. For more, check out how to schedule Instagram DMs.
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Threads launches its own DM inbox, as app moves further away from Instagram
Instagram Threads is rolling out users' most-requested feature to date: the ability to message people directly, without having to switch to another app, like Instagram. The company said direct messages (DMs) will begin rolling out to users globally beginning on Tuesday, alongside a new visual element called highlighter. The latter will emphasize interesting perspectives and conversations, Meta says, starting with Trending Topics. At launch, Threads DMs offer a basic set of features. They'll support one-on-one chats, preset emoji reactions, the ability to report spam, and mute DMs (as on Instagram). Other features, like group messaging, inbox filters, and more advanced message controls, will arrive in a later release. That means today, you can't block a follower or mutual from messaging you — you can only block them on Threads, which will also block them on Instagram. To control who can message you, you have to choose whether or not you follow the user. At launch, DMs will be available in most markets where Threads is available, except for Japan, Australia, the U.K., and the E.U. With the addition of DMs, Threads becomes more competitive with other text-first social apps like X and Bluesky, where users can engage with one another directly or even in group chats, as in X's case. However, while X is working on encrypted direct messages within X Chat, Threads has no intention of tightly securing its private messaging feature. Image Credits:Meta/Threads 'We're not encrypting our DMs,' said Emily Dalton Smith, Threads VP of Product. 'It's really about just connecting directly and talking to people about whatever is happening now, which I think makes encryption less core to the experience.' Instead, she said that DMs are meant to build on the community people have created in the public space on Threads — a network that's shaping up to be entirely different from its parent app, Instagram, Smith pointed out. Image Credits:Meta/Threads 'One thing that's been particularly exciting is that we have seen that people are building their own graphs on Threads,' she said. 'They're building up what we think of as an interest graph that is new and distinct from the social graph that underlies their account on Instagram.' Despite having been built on top of Instagram's social graph, over a third of the people who come to Threads daily have less than a 50% overlap between their Instagram connections and Threads connections, Meta said. 'Instagram is really for creativity and Threads is really for perspectives,' Smith noted. The company also found that users are following different sets of people across the two apps, Instagram and Threads, and are engaging in different interests and conversations. Because of this growing disconnect between the apps, Meta aims to test other ways for people to use Threads without an Instagram account. For instance, it's testing the ability for users to log in with their Facebook account in Europe or create a Threads-only account. It's also testing the ability to use Threads from the web while not logged in at all. Image Credits:Meta/Threads The Threads creator community is unique, too. Although it may include those who are popular creators on other platforms, some have become creators on Threads itself. One example is David Rushing, a passionate fan who built up the NBA Threads community. Smith said Threads would like to make it easier for its users to find communities like this and others, and this is an important part of the app's upcoming roadmap. On this front, Threads initially introduced tags (like hashtags without the hash # symbol) to organize conversations. It then created topic feeds so you could see everything that was being discussed around that area of interest. Now, the focus will be on identifying the people who are active and top contributors within a community. Threads expects to show more suggested users to follow in search and recommendations over the next couple of months, Smith said. The new highlight feature could also help here. While today, the feature will highlight trending topics related to the content you are reading while scrolling your For You feed, over time, Threads could highlight perspectives from users or active conversations that you might want to jump into, including within various topic feeds. There are currently no other plans to monetize Threads beyond ads, Smith confirmed, even though Meta has an AI feature that could be integrated into the experience the way xAI's AI chatbot, Grok, is used to sell X Premium subscriptions. Instead, Meta is first focused on getting ads right, while using AI to power things in the background, like trending topics' headlines and summaries, for instance. That doesn't mean the team will rule out AI features further down the road. 'We consider, probably, all ideas,' Smith said, 'but we're really just building on what our community tells us and trying to prioritize such a small and growing app.' Threads is not small, to be clear; the app has 350 million monthly active users, far more than newcomers like Bluesky, which has 37 million registered users. But compared with Meta's family of apps, where user bases are counted in billions, Threads still has much to prove to its corporate parent. Ahead of the global launch, DMs were tested earlier this month in a few markets, including Hong Kong, Thailand, Argentina, and Brazil.
Phone Arena
10-06-2025
- Phone Arena
Threads is finally adding DMs, but not everyone is happy about it
Threads is finally getting one of its most requested features: direct messages. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today that the company is starting to test a new DM feature for Threads. The initial rollout begins this week in Hong Kong, Thailand, and Argentina, with plans to expand to more regions soon. Until now, Threads users had no way to send private messages directly in the app. Anyone who wanted to talk one-on-one had to switch to Instagram, since Threads accounts are linked to Instagram profiles. That's about to change. The new update introduces a separate inbox built directly into Threads. It can be accessed by tapping the envelope icon in the taskbar at the bottom of the mobile app, or from the left side on desktop. Importantly, Threads DMs won't be connected to Instagram's inbox. That gives users a clean, separate space to send and receive messages inside Threads, without needing to hop between apps. Mark Zuckerberg confirms that DMs are coming to Threads. | Image credit — Mark Zuckerberg on Threads This marks a big shift for the platform. Since launching in July 2023, Threads has added several key features, including a Following feed, trending topics, an edit button, and support for web access. Each update has brought it closer to the kind of full-featured social platform many users have come to expect. Adding DMs brings Threads a step closer to rivaling X (formerly Twitter), where private messaging has long been a core feature. But not everyone is excited. While some users see this as a much-needed improvement — especially creators and business accounts looking to manage conversations more easily — others are concerned about what it means for the platform's future. Some worry that private messaging could open the door to the kind of harassment and toxic behavior seen on other apps. In particular, many women have spoken out, saying the lack of DMs was one of the reasons Threads felt like a safer space. Without private messages, unwanted contact was more visible and easier to manage. Now, there's concern that bad actors will use DMs to send abuse in private, where it's harder to report or moderate. Critics also argue that adding DMs risks changing the tone of Threads. What started as a public-focused platform may now feel more like other social apps — and not necessarily in a good way. Still, this update brings Threads closer to meeting the expectations of modern users. Whether it helps Threads grow or creates new challenges, one thing is certain: Threads DMs are almost here, and it's going to change how people use the app.
