Threads might soon let you play games in DMs
What's the story
Meta's Threads is working on a new feature that would let users play games within their private chats. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that it is testing a version of the feature, but it's not yet available for public use. The first game being tested is a simple basketball game, which was discovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi.
Game details
Basketball game: A competitive twist for chats
The basketball game, as per Paluzzi's screenshot, lets users score points by swiping on their screens to throw a virtual ball into a hoop. The format suggests that people chatting with each other could take turns and compare scores, thus creating a light competitive element within conversations. This facility would give Threads an edge over rivals like X and Bluesky, which don't offer in-built games in messages.
Uncertainty
No timeline for launch yet
Meta has not given any indication of when or if this feature will be launched publicly. As with its other early projects, the game may change/be dropped before it reaches users. This is not the first time Meta has experimented with games inside messaging tools. Last year, Instagram introduced a hidden game within direct messages where players competed to keep an emoji bouncing on the screen.
Feature updates
Meta's ongoing expansion of Threads
The game prototype comes as Meta continues to improve Threads with new tools designed to strengthen user activity. The platform has recently added more topics to its Communities facility, a move seen as a measure to compete with discussion-focused platforms like Reddit and X. Threads has also brought disappearing posts, which remove content from public view after 24 hours.