Threads has begun testing a new feature aimed at making it easier to start private conversations (DM) directly from user posts. The experiment is currently available in the United States and Canada, and relies on activating phrases such as “DM me” or “message me” within the post text, so that they automatically turn into a shortened link leading to the messaging interface in the app.

When writing any of these phrases in a post, other users can click on them to go directly to a private message with the post's author. Threads allows account owners to control the settings of who can contact them, with the possibility of excluding message requests from non-followers if the user wishes.

The feature comes in line with a global trend in social networks to move from public publishing towards more private spaces.

A decline in the publishing rate on main pages is observed, in contrast to an increase in activity via private messages, as Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, pointed out, emphasizing that users prefer to interact through stories and private messages more than public publishing.

The growing desire for privacy and avoiding public controversy has driven more users to seek closed spaces for interaction and content sharing with their trusted circles.

Threads' latest update embodies this shift, especially after adding the private messaging feature last July, to keep pace with user behavior changes and provide a wider space for direct discussion.

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