Threads users will soon be able to send direct messages to each other without having to leave the platform. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on June 10 that Threads will start testing its own DM system this week, starting with Hong Kong, Thailand, and Argentina, with plans to expand to more locations “soon”.
The experiment will introduce a separate inbox for Threads DM messages instead of connecting users to the inbox of their linked Instagram account. This is possible because the two meta-platforms are tightly integrated, requiring users to log in with their Instagram credentials to create a Threads account and automatically follow the same users if they are also registered on Threads.
The Threads inbox can be opened by clicking on the new envelope symbol in the taskbar located at the bottom of the display in the iPhone and Android mobile apps, or on the left of the desktop. Meta did not say when the feature would become publicly available.
Direct messaging has been one of the most requested features from Threads users, who currently have no way to directly send private messages to other users. The closest solution was to switch to Instagram. Having separate mailboxes for each platform would make it easier to manage messages – especially for business pages and content creators – and bring Threads closer to the X experience.
