Meta is significantly upgrading its Threads platform by expanding access to its “Live Chats” feature and introducing a suite of new tools designed to boost real-time engagement. The update brings translation support to live conversations, breaking down language barriers and allowing global users to connect more seamlessly. Additionally, the ability to host these interactive sessions is being rolled out to all “Community Champions”—highly active, influential creators who drive conversations within their respective niches.

To streamline moderation and enhance the hosting experience, Threads is introducing co-hosting capabilities, allowing creators to invite up to three co-hosts to help manage and guide the discussion. Hosts also gain the authority to delete messages for all participants, while the platform tests visual enhancements to make host messages stand out. Currently, Live Chats accommodate up to 150 active participants who can share text, media, links, and emojis. Once this cap is reached, additional users can still join as spectators to view the chat, react, and vote in polls.

This feature expansion comes as Threads continues its aggressive push to compete with X for real-time public discourse. Since its launch, Threads has steadily filled functional gaps by adding search, hashtags, chronological feeds, and direct messaging. The platform, which recently celebrated reaching 500 million monthly active users, also teased upcoming updates, including highly requested desktop support for Live Chats and pinned messages.

Key Takeaways

• Threads is expanding Live Chats access to 'Community Champions' and adding translation support for global reach.
• New moderation tools allow hosts to add up to three co-hosts, delete messages globally, and highlight host commentary.
• Live Chats support up to 150 active participants, with unlimited spectators able to view, react, and participate in polls.

Editor’s Analysis & Impact

Meta’s continuous feature rollout for Threads highlights its determination to capture the real-time microblogging market share from X. By introducing Live Chats—and rapidly iterating on it with co-hosting and translation tools—Threads is carving out a distinct identity focused on structured, community-led engagement rather than just open-ended feeds. Reaching 500 million monthly active users is a massive milestone, but sustaining that growth requires keeping users on the platform longer. Live Chats act as a powerful retention tool, fostering micro-communities and giving creators direct, interactive access to their audiences. As desktop support and pinned messages loom on the horizon, Threads is positioning itself not just as an alternative to X, but as a more feature-rich, creator-friendly ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can start a Live Chat on Threads?
A: Currently, Threads is expanding hosting capabilities to 'Community Champions,' who are highly active and followed users within specific communities on the platform.

Q: How many people can participate in a Threads Live Chat?
A: Up to 150 users can actively send messages, photos, videos, and links. Beyond that limit, additional users can join in 'spectator' mode to watch, react, and vote in polls.

Q: What new moderation tools are available for hosts?
A: Hosts can now invite up to three co-hosts to help manage the chat, delete messages for all participants, and benefit from upcoming visual highlights for host messages.