Group Messaging Now On Twitter

Published on February 17, 2015

Twitter recently launched an update to its direct messaging (DM) feature to allow for group messaging with multiple users at once. We can now message up to 20 users in one message, which seems to pale in comparison to Facebook Messenger's 250 user limit, but it is a step forward nonetheless.

Here's how you can use this new function to create a group message from scratch, add new member to a pre-existing group message, and how to share tweets directly within a message (as recently detailed by Hubspot).

Twitter Group Messaging - An Overview

Group messaging allows for private conversations on a public forum, which Product Director Jinen Kamdar reiterated the importance of on Twitter's official blog, saying:

Private conversations on Twitter are a great complement to the largely public experience on the platform. You might prefer to read (or watch) tweets but converse about them privately.

Creating group messages takes this concept to a whole new level. Here are the details:

  • 20 Twitter users per group message
  • If your message has less than 20 involved users, anyone can add additional users to the conversation at any time (not just the user who started the group)
  • You have to start groups with your own followers, BUT not everyone in the group has to follow each other
  • When invited to a message, a user receives a notification informing them
  • Group (and individual) messages now support pictures, links, emoji, and tweets in addition to text

How to Create a New Group Message From Scratch

  1. Click the envelope icon labeled "Messages" (Top left of your screen on desktop, bottom of screen on mobile)
  2. Click "New Message"
  3. Enter the name(s) or @username(s) of the followers you want to send a message.
  4. Click "Next."
  5. Type out your message and click "Send message."

How to Add Members to a Pre-Existing Group Message

  1. Click the envelope icon, labeled "Messages."
  2. Click on a group message to open it.
  3. Click the ellipsis in the top right corner and choose "Add people" from the menu that appears. (Note: On mobile, you'll have to click into the tweet to see the ellipsis. You can also leave a conversation this way.)
  4. In the address box, enter the name(s) or @username(s) of your followers that you would like to send a message. Click "Done" to add them to the group message. (Note: They will not be able to see previous messages exchanged before they were added.)

How to Share a Tweet in a Group Message

  1. Find the tweet you want to share, and click the ellipsis below the tweet. (On mobile, you'll have to click the tweet to see the ellipsis.)
  2. Choose "Share via Direct Message" in the menu.
  3. In the address box, enter the name(s) or @username(s) of your followers to whom you want to send the tweet.
  4. Click "Next."
  5. Add a personal message to send along with the tweet, and click "Send message" when you're done.