Threads Finally Gets Direct Messages — Here’s What That Means
For now, DMs are limited to people you follow on Threads or mutual Instagram followers.
Two years after Threads launched as Meta’s answer to Elon Musk’s Twitter (now X) chaos, the app is finally adding something users have been asking for since day one: direct messages.
When Threads dropped in 2023, it mimicked nearly every feature of Twitter (now X) — except DMs. That omission made it the oddball in Meta’s lineup. While Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp doubled down on private conversations, Threads left users with no inbox of their own. If you wanted to message someone, the app punted you to Instagram — awkward, especially if you didn’t follow them there.
The original thinking, according to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, was that users would bring their Instagram social circles with them. But that’s not how things shook out.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
Over time, Meta noticed that Threads users were connecting with entirely new people. In fact, over a third of daily users now follow mostly different accounts on Threads than they do on Instagram. “We’ve seen increasingly that people are building new connections and a different kind of interest graph,” said Emily Dalton Smith, head of product for Threads.
That shift — plus relentless user demand — pushed Meta to act. Now, after weeks of testing in places like Hong Kong, Thailand, and Argentina, direct messages are rolling out globally.
Starting today, Threads users on iOS and Android will see a new envelope icon at the bottom of the app. Tap it, hit the pencil in the top-right, type a username, and fire off your message. Simple.
For now, DMs are limited to people you follow on Threads or mutual Instagram followers. And yes, you have to be 18 or older. Meta says the system leans on its existing safety and privacy infrastructure, with more controls on the way, like inbox filters, message permissions, and group chats.
Threads is also rolling out a new “Highlighter” feature designed to spotlight posts that spark thoughtful conversation. It’ll live in content discovery and eventually flag trending topics — Meta’s latest attempt to nudge Threads toward relevance in real-time news and discussion.
So, while DMs are just getting started — and still pretty barebones — they mark a turning point for Threads. Meta is finally treating it less like an Instagram add-on and more like a platform in its own right.
