Hajra Naz
Meta’s Threads app is picking up speed on the messaging front, shifting from its early “no DMs” stance to rolling out more ways for people to talk privately.
After adding basic image sharing to messages last week, Threads plans to let people drop in stickers and GIFs next. Screenshots from app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi show what’s on the way: more ways to react, share, and keep conversations lively inside the app’s inbox.
Editing, unsending, and deleting messages are on the list too. Group chats are coming as well, which would push Threads closer to how Instagram and Facebook Messenger work.
For a while, Meta didn’t seem too keen on launching yet another chat tool, given it already runs Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram DMs. Part of that hesitation is tied back to the ongoing fight with the FTC, which wants Meta to split off Instagram and WhatsApp, accusing the company of running a monopoly.
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One defense Meta has used is that its messaging tools work together so closely that untangling them wouldn’t make sense. There’s been talk for years about blending Messenger, IG DMs, and WhatsApp into a single connected inbox. Full encryption for all three is also in the pipeline.
So adding another standalone chat inside Threads looked like a headache for Meta’s lawyers and engineers alike. But with the FTC case now leaning Meta’s way, the company seems less worried about opening a fresh messaging lane.
Threads, which already borrows plenty from Twitter’s playbook, stands to gain if people stick around longer to chat in private. More messaging means more reasons to log in and more signals about who’s close to whom, which always helps a social app grow.
Meta hasn’t said exactly when all these new features will rop, but they’re moving fast. If you’re on Threads, expect GIFs, stickers, group chats, and more tweaks to show up soon.
