Threads to Introduce Live Chats Feature for Real-Time Event Discussions

Threads is preparing to launch a new feature called Live Chats, which will allow creators and collaborators to host dedicated, real-time discussion streams that followers can subscribe to and view without being able to post themselves.

Threads Chief Connor Hayes announced the upcoming feature during an appearance at Coachella. He described Live Chats as a way to facilitate ongoing conversations around events or topics without users needing to post repeatedly to the main feed or constantly refresh profiles.

The feature appears similar to Instagram’s Broadcast Channels, which enable one-to-many messaging where followers can receive updates but not contribute. In Threads’ version, a host or small group of collaborators can send messages into the chat, while subscribers follow along in a read-only mode. Hayes noted that this approach could be particularly useful for live events, where frequent posting in the main feed does not effectively support continuous conversation.

Live Chats could help address limitations in how Threads currently handles real-time discussions. While hashtags on the former Twitter platform once served a similar purpose, they often became cluttered with spam and low-quality content. By limiting who can post in a Live Chat, Threads may reduce unwanted noise while maintaining a focused stream of updates.

Hayes did not provide an exact launch date but indicated that Live Chats would begin appearing in the app “over the next few weeks.”