YouTube Expands Access to Direct Messages Feature on Mobile

The new Direct Messages feature that YouTube has been testing in select European countries for a couple of months is now expanding to the US and other markets. The YouTube team previously said that an in-app messaging solution has been a top-requested feature from the community, but this new DM solution comes with some limitations.

At the moment, the new messaging feature is only available on the YouTube mobile app, and only for users 18 who have already created a YouTube Channel. It also requires users to share an invite link via another messaging app to start a conversation. The person who will receive the invite will then have the option to Allow or Decline the messages.

Overall, this new messaging feature is mostly designed for sharing YouTube videos, and it’s currently not possible to send pictures or other types of content. YouTube DMs are also not encrypted and may be reviewed to ensure they comply with YouTube’s Community Guidelines.

On a support page, YouTube says that users should see a new Messages icon in the top-right corner of the app, but I’m not seeing that yet on my phone. To access messages, I currently need to open the Notifications menu, where I can see the new Messages section sitting at the top of my Notifications list.

Lastly, if you use the YouTube app with a brand account, you won’t have access to this new messaging feature yet. “We’re excited for user feedback in new markets and look forward to expanding even further soon,” the YouTube team said yesterday.