YouTube brings back direct messaging feature after six years
- By Kumail Shah -
- Jun 11, 2026
Six years after YouTube discontinued direct messaging, the platform has announced its return. On Wednesday, after six months of testing, YouTube revealed that users can now share videos through a revamped messaging feature. In November 2025, Google, the platform’s owner, identified direct messaging as a “top feature request.”
The YouTube app now features a new messaging icon, allowing users to invite friends to share videos. Recipients can accept or decline these invitations, helping to minimize spam and unwanted messages. However, to send direct messages, users must be over 18, have their age verified, and be signed in to a personal YouTube channel with their Google Account.
YouTube first introduced direct messaging in 2017 but discontinued it in 2019. At that time, Google explained that it was “reevaluating our priorities” and chose to focus on improving public interactions, such as comments and posts.
The new direct messaging feature will initially roll out in the US, UK, Brazil, and Singapore, having already been available since March in several European countries, including Spain, Ireland, Croatia, France, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, Greece, Austria, Poland, Belgium, and others.
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In its announcement, YouTube said that its Community Guidelines will now govern all shared content and messages. During testing, Mashable’s Matt Binder noted that the video-sharing platform will enforce moderation policies on direct messages, just like public posts, and will review flagged content.
This reintroduction of direct messaging is considered a much-needed update for YouTube, as most other platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, and Threads, have already implemented it.