YouTube tests direct messaging. Here’s how it works.

Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Elon Musk’s X – all these sites allow users to chat privately with other users right inside the platform.

Almost every major social media platform has a direct message feature. Well, almost every major social media platform except YouTube.

However it looks like that may soon change.

according to a post From a YouTube employee on a Google support thread, YouTube is currently testing a new way to “share videos” via direct messages on the platform through the mobile app.

YouTube said in the post that this has been a “top feature request.”

“We’re experimenting with a new feature that will make it easier for you to share your favorite videos (long form, shorts, and live streams) and have conversations about them right on the YouTube mobile app,” the YouTube post reads. “By sending messages on YouTube, you acknowledge that messages may be reviewed to ensure that they follow our Community Guidelines. The Community Guidelines apply to all content on YouTube, including on-platform video shares and messages.”

As noted in its statement, YouTube will maintain its moderation policies for content sent via direct message as it does with public content, and will review flagged content.

How will YouTube direct messaging work?

YouTube says the direct messaging experiment is currently being rolled out to users over the age of 18 in Poland and Ireland. However, this is a specific testing phase for the company’s experiments and is likely to be rolled out to even more users in the future.

A YouTube support page first discovered by 9to5Google further explains how this new direct messaging feature will work.

Users will be able to share videos with other users on the platform using the feature in the YouTube mobile app. Once shared, the contacted user will be able to accept or decline the chat invitation. Each user will be given the option to accept or decline the chat when a new channel contacts them.

Once accepted, users will receive the shared video and will be able to chat privately and share more videos with each other. Users will also be able to block channels from which they do not want to receive invite requests or chats. Message notifications will appear along with other information when a user taps the notification bell icon.

Longtime YouTube users have actually experienced direct messaging on the platform before. The company came up with a way to share and discuss videos privately with specific users 2017But YouTube suddenly removed the private messaging feature, leaving many of its users disappointed, 2019,

Now, YouTube is finally ready to bring back direct messaging in the app.