Threads, Meta’s text-based chat app, can now do more than just one-on-one chats. The platform now supports group direct messages (DMs), which let users make private chat rooms with up to 50 people.
This global rollout happens at the same time as the full messaging experience, which includes both individual and group chats, is made available to users in the European Union. This region is a market where the feature was first delayed.
Users 18 and older can share text posts, videos, GIFs, and emojis in these group chats, just like they can on the public timeline. The app has a key safety feature that stops abuse and spam: you can only be added to a group chat by someone you already follow on the app.
People can give their group chats names to make them more captivating, and Meta has said that it is working on a feature that will let people invite others to the chat by sending them a link. This will make it easier to add people to a conversation without having to do it one by one.
Threads bets on messaging as a key feature to compete with other companies
Group messaging is a big step forward for Threads. A Threads executive said that the company doesn’t see DMs as a secure, encrypted messaging service. Instead, they see them as a way for people to connect more deeply about things they both like, like a live sports game or TV show.
This change is in line with a larger shift at Instagram, the app that owns Threads, which found that Reels and direct messages are the features that users use the most.
By making messaging a key part of the Threads experience, Meta is directly addressing how users act and making it easier for them to compete with other platforms. The changes come as Threads keeps growing quickly; it now has more than 400 million monthly active users.
Adding group chats makes the app a better and more useful way to connect with others, especially for dedicated communities. This could be a big reason why Threads continues to grow its user base.
