Meta adds direct messaging to Threads as app turns two

Meta’s Threads is marking its two-year anniversary by adding direct messaging and a new visual highlighter feature, as the company continues efforts to position the app as a standalone social platform distinct from Instagram.

Starting Tuesday, users will be able to send direct messages within Threads for the first time. Messaging has been one of the most requested features since the app’s launch, and the addition brings Threads more in line with competitors that offer both public and private modes of communication.

Initially, messaging will be limited to users aged 18 and older, and only between people who follow each other on Threads or are mutual Instagram followers. Meta says these restrictions are intended to maintain safety and positive user interactions as it rolls out the feature. The platform will allow users to decide who can message them, including people they don’t follow, and will add a message requests folder. The new feature will also include a group messaging option, and inbox filters will help users organize incoming messages.

In addition to DMs, Threads is launching a new visual element called the Threads Highlighter, which will emphasize trending topics and what Meta describes as “unique perspectives” within the app. The highlighter will appear in content discovery areas initially, with broader placement planned.

Meta

Threads, which launched in 2023 as an offshoot of Instagram, is working to establish its own identity. Meta says more than a third of daily Threads users with connections follow mostly different accounts on Threads than on Instagram, suggesting that users are beginning to build Threads-specific networks rather than simply importing their Instagram social graphs.

“As we enter year three, Threads is finding its groove: a place for real talk, where perspectives are exchanged and built through back-and-forth conversation,” the company said in a statement marking the launch.

The rollout of these features comes as more users continue to seek alternatives to Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter. Bluesky, for instance, now has 35.98 million users globally, with around 3.5 million daily active users in the U.S. and UK alone. In April 2025, the Bluesky app saw 880,000 installs.

Meanwhile, Threads has grown to 350 million monthly active users, according to Meta’s latest earnings update, which also reported a 35% increase in time spent on the app during the quarter. That actually puts the app almost on-par with X, which is estimated to have 368 million monthly active users, a drop from the 600 million it had a little over a year ago in May 2024.