Twitter’s Latest Feature Allows Direct Messaging Within A Tweet

Twitter has announced a new update to its direct messaging function, the message symbol will now be inbuilt into tweets making it easier to direct message someone straight away.

In a blog post Somas Thyagaraja, product manager at Twitter said: “Every day, millions of people send Direct Messages to communicate privately with friends, family, experts, brands, and anyone else they find interesting on Twitter. In fact, we’ve seen the number of messages sent grow over 60 per cent in 2015. And the number of Tweets shared privately has grown even faster, at 200 per cent in just the second half of last year.”

Direct Messages are the private side of Twitter. You can use Direct Messages to have private conversations with Twitter users about tweets and other content.

The basics

You can start a private conversation or create a group conversation with anyone who follows you.
Anyone in a conversation can send Direct Messages to the group. Everyone in a group can see all messages, even if everyone doesn’t follow each other.
In group conversations, anyone in the conversation can add other participants. Newly added participants won’t see the prior history of the conversation.
Some accounts, particularly businesses on Twitter, have enabled a setting to receive Direct Messages from anyone. You can send a Direct Message to these users even if they don’t follow you.
In both group and one-on-one conversations, you cannot be in a conversation with someone you block.

“With all this interest, we’ve also heard from many of you that it could be easier to share a Tweet using Direct Message. So now — in just a few taps — you can share unique Twitter content from your timeline right into your private conversation.

“This update is our next step towards making conversations richer in Direct Messages. Over time, we’ve added more ways to express yourself using GIFs, emojis, or realllllllyyyyy long private messages, helped you connect with a group of people, and made it easy to get customer service.

The Message button will be available today on Twitter for iOS and Android.

Direct Messaging joins a long line of new features on the platform, it is the eighth announcement this year. Twitter’s latest changes includes descriptors for the visually impaired, First View which puts video advertising smack bang at the top of Twitter’s timeline, adjusting the timeline algorithm, rolling out a GIF library, easier customer service with direct messaging to brands and more direct customer feedback, as well as the new lightning bolt tab Twitter Moments.

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