Meta’s Threads to test direct messaging feature in select markets

Meta Platforms said it would start rolling out direct messaging on its Threads app, adding a feature long offered by rivals, in a bid to attract more users.

Users in select markets, including Hong Kong and Thailand, will get a dedicated inbox for direct messages on the app as part of the test, eliminating the need to switch to Instagram’s messaging platform, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday.

Meta said messages on Threads will not be encrypted for now.

Threads and Instagram have long been intertwined as part of Meta’s plans to leverage the image…