Meta brings its AI chatbot into Threads' private messages

Meta said Monday it is rolling out its Meta AI chatbot within Threads’ direct messages, giving users a way to chat with the assistant privately. Threads users in select markets could already interact with Meta AI in public posts — similar to how people can engage with Grok on X — but this integration marks the first time the conversation can happen one-on-one. Meta AI is already available in direct messages on the company’s other platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and the company says the DM update will roll out globally starting Monday.

The new integration lets users share Threads posts, images, links, and videos directly with Meta AI inside a DM thread, and ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into a topic. By giving users an easier way to reach for an AI chatbot without leaving the app, Meta positions Threads — its rival to X — as a place where people can get information and recommendations without having to leave, an approach that also keeps them inside Meta’s ecosystem rather than turning to third-party assistants such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

Meta also said it is continuing to test Meta AI replies in Threads’ public feeds in a handful of global markets and is weighing feedback before expanding that feature more broadly. Users who want to see fewer Meta AI replies in their feed have three options: muting @meta.ai, selecting “Not interested” on a Meta AI post, or hiding a Meta AI reply that appears on their own post.

Why it matters

By folding its AI assistant deeper into Threads’ private conversations, Meta is betting that convenience will keep users chatting with Meta AI instead of switching to standalone rivals like ChatGPT or Gemini — a retention strategy that matters more as those assistants become a bigger part of how people search and get recommendations online.