Threads adds private Meta AI chats without cluttering your feed

Meta has launched private Meta AI chats in Threads direct messages, allowing users to ask questions about posts, images, links, or videos without cluttering the public feed. The feature, available starting today, builds on Threads' expanding messaging capabilities and Meta AI's existing presence across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and as a standalone app.

Meta AI is coming to Threads DMs, giving users a private place to chat with the assistant without placing its responses in the public feed. Meta AI moves into Threads DMs following public-feed test Starting today, users can send Meta AI a Threads post, image, link, or video, then ask questions and continue with follow-ups. That could make the assistant useful for understanding a trending topic, summarizing something shared on Threads, or exploring context that would otherwise require leaving the app. The launch builds on Threads’ expanding messaging features. Meta introduced standalone Threads DMs last year https://9to5mac.com/2025/07/01/threads-officially-rolls-out-standalone-dms-and-debuts-visual-highlights/ , later added group chats https://9to5mac.com/2025/10/15/threads-launches-group-dms-and-expands-messaging-features-to-the-eu/ , and began bringing DMs to the web https://9to5mac.com/2026/05/05/threads-starts-rolling-out-dms-on-the-web-but-there-are-a-few-catches/ . Meta AI, meanwhile, was already available across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and as a standalone app. 9to5Mac’s Take Supporting “AI” chats in DMs is much more natural and inviting than public feed conversations with chatbots, which can be spammy, annoying, and, well, public. Smart move for Threads, which initially launched without a native DM feature at all, instead relying on Instagram DMs. Do more with your Apple products Apple AirTag 2 | Add Find My tracking to keys, bags, bikes, more https://amzn.to/4vjNWN1 AirPods 4 | Apple’s newest wireless headphones https://amzn.to/43ndewV AirPods Pro 3 | Apple’s best wireless headphones https://amzn.to/4ut3FYp Beats USB-A to USB-C Cable | The official CarPlay cable https://amzn.to/4mpKs7K FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5mac.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on exclusive stories https://9to5mac.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5mac.com/guides/review/ , how-tos https://9to5mac.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5mac