Meta appears to be exploring a new way to get users to spend more time in the Threads app. In a bid to keep users engaged, the company is reportedly testing a feature that could make private conversations a little more fun.
According to a recent post on X from reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, Meta could soon introduce mini games to Threads DMs. An early screenshot of the feature reveals a basketball-themed game with a simple swipe-based mechanic that allows users to flick shots back and forth with friends while chatting.
This feature seems less about competitive gaming and more about adding a casual distraction to help users keep the conversation going. While it is still in development and not publicly available yet, the feature points to Meta’s broader efforts to make Threads more interactive and less text-heavy.
Since its launch, Threads has steadily picked up new features aimed at giving it an edge over rival platform X. We recently learned that Meta plans to add a new tool to help podcast creators share previews on Threads, and the company now appears to be turning its attention to features designed to boost everyday engagement.
Meta has previously tested games in DMs
According to TechCrunch, this isn’t the first time Meta has experimented with adding games to DMs. The company introduced a hidden emoji game to Instagram DMs last year with the objective of keeping an emoji bouncing for as long as possible using a paddle at the bottom of the screen.
For now, Meta has not officially commented on this discovery and there’s no word on when the game might reach your Threads DMs, if at all. It’s also unclear whether the basketball game will be the only option or if users will get to choose from a couple of different games.