Threads launches Live Chats for real-time events

On Wednesday, Meta announced the launch of “Live Chats” on Threads, a new feature designed to facilitate real-time conversations during cultural events. The rollout begins within the National Basketball Association (NBA) Threads community during the Playoffs. To kick off the feature, media personalities including Malika Andrews, Rachel Nichols, and Da Kid Gowie will host Live Chats during games. Initially, Meta is rolling out the feature to a small group of creators, meaning not all users will be able to start a Live Chat immediately, though the company plans to expand access over time.

The feature allows users to send messages, photos, videos, links, and emoji reactions. Up to 150 participants can actively send messages in a single chat. Once this limit is reached, additional users can still view the conversation, react to messages, and participate in polls in a “spectator” mode. To manage safety, Threads will automatically detect and take down messages that violate its policies. Additionally, hosts have real-time moderation controls, allowing them to demote users to spectator mode or remove them from the chat entirely, while any participant can report messages.

Meta plans to expand access to the feature over time, aiming to improve the platform’s real-time engagement capabilities to better compete with X (formerly Twitter). Meta explained in a blog post that the feature serves as an extension of existing interactions on the platform, providing a dynamic alternative to traditional group chats by focusing on real-time connections during cultural moments. The company stated that “It’s a new way to build community with others around shared interests like an album drop or a big game as it unfolds.”

Historically, Threads has worked to build out its platform to better compete with X in terms of relevance and timeliness. While X has established itself as a global platform for real-time commentary and breaking news, Meta is positioning Live Chats as a tool specifically designed for real-time engagement around shared interests. Users can join these chats from the top of a Community feed, through a shared post in their main feed, or by tapping the red live ring around a host’s profile photo. Although the chats end after a certain time, they remain open and publicly discoverable afterward.

Why it matters

Threads is introducing ‘Live Chats’ to improve real-time engagement and compete more effectively with X, which has historically dominated real-time commentary.