YouTube is experimenting with a new in-app direct messaging feature that exists within its own app, the company announced on Tuesday, causing shares in mobile messaging app rivals to fall. The experiment gives users the chance to share videos and chat about them one-on-one without leaving YouTube, a move that could transform how creators interact with their audience.
In a Google forum, a YouTube employee described the test as a top-requested feature. A companion help page, first noticed by 9to5Google, framed it as a lightweight system: Share a video, invite an addressee and chat privately if they agree. In some countries, for now, the pilot is only open to adults.
How the New YouTube Direct Messages Function
In the YouTube mobile app, you can send a video directly to another account and write up a message. The recipient gets an invitation they can accept or reject before anything is said. After accepting, both parties can read on and share more videos while keeping the conversation walled off within YouTube.
Moderation rules remain in force. Messages and on-platform shares can be reviewed to ensure they meet Community Guidelines, YouTube says. Users also can block channels to prevent future invites and messages. New message notifications also show up alongside app alerts under the bell icon and stay with what you know.
Shorts, live streams and long-form videos are supported on the test. The feature is being tested among a small group of users over the age of 18 in Poland and Ireland as part of a standard staged rollout, with YouTube evaluating user uptake, safety signals and how well it fits with its product ahead of additional countries.
Why YouTube Is Testing Direct Messages Again
Nearly every major social platform — from Instagram to TikTok to X — already has native DMs, which help retain sharing loops on-platform and drive repeat engagement. YouTube has enormous scale, with over 2 billion logged-in users every month, and Shorts commands a similar vast audience. Offering those viewers a low-friction interface for trading clips and comments without having to switch apps could boost session time and discovery.
There’s also a creator angle. Discourse threads are now shunted into Discord, Instagram or email. Homegrown DMs might help casual conversation return to YouTube, particularly for collaborations, video feedback and member perks. And the requirement that users accept a chat before it begins — and can also block channels with one click of the mouse — is evidence that YouTube is trying to strike a balance between connection (forced or not) and control.
Lessons From YouTube’s Previous Private Sharing
YouTube used to have a private sharing and chat feature within the app, which it later discontinued. The new experiment is taking a more cautious approach: conversation opt-in, easy-to-use blocking tools and alignment with Community Guidelines. It’s a design that reflects the realities of contemporary moderation, and the necessity of making sure spamming and abuse do not make their way into spaces that are supposed to be private.
“It’s the timing that industry watchers will point out. Platforms have poured significant resources into security tools and transparency duties, particularly in the European Union. Rather than a fully encrypted inbox, a more simplified and reviewable DM flow will provide YouTube with more levers for policy enforcement and users’ security while still ensuring private exchanges.”
What It Means for Creators and Everyday Viewers
For creators, native DMs might make invitations, rapid feedback loops and VIP chats feel smoother — without requiring fans to jump into another app. For viewers, it means sharing a Shorts clip or live moment is as easy as tapping on Share and sending a message — while ensuring that you can accept or reject incoming chats before they start.
The flip side is signal-to-noise. If the feature is rolled out more widely, YouTube will likely lean on rate limits, invite gating and trust signals (like account history) in order to prevent spam from clogging up your live experience. Obvious notification controls and simple blocking are going to be key to adoption.
What To Watch Next As YouTube Expands DM Testing
There are still vast questions left unanswered: Will the feature make it over to desktop? Is it going to support group threads, or plug into existing live chat and comment moderation tools? What about the reverse? How will brand and creator accounts process incoming requests in volume? YouTube will want to iterate on the initial feedback from the pilot regions before rolling out more broadly.
For the moment, though, the test is something of a turning point. By redesigning personal sharing around permission, safety and the core activity of sending videos, YouTube is hoping to establish DMs as an accompaniment to watching — not a replacement for full-featured messaging apps — and enable communication that’s native to information traveling across screens rather than being hierarchically yanked from one window in your phone or laptop into another.
