Threads, Meta’s social platform focused on real-time conversation, reportedly introduced its own direct messaging system on Tuesday, marking a significant step in its evolution from an Instagram-adjacent app into a standalone digital space.
The new inbox allows Threads users to send private, one-on-one messages without needing to toggle over to Instagram, which previously served as the only way to exchange direct messages.
Users can now start conversations, react with emojis, mute unwanted messages, and report spam — although group chats, message filtering, and more advanced privacy features remain in development.
The rollout, which will be global but initially excludes the U.K., EU, Japan, and Australia, signals Meta’s broader ambitions for Threads.
While the app still draws from Instagram’s user base, executives emphasize that the goal is for Threads to cultivate a distinct culture and community.
Internal data reportedly shows that many users have built networks on Threads that diverge significantly from their Instagram circles.
In line with this shift, Meta is testing alternate sign-up flows in some regions that allow new users to create Threads accounts using Facebook credentials or to open standalone accounts with no Instagram tie-in at all.
A limited web experience for logged-out users is also in the works.
Company leaders have framed Threads as a platform for timely perspectives and open conversation — a contrast to Instagram’s focus on curated visuals and polished personas.
The messaging feature is being introduced not as a comprehensive replacement for traditional DMs, but as a way to facilitate natural extensions of public conversations that occur on the platform.
Encryption is not currently available, and the messaging experience remains intentionally simple.
Still, Meta views this as an important building block, part of a longer-term vision for Threads that includes deeper personalization and an emphasis on community-driven dialogue.
Alongside the new inbox, Threads is also rolling out a “highlights” feature to surface trending topics and discussions within users’ feeds.
The aim is to better connect people with timely, relevant voices and topics, moving away from purely chronological content toward a more curated, interest-based model.
With these changes, Threads is increasingly positioning itself as a serious player in the social media landscape — one that seeks to blend the immediacy of real-time conversation with the intimacy of direct messaging, all within its own growing ecosystem.
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