Twitter Reportedly Launching Separate Direct Messaging App

It’s being reported that Twitter is revamping its Direct Messaging feature, and will be releasing a standalone app that will focus only on Direct Messaging, according to AllThingsD. While this is merely just a rumor for now, a move like this makes a lot of sense, especially since Facebook is has its own messaging app as well.

Not a lot of details were provided as far as what to expect. It was only said that “the company plans to significantly update its direct-messaging product in the near future,” according to a handful of anonymous sources. This report comes shortly after Twitter began rolling out the ability to direct message other users without having to follow one another, further opening up the world if Direct Messaging.

We don’t necessarily need another messaging app, but company after company is getting in on the trend. After apps like Kik, WhatsApp, Line, Snapchat and others saw raging success, more developers are wanting a piece of that pie, including Twitter. The company already has a really good communication platform, but it thinks it needs something more, and what better way than to simply just expand on its Direct Messaging feature?

And since Twitter wants to be the center of conversation, it makes sense for them to release a standalone messaging app that compliments its current microblogging service. The company has been keeping a close eye on several different messaging services, including Snapchat and MessageMe, the latter of which Twitter execs went to go talk to personally and discussed whatever it was they had to talk about regarding private messaging.

The question begs, though, will a standalone messaging app from Twitter take off? It probably will, but mostly because millions of people use Twitter to begin with, and the hype of at least trying the new app out will be tremendous. The real question is whether or not something like this can last. Twitter enthusiasts will no doubt use it obsessively, but we wonder if it’ll have the juice to go the distance in the long term.

And with so many users already using their messaging app of choice, we wonder if Twitter’s alleged messaging option can break users away from current apps to join Twitter’s own option. There’s no word on a timeline as far as when we might expect an app like this to release, but it shouldn’t be too long until we see it pop up.