Meta’s text-first social app Threads is finally rolling out one of its most requested features, Direct Messages (DMs). With this update, users will now be able to chat one-on-one inside the app without needing to switch to Instagram.
At launch, the DM feature is quite basic. You can send messages to individuals, react with preset emojis, mute chats, and report spam. Group chats and advanced messaging controls will be added later. Currently, there is no way to block someone from messaging you unless you block them entirely on both Threads and Instagram.
Alongside DMs, Threads is also introducing a new visual feature called “Highlighter.” This will bring attention to interesting discussions and trending topics in the app’s For You feed. Over time, it could also spotlight engaging users and active conversations.
According to Meta, more than one-third of daily Threads users follow a completely different set of people than they do on Instagram. It seems Threads is gradually creating its own identity, separate from Instagram.
To strengthen this independence, Meta is testing ways to use Threads without linking it to Instagram. Some users in Europe can now log in using Facebook, and a standalone Threads-only account may soon become an option. Browsing Threads from the web without logging in is also being tested.
Threads does not plan to encrypt DMs for now. Smith explained that the goal is to help people talk about what’s happening in the moment, not to offer tight privacy. There are also no current plans to monetize Threads beyond ads.
DMs will only be available to users aged 18 and above. The global rollout of DMs begins this week, although users in Japan, Australia, the U.K., and the EU will have to wait.
