Threads gets group conversations with message publishing in the EU

Shortly after that Adding direct messages this summer Instagram themes is addition Support group messaging with up to 50 people. The Meta-owned rival to X, which now has more than 400 million monthly active users, is making group chats available to global users starting today. It will also bring its own messaging experience to users in the European Union, where it was initially delayed.

Within group chats, Threads users ages 18 and older will be able to share text posts, videos, GIFs, and emojis as often as possible on the public timeline.

Vice President of Product Management Emily Dalton Smith explained during a group chat session with reporters earlier this week that, as with individual direct messages (DMs), group chats will not be encrypted. Instead, the company views Threads DMs as a way for people to communicate about things they’re talking about right now — like a football game or a TV show they’re watching, not as a secure messaging service.

“We see messaging as a way for people to connect more deeply with the people they’re already having conversations with,” Smith said in the chat as she demonstrated the new feature and answered questions about its functionality and purpose. “It’s really about going deeper with people who share your interests.”

The changes also come with the presence of Instagram, Threads’ parent company Refocus its application About reels and DMs because Found the company These were the features that users interacted with the most. It’s no surprise that they’ve now made messaging a core part of the Threads app as well.

Its biggest competitor, X, did the same thing, but its focus was on converting its users End-to-end encrypted chat service, XChat; Security researchers said it’s not as trustworthy as Signal.

Threads says its users will have some control over who can start group chats with them, They can also with direct messages. Users have to follow the person so they can add you to the group chat, Smith said. This is more restrictive compared to how thread direct messages work, where individual messages from people you don’t follow are simply routed to your Message Requests folder, not your main inbox.

However, individual direct messages have other limitations. Links and media in message requests are also disabled, and users are limited to the number of requests they can send. Additionally, users can stop message requests from people they don’t follow, while potential spam is further filtered to a hidden folder.

Users will also be able to give their group chats a name, and will later be able to invite others by sharing a link to the chat, rather than adding them individually. This may make it easier for members to connect with others in a particular community – A Newer feature to find interest groups On the app.

Smith also noted that people use Threads to connect with a different group of people compared to what they do on Instagram. For example, more than a third of those who use Threads daily follow less than half the same number of people they follow on Instagram. The company believes this indicates that people are making more “string-first” connections on the app.

In addition to group chats, Messages will arrive in the EU over the next few days, giving users in this market access to individual and group chats at launch.