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Meta’s Threads to Test Direct Messaging Feature in Select Markets

Meta Platforms announced it will begin testing a direct messaging feature on its Threads app in select markets, including Hong Kong and Thailand. This new feature will introduce a dedicated inbox within Threads, removing the need for users to switch to Instagram’s messaging platform, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday.

Currently, messages on Threads will not be encrypted. The addition of direct messaging aims to make Threads more competitive with rivals such as X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Reddit, enhancing user engagement by offering a more complete social experience.

Threads, launched in 2023 as a direct competitor to X after Elon Musk’s takeover, has grown rapidly and now has over 350 million monthly active users. In April, Meta expanded advertising on Threads to all eligible advertisers worldwide, although the company does not expect Threads to be a major revenue driver in 2025.

Research firm Emarketer projects that Threads’ monthly active users in the U.S. will rise 17.5% to 60.5 million by next year, surpassing X’s expected decline to 50 million users.

Amid U.S. trade restrictions and the rise of AI-powered ad targeting, social media platforms are enhancing their features and user experience to maintain competitiveness in a crowded market.

Threads Introduces New Features, Including Default Feed Order, Bio Topics, and More

Threads rolled out a series of new features aimed at enhancing user personalization, improving feed curation, and refining video playback. As part of this update, the Meta-owned microblogging platform introduced the ability for users to customize the order of their feed. Now, users can set a specific feed—whether it’s the For You, Following, or Custom feed—as their default. This feed will be the first one users see when they open the app, streamlining the user experience and ensuring that personalized content is front and center from the moment they log in.

Another key update is the introduction of topics for bio, allowing users to showcase their favorite communities or interests right on their profiles. With this new feature, users can select up to 10 topics to display, making their profiles more dynamic and informative. By tapping on a specific topic, visitors can quickly explore related conversations and communities within Threads. This change adds a fresh layer of personalization, enabling users to better express themselves and connect with others who share similar interests.

In addition to the bio customization, Threads has also made significant improvements to the platform’s video player and post interactions. The updated video player promises smoother playback, enhancing the overall media consumption experience. Users will also notice changes in the way timely topics are tagged. The platform has redesigned these tags to make them more prominent in the For You feed, ensuring that trending conversations are easy to spot and engage with. Threads is also experimenting with a feature that suggests trending topics or related content for previously shared posts, encouraging users to keep the conversation going and engage with more relevant content.

Threads claims that its analysis shows posts with tagged topics tend to reach a wider audience, which could be a significant advantage for users looking to expand their reach. The ability to add suggested topics to posts while drafting them ensures that content is more likely to appear in relevant feeds, helping users connect with a broader community. With these updates, Threads is continuing its push to refine the user experience and encourage deeper interaction on the platform.

Meta Said to Be Testing X-Inspired Community Notes Feature on Threads

Meta is reportedly testing a new feature for Threads that draws inspiration from X (formerly Twitter), aiming to introduce a community notes system to improve content accuracy and foster diverse opinions. Announced by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, this feature will be rolled out across the company’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, as a replacement for traditional fact-checking teams. The community notes functionality is expected to allow users to engage directly with content that appears misleading or lacks context, offering their perspectives to provide clarity and additional information.

This new feature could be particularly significant as it empowers the community to take an active role in moderating content. According to a support article image shared by the company, the community notes system will allow users to write notes on posts they believe to be inaccurate or confusing. These notes can include explanations, background information, or insights from different perspectives. Once submitted, notes will be rated by other users, and if deemed helpful, they could be published to offer a more balanced view of the content in question. This system is part of Meta’s ongoing efforts to address misinformation while fostering open dialogue on its platforms.

Threads, which has recently introduced several new features to enhance user engagement, also rolled out an option to share photos and videos from other users without the need to quote the original post. Additionally, the app has been testing a scheduled post feature, allowing users to plan their content ahead of time. These updates show Meta’s commitment to improving the functionality of Threads and keeping it competitive with other platforms in the ever-evolving social media landscape.

In a video message shared last week, Zuckerberg highlighted the importance of free expression, especially in light of the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election. He mentioned that there had been “too many mistakes and too much censorship” in the past, emphasizing the need to return to the core principle of prioritizing speech. As Meta moves forward with its new community-driven content moderation approach, it aims to strike a balance between enabling free expression and ensuring that users have access to accurate and reliable information.

Meta is reportedly testing a new feature for Threads that draws inspiration from X (formerly Twitter), aiming to introduce a community notes system to improve content accuracy and foster diverse opinions. Announced by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, this feature will be rolled out across the company’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, as a replacement for traditional fact-checking teams. The community notes functionality is expected to allow users to engage directly with content that appears misleading or lacks context, offering their perspectives to provide clarity and additional information.

This new feature could be particularly significant as it empowers the community to take an active role in moderating content. According to a support article image shared by the company, the community notes system will allow users to write notes on posts they believe to be inaccurate or confusing. These notes can include explanations, background information, or insights from different perspectives. Once submitted, notes will be rated by other users, and if deemed helpful, they could be published to offer a more balanced view of the content in question. This system is part of Meta’s ongoing efforts to address misinformation while fostering open dialogue on its platforms.

Threads, which has recently introduced several new features to enhance user engagement, also rolled out an option to share photos and videos from other users without the need to quote the original post. Additionally, the app has been testing a scheduled post feature, allowing users to plan their content ahead of time. These updates show Meta’s commitment to improving the functionality of Threads and keeping it competitive with other platforms in the ever-evolving social media landscape.

In a video message shared last week, Zuckerberg highlighted the importance of free expression, especially in light of the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election. He mentioned that there had been “too many mistakes and too much censorship” in the past, emphasizing the need to return to the core principle of prioritizing speech. As Meta moves forward with its new community-driven content moderation approach, it aims to strike a balance between enabling free expression and ensuring that users have access to accurate and reliable information.