YouTube is pulling the plug on its direct message feature, starting next month.
From September 18th, users will no longer be able to message each other inside the video app.
"Two years ago, we launched a feature to enable you to share videos via direct messages on YouTube. Since then, we’ve also focused on public conversations with updates to comments, posts and stories," the company wrote in a Google Support post this week.
"We’re constantly reevaluating our priorities and have decided to discontinue YouTube’s native direct-messaging feature while we focus on improving public conversations.”
Public conversation
The messaging feature was introduced to YouTube in August 2017, giving users the ability to privately share messages and videos. The messaging feature made its way to the YouTube web site in May 2018.
However, it looks as though YouTube is focusing on improving and supporting public conversation. The comments section on YouTube is still causing issues for viewers and creators alike.
Earlier this year, hundreds of unmonitored, predatory comments were discovered alongside family-friendly videos, which led to multiple creators being demonetised.