Threads is adding Live Chats to boost real-time engagement

Threads is launching “Live Chats” to allow for real-time conversations during cultural events, the Meta-owned platform announced on Wednesday. The company says the idea behind the new feature is to help make the app feel more timely and relevant.

Live Chats are launching first within the NBA Threads community during the Playoffs. Media personalities, including Malika Andrews, Rachel Nichols, and Da Kid Gowie will host Live Chats during games.

The company told TechCrunch via email that it’s initially rolling out the feature to a small group of creators. Not all users will be able to start a Live Chat right away, but Meta plans to expand access over time.

Users can send messages, photos, videos, links, and emoji reactions. Up to 150 participants can actively send messages in a chat. Once this limit is reached, additional users can still view the conversation, react to messages, and participate in polls in “spectator” mode.

When Threads first launched, it lagged behind X when it came to relevance and timeliness; it was harder to follow what was currently happening in the world. X had already established itself as a global “town square” of sorts, and was known for real-time commentary and breaking news. Threads, on the other hand, was struggling because it lacked many of the features that X had, such as robust search, hashtags, and a chronological feed.

Over time, Threads has built out its platform with these tools, and now it’s looking to better compete with X through the addition of a feature that even the Elon Musk-owned app doesn’t have, one specifically designed for real-time engagement.

“It’s a new way to build community with others around shared interests like an album drop or a big game as it unfolds,” Meta explained in the blog post. “Live Chats are an extension of what’s already happening on Threads — and a new way for creators and fans to connect over what matters to them in real time. Live Chats are more dynamic than traditional group chats because they’re designed for real-time conversations around cultural moments as they’re happening.”

Users can join Live Chats from the top of a Community feed, through a shared post in their main feed, or by tapping the red live ring around a host’s profile photo. Although Live Chats end after a certain time, they remain open and publicly discoverable after they end, Meta says.

Threads will automatically detect and take down messages that violate its policies, and anyone in a chat can report messages, the company told TechCrunch. Additionally, hosts have real-time moderation controls and can demote users to spectator mode or remove them from the chat.

As for the future, Meta says it is going to update Live Chats with several new features, including co-hosting, real-time play-by-play updates, lock-screen widgets that highlight live chat activity, and the ability to quote and share chat messages directly to Threads feeds.

While Meta noted that the feature could also be used for things like album drops, there’s potential for Live Chats to be used in numerous other settings — such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup games, awards shows, TV show finales, and more.