YouTube Expands Direct Message Feature to the United States

YouTube has announced the expansion of its Direct Message feature to the United States, now accessible on the mobile application. According to a report by Endgadget on Thursday (11/6) local time, the Google-owned video sharing platform began testing the Direct Message feature in Ireland and Poland at the end of 2025. Shortly thereafter, in March 2026, the feature was trialled in more countries across Europe. This third phase of expansion is now taking place in the US, and the feature is available to users aged 18 and above. This is not the first time YouTube has introduced a direct messaging feature, as a similar function appeared back in 2017. However, the tech giant removed it in 2019 because public conversations via the comments section were more popular at the time. The relaunch is based on positive feedback received from countries where the feature has been active over the past few months. To use the feature, interested users can select the ‘Messages’ icon visible in the top right corner of the YouTube app. Users then need to tap the ‘Invite to chat’ option to invite anyone on the platform to a private conversation. Those who receive an invitation can choose to accept or decline it. While many instant messaging applications are already available to internet users, the presence of a similar feature on YouTube should make it easier for users to share content without switching applications. Despite introducing direct messaging, YouTube will continue to provide easy options for users to share content to other applications. YouTube is also committed to further expanding testing of this feature to more countries.