Despite users wanting their own inbox, Threads doesn’t have one yet. They will keep using Instagram messages for now. However, Threads might soon make it easier to chat with Instagram friends straight from the Threads app!
Threads tested a new button on people’s profiles recently. When tapped, it took you to a message box where you could type and send a note right to someone’s Instagram inbox. Not many people got to try it though. A Threads spokesperson said they were just seeing if people liked the idea.
For now, the only way to privately chat with someone on Threads is by tapping their Instagram logo. This takes you to Instagram to send the message. But Instagram inboxes aren’t very handy if the person doesn’t use Instagram much. Or if you want to talk to someone secretly because they made their profile private.
Other social apps like Twitter and the new Bluesky app have had their own inboxes for a long time. Twitter even lets you edit messages after sending now. Bluesky recently started letting people send private notes too. On the site Mastodon, you can’t send inbox messages. But you can post something just for certain people to view.
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has said before that Threads may add its own inbox in the future. Right now, many Threads and Instagram users follow similar folks. But for some, their Threads and Instagram timelines contain totally different people. Threads creators want to make private chatting easier for these situations. Giving Threads a separate inbox could solve this problem.
So even if Threads doesn’t have an inbox itself yet, their little message test shows they may bring new ways to chat on Instagram through the Threads app soon. This would definitely help those who want a simpler messaging experience across both social sites. Stay tuned for updates from Threads!
