Starting today, you may notice a new icon at the bottom of a tweet in the shape of an envelope. Tapping the new Message button, allows you to send a selected tweet to a friend or follower within a DM.
https://twitter.com/twitter/status/717389486921949184
According to Twitter, its messaging feature grew over 60 percent last year as millions of people chose to “communicate privately with friends, family, experts, brands, and anyone else they find interesting.” Meanwhile, the number of tweets shared privately increased at an even faster rate, 200 percent in the second half of 2015 to be precise.
Amid that growth, the company noticed an increase in user requests for more DM options for tweets, which brings us to today’s new feature. Now, users can share any tweet from their timelines in a private conversation.
On the mobile version of Twitter, once you tap the Message button below a tweet, you’ll then select who you want to share it with, and whether you want to add a comment. On the desktop version, the feature is available via the ellipsis icon next to the heart-shaped “like” button below a tweet.
The Message button is available now on the Twitter app for iOS and Android. Unlike rival Facebook, Twitter has refrained from spinning off its messaging feature as a standalone app, despite internal calls to do just that. Instead, in its own words, Twitter has consistently “added more ways to express yourself” in messages. Past updates have allowed you to send GIFs, emoji, and videos via DM, not to mention the fact that it’s the only place you can communicate using more than 140 characters on the platform.
