The threads receive their own DMS because the application distance from Instagram

Instagram threads are Implementation Previous user function: the ability to communicate directly with people, without having to switch to another application, such as Instagram. The company said that direct messages (DMS) will start implementing users around the world from Tuesday, along with a new visual element called Highlergher.

The latter will emphasize interesting perspectives and conversations, says Meta, starting with trends.

During the premiere, DMS threads offer a basic set of functions. They will support one -on -one chats, preliminary emoji reactions, the ability to report spam and muted DM (as on Instagram). Other functions, such as sending group messages, inbox filters and more advanced message controls, will appear in the later version.

This means that today you can not block the observer or mutual message of messages – you can only block them in threads, which will also block them on Instagram. To control who can send you, you must choose whether you are following the user.

During the premiere, DM will be available to users 18 or more on most markets where threads are available, except for Japan, Australia, Great Britain and the EU.

After adding DM, the threads become more competitive for other social applications, such as X and BlueSky, in which users can cooperate directly or even in group chats, as in the case of X.

However, while X is working on encrypted direct messages In Chat X Threads, he is not going to strictly secure its private message transfer function.

“We don't encrypt our DMs,” he said Emily Dalton SmithProduct VP threads. “The point is to just connect directly and talk to people about what is happening now, what, I think, makes encryption smaller for this experience.”

Instead, she said that DMS is to build a community that people created in public space on threads – a network that is educated to be completely different than the parent application, Instagram, noticed Smith.

“The particularly exciting thing is that we have seen that people are building their own charts on threads,” she said. “They develop what we consider to be a chart of interest that is new and distinguishes itself from the social chart that is at the heart of their Instagram account.”

Despite the fact that it was built on the social chart on Instagram, more than a third of people who come to threads every day, have less than 50% of the overlapping of connections on Instagram and thread connections, said Meta.

“Instagram is really for creativity, and the threads are really on perspectives,” Smith noted.

The company also stated that users observe various sets of people on Instagram and threads and are involved in various interests and conversations.

Due to this growing disconnection between applications, the meta is aimed at testing other ways of using threads without an Instagram account.

For example, he tests the ability to log in users using a Facebook account (in Europe) or creating an account only for threads. He also tests the possibility of using threads from the Internet when it is not logged in at all.

The Creats Threads community is also unique. Although this may include those who are popular creators on other platforms, some have become the creators of the threads themselves. One example is David Rushing, a A passionate fan that built NBA threads community.

Smith said that threads would like to help their users find such communities and others, and this is an important part of the upcoming road map of the application.

On this front, threads initially introduced markers (such as hashtags without symbol Hash #) to organize conversations. Then he created thematic channels so that you could see everything that was discussed around this area of ​​interest. Now he will focus on identifying active people and the best associates in the community.

Smith said that threads expect to show more suggested users in searching and recommendations in the next few months.

The new function of the most important can also help.

While today the function will distinguish popular topics related to the content you read when changing your channel, over time the threads can emphasize users' perspectives or active conversations that you may want to jump, including in various thematic channels.

Smith confirmed that currently there are no other plans to earn threads outside of advertisements, although the meta has an AI function, which can be integrated with experience in the way AI Chatbot XAI, GROK, is used for sale of the X Premium subscription.

Instead, the finish focus first on the correct obtaining of ads, using artificial intelligence to supply things in the background, for example headers and summary of trends.

This does not mean that the team will hatch AI later in the road.

“We are probably considering all ideas,” said Smith, “but we really rely on what our community tells us and we try to prioritize such a small and developing application.”

The threads are not small to be clear; The application has 350 million active users per month, much more than novices, such as BlueSky, which has 37 million registered users. But compared to the family of the META application, in which users are calculated in billions, the threads still have a lot to prove to their corporate parent.

Before the global premiere, DMS was tested at the beginning of this month on several markets, including Hong Kong, Thailand, Argentina and Brazil.