Twitter takes on WhatsApp with direct message chat upgrade

Twitter is simplifying its direct messaging service, as the social network looks to compete with the rising popularity of chat apps such as Facebook’s WhatsApp, Line and WeChat.

The revamp means that viewers can view their entire direct-message history on mobile, bringing it more in-line with chat app style conversations.
The success of WhatsApp bought by Facebook for $19bn in February, which now has over 500 million users, has shown the demand for instant messaging private chat apps.
“Over the next few weeks, we’re rolling out an update that makes deleting DMs more consistent across web and mobile,” said the company in a Twitter Support tweet. “We’re also making an update to the Twitter iPhone and Android apps that will allow you to access your entire DM history.”

The move may even see the social network include group messaging features in the future.
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo highlighted direct messages as a key feature that could help the company grow its presence internationally during a recent earnings call in April.
Commenting on the move, Costollo said: “When you think about the best international opportunity. There’s a real opportunity for us when we think about our private messaging to strengthen the core of our Twitter product by making it easier for users to move more fluidly between the public conversation that happens everywhere on Twitter and the private conversation between you and a friend or you and a few friends.”
The move follows the introduction of direct message pop-up notifications on Twitter in April.
As part of a trial, Twitter let users receive direct messages from anyone, not just those they follow.
It is unknown whether Twitter’s new access to DMs will extend to third party apps like Tweetbot or Echofon, although the social network’s recent moves indicate it is trying to diminish the value of third-party clients in favour of its own website, smartphone and tablet apps.
View the announcement here