Threads Looks To Be Developing Its Own Messaging Option

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Despite initial hesitation on adding messaging features in the new app, the Threads team at Meta is now apparently developing an in-stream DM option, which would bring it more into parity with X, and other social apps.

As per the above Thread from data privacy researcher Jorge Caballero, the Threads app recently added some new data strings that seemingly relate to DMs.

Caballero notes that Threads DMs will likely be encrypted, while users will also be able to send self-destructing messages, if they choose.

Which is pretty much in line with Meta’s other messaging tools, while the fact that it’s looking to add encryption by default would also enable it to be inter-operative with Meta’s other messaging features, in line with its broader messaging integration plan.

Which also may have been a key reason why the Threads team was initially not looking to add messaging into the app. Meta’s been working to integrate all of its messaging tools since 2019, which, eventually, will see all of your DMs, from Messenger, Instagram Direct, and WhatsApp, merged into a single, interoperable inbox, accessible in any app.

In other words, all of your messages from each app would be viewable across any platform, so you could message somebody on WhatsApp from IG, send a Messenger DM to a person on WhatsApp, etc.

With this in mind, Meta initially seemed to want to keep its DMs within its existing systems, as adding another inbox into the mix likely complicates things a fair bit. But as it works to become a bigger rival for Twitter/X, and facilitate broader usage, DMs remain a much-requested addition, which could mean that Threads has to add DMs, in order to tick all the boxes.

Though there’s been no official confirmation as yet. As noted, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has seemed fairly hesitant on the DM front, though his wording around such has softened in recent weeks.

So it now seems likely that this is coming, which will make a lot of Threads converts happy, especially as it looks to capitalize on its recent momentum, in the wake of X’s more recent updates.