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Tag: dm

  • You Can Now Share Tweets via Direct Message

    As we told you it would last week, Twitter has now rolled out a feature that lets you share tweets via direct message.

    “Twitter is already a great place for public conversation; now it’s also easier to privately discuss things you care about,” says Twitter’s Sachin Agarwal.

    Why would you want to share a specific tweet in a direct message? Well, instead of having to explain something to whomever you’re talking to, you can just send them the referenced tweet along with your commentary. I mean, dude, did you see what she tweeted about you? Just brutal.

    All you have to do to share a tweet in a DM is tap and hold the tweet you want to share, and you’ll see an option to “share via Direct Message”.

    This feature is going live today on iOS, Android, and the web.

    Image via Twitter

  • With Public Offering Nearing, Twitter Looks To Go A Little More Private

    Twitter is reportedly considering expanding its private messaging offerings.

    Earlier this week, the company started rolling out a new feature that lets users receive direct messages from users they don’t follow. Historically, the feature has only worked when a user is following the other user. There’s a new setting option that allows you to receive messages from any follower.

    A new report from All Things D, citing multiple sources, indicates that this is just the beginning of Twitter’s private messaging focus, as it nears its IPO with competing threats from apps like SnapChat, KakaoTalk, WhatsApp and Line.

    While apparently the company hasn’t set anything in stone, its efforts may include a standalone messaging app, not unlike Facebook’s messenger app. Given that Twitter still views Facebook as a direct threat, and Facebook is actively adding more “public conversation” functionality (even letting teens post publicly now), Twitter’s move to counter these things by offering more private options is probably for the best.

    Twitter has obviously always been a public platform first and foremost, though it’s also always had privacy controls, but it looks like we’re going to be seeing more of a “be everything to everyone” approach moving forward.

    It makes you wonder how long the 140 character limit will stick around.

    Image: Maryland GovPics, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Twitter Lets You Get DMs from Anybody, If You Want

    On occasion, you need to communicate with someone on Twitter and you don’t want everyone to see it. That’s fair – maybe you’re complaining about an embarrassing product that you bought. Maybe you’re a Congressman and you want to send a nice picture of your package. Whatever, I won’t judge.

    That’s where the direct message comes in – Twitter’s more private communication. It’s always been a little bit clunky, in that Twitter only lets people send direct messages back and forth if the two accounts follow each other. Users can also send direct messages to any other user that follows them, but they won’t be able to receive a reply unless they turn around and follow back.

    That’s all changing – if you want it to.

    Twitter has unveiled a new option that allows you receive direct messages from anyone that follows you – you don’t have to follow them back.

    Here’s the relevant option, now located in your settings:

    Note that you have to go into your settings and enable this – so if you like things just the way they are, please ignore this and continue on with your day. It’s a small change, but it fundamentally changes how DMs work. Now, if a business or brand has this option checked, all you have to do to send them a complaint, comment, or question is follow them. The days of the “follow back to DM!” tweet may be coming to a close.

    H/t The Verge
    Lead Image via Maryland GovPics, Flickr Creative Commons