Meta just flipped the switch on group messaging for Threads. You can now throw up to 50 followers into a single conversation.

Sounds basic, right? Most messaging apps launched with this feature years ago. But Threads took its sweet time getting here. Now the wait is over for one of the most requested features since the app debuted.

How Group DMs Actually Work

Starting a group chat is straightforward. Open a new message and add anyone who follows you on Threads. That’s it.

You can customize the group name to match whatever topic you’re discussing. No more generic “Group Chat 47” nonsense. Plus, Meta promises link-based invites are coming soon. That means you won’t need to manually add every single person.

Threads group messaging allows up to 50 followers per conversation

The 50-person limit feels generous for most use cases. Sure, Discord servers hold thousands. But for focused conversations with your actual followers, 50 works fine.

Europe Gets the Full Package

Meta is rolling out messaging to EU users over the next few days. And they’re not getting a watered-down version.

European users get everything at once. Individual DMs, group chats, messaging controls, privacy settings, that hidden spam folder, and full media support. No staged rollout. No waiting for features to trickle in later.

Threads took two years for group messaging feature other apps had

This marks a significant expansion beyond the initial US launch. Meta clearly wants Threads established globally before competitors grab more market share.

Why This Took So Long

Emily Dalton Smith, Meta’s Head of Product for Threads, admits messaging “wasn’t a priority in the early days.” That’s corporate speak for “we had other fires to put out first.”

Fair enough. Building a Twitter competitor from scratch means making tough choices about what ships when. But users were screaming for DMs from day one.

Since finally launching messaging in July, Meta has been playing catch-up fast. They added photos, videos, GIFs, a requests folder, spam filtering, and privacy controls. All the stuff other apps had years ago.

Threads group messaging allows up to 50 followers per conversation

The app now claims 400 million monthly active users. That’s impressive growth. And it positions Threads as Meta’s next billion-user platform after Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The Messaging Wars Continue

Here’s what bugs me about this timeline. Threads launched in July 2023. Group messaging arrives in late 2025. That’s two years for a feature that’s table stakes in messaging apps.

Twitter had group DMs for years. Discord built its entire platform around group conversations. Even Instagram, Meta’s own app, has had group chats forever. So why did Threads take so long?

Two year timeline from Threads launch to group messaging feature

The answer reveals Meta’s strategy. They prioritized rapid user acquisition over feature completeness. Get people on the platform first. Add features later. Classic move when you’re racing to capture market share from a faltering competitor.

But users don’t care about corporate strategy. They want features that work. And many probably gave up waiting and stuck with other platforms for their group conversations.

Now Meta is asking them to come back. Will they? Maybe. The 400 million user base suggests Threads has momentum. But those users have already established their group chats elsewhere.

Meta needs to prove Threads offers something those other platforms don’t. Right now, it’s just catching up to features that should have existed from launch. That’s not compelling. That’s just doing the minimum.

The real test comes next. What features does Threads build that nobody else has? What makes group chats on Threads better than anywhere else? Until Meta answers those questions, they’re just another messaging app in a very crowded space.