Meta has announced that Threads users can now communicate privately with Meta AI within direct messages (DMs). It is a relatively minor update, but it nevertheless fits into a broader trend of trying to create an ecosystem where the user is always “inside” the system – a long-term objective for Meta.
If you have been spending any amount of time on Threads over the last couple of months, then you are most likely already familiar with Meta AI in one way or another. Specifically, you may have come across it while viewing your feed as it responded to conversations similarly to how you might have seen Grok on X. What the new update enables you to do is to converse directly with Meta AI without having to rely on it being embedded in a conversation on the social media platform. Put otherwise, you can now talk to it in private one on one as you would in a DM.
What Actually Changed
In this regard, it is worth noting that Meta has already implemented such a function in most of its other products. In particular, Meta AI was available in DMs on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, with Threads being an exception. From this, it can be concluded that this update probably made Threads more equal to the rest of the applications owned by Meta.
Therefore, it can be said that this update is more of an equalizing measure than anything else. Meta is actively working on making all of its applications more similar to each other, and such projects as Meta AI fit perfectly into this strategy. Hence, it was only a matter of time before the feature was released in Threads, which makes it hardly surprising.
This Isn’t New For The Rest Of Meta’s Apps
In this regard, it is important to note that Meta has had such a feature in many of its other apps. Specifically, Meta AI has been accessible through DMs on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and Threads was the only platform where it was not available. This update, in many ways, puts Threads on equal footing with the rest of the Meta apps.
From this perspective, it makes sense to view this update as more of an equalizing measure than anything else. Meta has always tried to unify the user experience across its apps, and AI assistants now fit squarely into that strategy. Once you see it that way, it becomes clear why this feature was always going to land on Threads eventually. It was really just a matter of when, not if.
Why Meta Is Pushing This So Hard
Still, there is another factor that also explains why Meta is so enthusiastic about integrating AI into all of its products and making it easier to use – and that is competition. Making it easier to communicate with Meta AI without leaving the app means that, in some cases, it will be competing directly with Google Gemini and ChatGPT. Any question a user might otherwise take to Gemini or ChatGPT is now something Meta AI can compete for instead, and the easier Meta AI is to reach, the more likely it is to win that comparison.
That is why such measures are significant for competition with standalone AI assistants. By reducing the barriers to asking questions to its own AI assistant, Meta makes it more attractive to users who may otherwise turn to ChatGPT or Gemini. Effectively, this makes it harder for Google and OpenAI to compete for that same attention.
The Rollout Timeline
Meta has stated that this update will roll out globally from Monday. This isn’t a gradual release that will take months to reach all users. It’s the opposite, a broad rollout that covers everyone at once. It is more of a rapid rollout that covers all users at once, although it is important to note that it does not apply to all aspects of Meta AI on Threads. Specifically, according to the release, while the ability to use Meta AI in DMs is now available to all, its use in feeds is still being rolled out in a limited capacity. That is, the update to the public replies is only available in a few markets at the moment – presumably, it will take some time before it becomes available everywhere.
Public Meta AI Replies Are Still Being Tested
While DM availability is rolling out to everyone, Meta also said it’s still testing the feature within Threads’ public feed, and that testing remains limited to a small set of markets for now. Meta clarified that it is seeking user feedback on this particular function before potentially rolling it out elsewhere.
This is an important distinction – while the private, direct message-style chat is coming to everyone, the option to see public, feed-style replies from Meta AI is currently being tested on a small scale. The reason for this probably has to do with the fact that replies on a public thread are much more intrusive and potentially unwanted than a reply and or response within one’s own threads feed.
If one doesn’t want to see replies from Meta AI on their public threads, there are multiple options to do so, including muting the “@meta.ai” account, clicking the “Not interested” button on a specific post, or even – if one is replying to a public post oneself – hiding a reply from a bot. All of these features, however, were available before this update, which further emphasizes the fact that there are ways to avoid dealing with unwanted content on Threads.
What This Means For Threads As A Product
Taken as a whole, it seems like this update speaks to a desire to make Threads more than just a text-based Twitter alternative. In many ways it is now more similar to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, which are all being integrated with Meta AI and seeing regular updates to their own Threads features. It is possible that Threads is being transformed slowly into a sort of “super-app,” designed to be the place where one can ask a question, post something, or directly message a friend – all within the same space.
It is unclear how successful this attempt will be; some users will enjoy being able to access more functionality within a single app, whereas others will complain that everything is becoming too “cluttered.” However, it should be noted that this update is yet another sign that Meta is determined to bring artificial intelligence into every aspect of its products, for better or for worse.
Bottom Line
Threads users will be able to communicate privately with Meta AI via DMs. It marks the first time the app has allowed people to connect with Meta AI directly, a feature that already exists on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The new Threads feature lets users share posts, photos, links, and videos with Meta AI – and ask follow-up questions about them. It will be available worldwide this week, while the use of Meta AI in the public feed of Threads continues its limited availability, according to reports.
FAQs
Q1: What new feature was announced for Threads by Meta?
Meta announced that Threads users will now be able to message Meta AI through DMs privately. Before that, Threads users were able to message Meta AI through public posts, available in select markets only.
Q2: How is it different from previous implementation of Meta AI on Threads?
Threads users in select markets were previously able to message Meta AI publicly in the same way as people interact with Grok on X.
Q3: What can Threads users do with Meta AI in private DMs?
They can share posts, images, links, videos with Meta AI and ask additional questions to go further into the issue. In general, interaction with Meta AI in DMs looks similarly to interaction with a person.
Q4: Is Meta AI new for Meta messaging apps?
No. Meta AI is already available within private messaging of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Q5: When is this feature coming?
Meta announced that the update will come globally starting from Monday. Thus, compared to some other features of Threads, it is going to be a relatively fast and wide update.
Q6: Why does Meta integrate AI into its apps so actively?
This step is likely done in order to keep its users in the ecosystem of Meta apps in case they want to use AI assistants and not turn to its competitors, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google Gemini.
Q7: Is Meta AI present in public Threads feeds as well?
Meta is currently testing Meta AI presence in public Threads feed, however, it remains limited to a few global markets. The company stated that it is analyzing the feedback received and thinking about further steps regarding expansion of this feature.
Q8: Is there any way for users to control how often they see posts of Meta AI on Threads?
Yes. If people don’t like seeing that many Meta AI posts on the social media network, they could mute @meta.ai account and choose “not interested” for any post by them. They can also hide any replies that the account makes to their own posts.
Q9: What can we learn from this update about Meta’s plans regarding Threads?
It shows that Meta plans to make Threads a place for users to get information and receive recommendations from Meta AI without leaving Threads.
Q10: Does this update require any special setup on users’ part?
Meta hasn’t indicated that any special setup is required. Since the feature is rolling out globally, users should be able to start messaging Meta AI in their Threads DMs as the update reaches their account.
