YouTube is finally bringing back its direct messaging feature, which has been gone for around six years now, thanks to it being the top requested feature by users who want a messaging experience on the platform.
The caveat now is that this is still under testing, and it is currently rolling out to a limited number of countries only.
YouTube Brings Back DMs via Latest Test
Team YouTube has shared a new post on their support page which talks about a new DMs feature coming to the platform, but the company does not exactly call it a direct messaging feature.
“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,” said YouTube.
The company cited in their post that users may share videos with other users and have “conversations” about the said videos right on the mobile app.
The company has yet to reveal what they would name this exact feature, but it is important to note that it would still be under testing, so it may or may not be released for global public use.
According to YouTube, its latest test would have this modern DMs feature available to users in Ireland and Poland only, and it would be available to users age 18 years old and above.
Under this experimental stage, YouTube would ask for feedback from users in these areas and then consider whether to make it available as a mainstay feature.
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A Top Requested Feature for Better Interactions
YouTube also added that they decided to experiment with a dedicated direct messaging feature on the video streaming platform because it is a “top feature request” from users over the years.
It is important to note that YouTube first announced this feature in 2017 and then made it available on the mobile app version initially. In the following year, YouTube made it available to the web version and expanded the availability for users.
However, fast forward to a year after its expansion to the web, YouTube ultimately decided to take down the Messages feature as it shifted its focus to other forms of social media experiences. This includes the emergence of YouTube Stories, a form of vertical media that expires in 24 hours, similar to Instagram Stories and Snapchat, which the company also removed in 2023.
While the exact reasons remain unknown, it was speculated that YouTube may have observed that the Messages feature was not being used that often by users.
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