It took long enough, but Meta has finally admitted what Threads users have been saying from day one: the platform needs its own direct messaging system.Not something tied to Instagram, not a redirect, just DMs, right where the conversations are happening.And now, that’s exactly what they’re finally getting.
Starting this week (via The Verge), Threads is testing a native DM inbox in three countries: Hong Kong, Thailand, and Argentina.The rollout is limited for now, but according to Mark Zuckerberg, it’ll expand “soon.” No word yet on what that means for the rest of us, but at least the ship has turned.Users will find the new inbox by tapping the envelope icon in the bottom taskbar on iOS and Android, or on the left panel if they’re using Threads on the web.
It’s a small change, but with big implications When Threads first launched, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri floated the idea of merging Instagram’s DMs with Threads, arguing that people didn’t need yet another inbox.But that proposal was met with immediate and widespread pushback, especially from longtime Twitter users who had migrated to Threads and weren’t necessarily active on Instagram.Even though one of the early concepts involved mirroring messages across both apps, many saw it as a clunky workaround, not to mention an unwanted blend of two platforms with very different use cases.
Some users maintain completely different personas on Instagram and Threads, and merging those identities into a single inbox would’ve been a recipe for confusion, if not a privacy headache.Now, Meta’s reversing course, and while there’s still no timeline for a global rollout, the shift is clear: while it was helpful for a hot minute to base the Threads social graph on Instagram, it really needs to be treated as its own thing if it ever wants to capture the energy and relevance Meta was aiming for when it launched Threads in the first place. You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
