Meta’s Threads Launches Live Chats for Real-Time Event Discussions

Meta has introduced a new "live chats" feature to Threads, enabling users to participate in real-time conversations about live events they’re interested in. Live chats can be hosted within Threads communities, the topic-specific social spaces that Meta launched last year.

The new feature functions similarly to Instagram’s broadcast channels but allows for two-way interaction. Live chats can be hosted by select creators, including Community Champions—highly engaged users within specific communities—and media personalities. Once a chat is launched or scheduled, the host selects contributors and can share the link publicly.

Participants can post photos, videos, links, emoji reactions, and text-based messages. If a live chat reaches capacity, users can still watch, react to others’ messages, and vote in polls. Live chats remain accessible after they end, and non-community members can join as well.

NBAThreads Community Debuts Live Chats During Playoffs

Meta is debuting the feature in the NBAThreads Community during the Playoffs, with the following hosts named:

• Malika Andrews
• Rachel Nichols
• Trysta Krick
• David Rushing
• Lexis Mickens

Live chats will appear at the top of the NBAThreads Community feed and can also be shared in posts on users’ main Threads feeds. A red ring will appear around a host’s profile photo when they’re live.

Future Expansions and Rollouts

Meta plans to gradually expand live chats to more communities on Threads, with upcoming features including:

• Co-hosting capabilities
• Lock screen widgets
• Ability to quote and share messages from a chat on your feed

Threads’ Steady Growth and Feature Expansion

Since its launch in 2023, Meta has been steadily expanding Threads’ features to compete with X (formerly Twitter). Initial updates included searchable topics (not hashtags) and custom feeds, followed by the introduction of communities last year. Recent additions include long-form text posts and a long-overdue web redesign. In October 2023, Meta announced that Threads now has 150 million daily users.