Meta has rolled out a new live chats feature on Threads, letting users join real‑time talks about events they care about. The tool nests inside Threads communities, the topic‑focused spaces Meta launched last year. Unlike Instagram’s one‑way broadcasts, hosts can invite participants, share photos, videos, links, and emojis, while viewers can still watch and react if the chat fills up.

Hosts include Community Champions—power users in a niche—and media personalities. Once a session starts or is scheduled, the host selects contributors and publishes a public link. Even when a chat reaches capacity, observers can still view, react, or vote in polls. After closure, the conversation stays accessible, and outsiders can join without community membership.

The feature debuted in the NBAThreads Community during the Playoffs, with broadcasters Malika Andrews, Rachel Nichols, Trysta Krick, David Rushing and Lexis Mickens as hosts. Live chats appear at the top of the community feed and can surface on users’ main Threads feed. A red ring around a host’s photo signals an active session, making it easy to spot live discussion.

Meta is rolling out live chats gradually to other communities, promising co‑hosting, lock‑screen widgets, and quote‑share features soon. Threads, which hit 150 million daily users last October, has steadily added new capabilities since its 2023 launch. By turning passive scrolling into interactive events, Meta pushes Threads closer to competing with established broadcast and social platforms.