YouTube tests direct messaging. Heres how it works.
YouTube is taking a significant step toward enhancing user interaction on its platform by testing a direct messaging feature, a move that aligns it more closely with other major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. As shared in a recent post by a YouTube employee on a Google support thread, the platform aims to allow users to share videos—including long-form content, Shorts, and live streams—directly through the YouTube mobile app. This feature has been identified as a “top feature request” among users, indicating a strong demand for more interactive capabilities within the platform.
Currently, the direct messaging feature is being tested with users over the age of 18 in Poland and Ireland, which is a common approach for YouTube as it evaluates new functionalities. Once implemented, users will be able to send video links to one another, and the recipient will have the option to accept or decline the chat invitation. This new messaging system will also adhere to YouTube’s Community Guidelines, ensuring that all shared content is subject to the same moderation policies that govern public content on the platform. Users will be able to block channels from which they do not wish to receive messages, adding a layer of control over their interactions.
This isn’t YouTube’s first foray into direct messaging; the platform previously offered this feature from 2017 until its abrupt removal in 2019, which disappointed many users. The reintroduction of direct messaging reflects a growing trend among social media platforms to foster more personal interactions and community engagement. With the rise of social media as a primary means of communication, YouTube’s decision to explore direct messaging could potentially transform how users connect over shared content, making the platform not only a place for video consumption but also a hub for conversation and community building. As the testing phase progresses, many are eagerly anticipating the official rollout and the impact it may have on user experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfTdlFZ_6wY
Facebook
,
TikTok
,
Instagram
,
Elon Musk
‘s X – all these sites allow users to privately chat with other users right inside the platform.
Almost every major social media platform has a direct message feature. Well, almost every major social media platform except for
YouTube
.
That looks like it may soon change though.
According to
a post
from a YouTube employee on a
Google
support thread, YouTube is currently testing a new way to “share videos” through direct messages on the platform through the mobile app.
YouTube says in the post that this has been a “top feature request.”
SEE ALSO:
YouTube Shorts finally adds daily time limit. Here’s how to get it.
“We’re experimenting with a new feature that makes it easy for you to share videos you love (long-form, Shorts and live streams) and have conversations about them directly on the YouTube mobile app,” reads the YouTube post. “By messaging on YouTube, you accept that messages may be reviewed to ensure they follow our Community Guidelines. Community Guidelines apply to all content on YouTube, including on-platform video shares and messages.”
As mentioned in its statement, YouTube will uphold its moderation policies for content sent via direct message as it would with public content, and will review flagged material.
How YouTube direct messaging will work
YouTube says that the direct messaging experiment is just rolling out to users over the age of 18 in Poland and Ireland right now. However, this is a typical testing phase for the company’s experiments and it will likely roll out even further to more users in the future.
A
YouTube help page
first discovered by
9to5Google
further explains how this new direct messaging feature will work.
Users will be able to share videos with other users on the platform using the feature in the YouTube mobile app. Once shared, the contacted user will be able to accept the chat invite or decline it. Every user will be given the option to accept or decline a chat when a new channel contacts them.
When accepted, users will receive the shared video and be able to privately chat and share more videos with each other. Users will also be able to block channels that they don’t want to receive invite requests or chats from. Message notifications will appear alongside other notifications when a user taps the Notification bell icon.
Longtime YouTube users have actually experienced direct messaging on the platform before. The company rolled out a way to privately share and discuss videos with specific users back in
2017
. But YouTube suddenly removed the private messaging feature, much to the chagrin of many of its users, in
2019
.
Now, YouTube seems poised to finally bring back direct messaging in the app.
