Threads continues to build out its messaging options, this time through the addition of group chat functionality, which will enable Threads users to establish their own, dedicated messaging groups within the app.
As you can see in these example screens, Threads users are now able to set up their own group chats with over 50 participants. That will help Threads lean into more intimate, private community engagement, and expand its use case through enhanced connective capacity.
As explained by Threads:
“We launched messaging on Threads in July, and we’ve been building on the experience since then. Group chats, rolling out today, are the next phase - they’re another way to keep the conversation going, with multiple people.”
As noted, Threads group chats can include up to 50 other users, and new members can only be added by someone that they follow (only chat admins can remove members). You’ll have a 15-minute window to edit the messages you send to the group discussion, while users will also be able to report a group chat or specific messages.
“To create a group chat, start a new message and add handles for the people you want to DM in the “To” field. Once you create your chat, you can name it to give it some personality.”
Threads is also expanding DM access to Europe this week, while it’s also developing invite links for group chats, in order to make it easier to get your friends to join.
It’s a smart expansion of Threads’ DM functionality, which will provide more capacity for people to use the app in more ways.
Threads launched its own DM option back in July, and has been working to build out its messaging features, in line with other options. It’s added photos, stickers and GIF sharing, as well as a separate folder for message requests, making it easier for users to open their DMs to all in the app.
The addition of group chat will expand on this, and make Threads messaging a more viable, and potentially valuable connection option, which will expand on the app’s capacity to become a hub for connection and engagement, especially within dedicated communities.
And with more and more discussion switching to DMs, it also aligns with broader user trends, and having the option readily available within the app will make it a more complete tool in this respect.
Will that help Threads to eventually overtake X as the top real-time social network? Well, it’s well on track to do that anyway, and DMs can’t hurt in this respect.
As you can see in this chart, Threads usage is climbing fast, and it’s on track, at this rate, to catch up to, and potentially exceed X in total active users next year.
And with X putting more of its eggs in the AI basket, by focusing on the evolution of its Grok tools, it does seem like Threads has the perfect opportunity to become the leader in the segment, and maybe even become the next billion-user app, as envisioned by Zuck on launch.
Which is significant. For years, Twitter’s usage growth was stagnant, as the platform struggled to present a significant, valuable use case to those beyond its core group. It had seemed like that real-time approach, focused on short updates, had limited appeal, with most people instead preferring to get the updates in other, more visually focused apps.
And while that’s still true, based on the usage of TikTok and Instagram, Threads does seemingly have the potential to shift the paradigm, and make this a more engaging, appealing format.
There’s a way to go, but Threads is making all the right moves thus far.
