Threads Adds DMs and Trending Highlights to Make Conversations Easier

Threads, Meta’s text-based social app launched in 2023, is finally adding something people have been asking for since the beginning: direct messages (DMs). Along with that, Meta is also introducing a new feature called Threads Highlighter, which helps people find interesting posts and trending topics.

These updates come as Threads enters its third year, and they show that Meta is slowly shaping it into more than just a place for public posts.

You Can Now Send Messages on Threads

Until now, Threads didn’t have any way to send private messages. If you wanted to talk to someone one-on-one, you had to switch to Instagram or WhatsApp. That’s no longer the case.

Threads now lets users send direct messages from within the app. But there are some limits for safety reasons. Only people who are 18 or older can use the feature, and you can only DM someone if you both follow each other on Threads or Instagram. This is Meta’s way of trying to prevent spam and abuse.

The messaging section works a lot like Instagram DMs, with a similar layout and an envelope icon at the bottom of the screen that opens your inbox.

Right now, it’s just simple one-on-one chats. But Meta says more features are coming soon.

What Messaging Features Are Coming Next?

Meta plans to improve messaging over time. Here are some of the tools that will be added:

• Message controls: You’ll be able to choose who can message you—followers, mutuals, or even people who don’t follow you. Messages from people you don’t know will land in a separate “Requests” folder.
• Group messaging: Threads will soon let you have group conversations, so multiple people can talk together in the same chat.
• Inbox filters: Meta is working on filters that will help you organize your messages and find important ones more easily.

These changes are meant to make it easier to talk privately on Threads, whether you’re chatting with friends or following up on a post.

Threads Highlighter Helps Surface What’s Popular

The second big update is something called the Threads Highlighter. It’s a visual element that shows you posts or topics that are getting attention on the app.

You’ll see the Highlighter in different parts of Threads, especially in sections where you discover new content. Meta says it’s designed to bring out posts that share unique or thoughtful perspectives—not just what’s trending the most.

Highlighter will also be used to mark trending topics. So instead of relying on hashtags, Threads will show what’s currently being talked about in a more curated way. Meta hasn’t said exactly how it decides what to highlight, but it looks like the goal is to surface posts that spark good conversations.

Threads Is Slowly Becoming Its Own Space

Even though Threads started out by borrowing a lot from Instagram, it’s starting to take a different path. According to Meta, over a third of people who use Threads daily follow a different set of accounts here than they do on Instagram. That’s a sign that the app is building its own identity.

With DMs and the Highlighter, Threads is no longer just about posting to the feed. It’s becoming a place where people can also message privately and discover what others are talking about in real time.

These updates don’t radically change the app overnight, but they do move it closer to being a more complete space for conversations—both public and private.

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